PS, to all concerned-

I DO build WWII German and the stuff from all of the other major combatants, PLUS WWI, "inter-war", Post-war and "modern" stuff, just not as much as 1/35 WWII US/Allied, and MOSTLY, 1/48 Aircraft... I have other "addictions", as well.

As far as the 1/35 WWII German stuff is concerned, I prefer the pre-war/early war (PANZER GRAU) stuff and Soft-skins to the later Tigers and Panthers, but I have several of these in my collection, too...

Thank you for this topic, Sir.

Now I know where to go in my holiday in September. Visit the Normandie and the Dead Man's Corner Museum.

Best

Chris

Hi, Chris, feel free to PM me if you need suggestions, including a guide. I strongly recommend one; they are not cheap, but worth the money for saving time. Ours took us to all the important 101st Airborne sites, including Brecourt Manor, which you might not find on your own (the actual field). There are some preserved trenches that we missed, but saw DMC and St. Mere Eglise. The Utah Beach Museum is better than the one for Omaha IMO. We also went to the US and German cemeteries (Michael Wittmann is buried in the latter).

And don't forget Batterie-Longues-sur-Mer:

This new book might come in handy
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/message/1467563657/New+book+on+70th+Tank+Battalion

On the tank? Where?

Almost at the front of the left and right side of the upper hull. Scroll almost to the end of my article here:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/571595/thread/1215773424/

Thanks, I see there is a large #12 on the side as well.

The 12 is rather obvious on better quality versions of the first photo in this thread. But I can imagine you missed it on the one you posted.

What other versions? I just did a Google search for "Dead Man's Corner" and came up with nothing that showed the "12."

Also, there appears to be an orange "16" below the MG.

And who makes the appropriate markings for the 12? Archer's sets seem unlikely, but I could be wrong.

Hi Bill,
I was just talking of good quality prints of that first photo. The 12 is visible on those. Does help if you know what to look for though.

In this photo you can seen the markings on the lower hull as well as the 12 on the hull side.






That is the bridge classification disk, a black numeral on a yellow disk.

KL

Couldn't agree more (but then it's my job... Someone has to do it...)

There are a lot of museums and they do vary, in content, intention and quality. As Bill says, the Utah Beach museum is amongst the better (thanks in part to some generous funding from the USA). The cemeteries are numerous and any visit should include a few IMHO.

Chris, if you come this way I'll offer a discount, same for anyone else here on Armorama. Please excuse the plug...

Bill, were you thinking of modelling the tank after it was knocked out or before?

Cheers

Sean

http://www.normandyinsight.com/

Before.

I found a nice set of bridge markings from Archer that allow for customization, but I can't seem to find anything for the "12" numeral. I will need one on each side of the lower hull, so any suggestions from you experts? This is not my area.

Finally, the AFV kit has styrene radio aerials I'd like to replace with metal bases, etc. Is the radio mast a single piece of wire, and if so, what is the scale length? I have some wonderful Orange Hobby aerials that are two-piece brass with spring-mounted bases, but I suspect they are post-WW2.

IIRC, the antenna generally used on the M5 series is a 3-piece 9 foot whip antenna (used with SCR 508,528 or 538 radio sets).

Here two pics of the base :

http://svsm.org/gallery/m5a1/IMGP5365

http://svsm.org/gallery/m5a1/IMGP5367

H.P.

Merci, mon ami. And my condolences for the Portugal game. You were the better team, but they dumbed you down.

No problemo Bill. I'm not the #1 fan of the national team

H.P.

I'm still stumped how to do the "12" numeral. Any suggestions for decals?

Would you want to show 'Bruno Hinz, the German soldier that took the M5 out with a Panzerfaust?

Unfortunately that's a claim without proper evidence. Take it with a grain of salt, especially since at least one other name has been linked with the event.

Hi, Bill!

Re: Your "12" Numeral on the Hull sides- I suggest that you cross into the "Wing Things" niche of plastic modelling. There are numerous YELLOW 45-degree and conventional Alphanumeric decal sets that we Aircraft Modellers resort to when a particular number or letter set is not available for a specific aircraft or vehicle. Since these numbers are only about 1/2" tall on your Stuart, I suggest 1/48 or 1/72 scale, if you don't find any suitable number sets in 1/35. I'll be going on ebay in a little while, so I'll be glad to check for you and give you the "high-sign" if I come across anything.

I'm pretty sure that ARCHER manufactures a generic 1/35 "Dry Transfer" Yellow 45-degree Number set for US Tanks and Vehicles. WOODLAND SCENICS also makes/made several Yellow alphanumeric dry transfer sets. Barring that, you might try ECHELON, MICROSCALE, SUPERSCALE, and a host of others. You can check on ebay, where there are a veritable multitude of decals available to modellers in every scale and particular interest that you can think of...

Hope this helps you out, even if it is only in a small way.



PS- Do you have your heart set on on this particular Stuart? If not, I KNOW that ECHELON makes a few decal sets for "Normandy" Stuarts...

I'd really use white numbers for 70th vehicles, not yellow.

Hi, Niels-

I beg to differ. The Tactical Numbers, such as the "12" desired by Bill, were painted in Yellow for the D-Day Invasion, usually with a letter pre-fix. Some were segmented, others, not. Also, stencils made in two different fonts were used, i.e, the aforementioned 45-degree style, and a more conventional style, with rounded alpha-numerics.

These large vehicle codes remained on the vehicles for a while, and usually were removed or painted out on Armored vehicles' sides and/or Turrets, along with the very prominent White US National markings, by the Autumn of 1944. These large Yellow and White markings proved to be too conspicuous, making it very easy for German Gunners to use as aiming references. A notable exception was the 4th Armored, which used Red Numerals, with a White surround. These were also done away with, eventually.

It should also be mentioned at this point, that quite a few US AFV Crews had painted the Stars on their vehicles' sides and Turrets out with Dark Gray, Black or Olive Drab even before the battle for Normandy was played out...

Hi, Bill!

As promised, check out ebay- Refer to:

ARCHER 2nd/3rd Armored Division Large Codes (Sheet 1) AR35049

ARCHER 2nd/3rd Armored Division Large Codes (Sheet 2) AR35050

These two alpha-numeric dry-transfer sheets should help you out with your M5A1, and quite a few other US AFVs serving in France throughout the Summer/Autumn, of 1944...

Dennis, what do you base your claims that all tactical numbers for D-Day were painted yellow?
Please do not use the 2AD and 3AD to generalize for the orphan battalions as well. Those two divisions did use yellow though.

An example as simple as 'Cannon Ball' already proves that the 70th did not follow those markings (no letter pre-fix either). Its numbers are dark (presumably red) with a light outline. I'm not buying a yellow outline. Other companies used solid light colored numbers. I'm going for white because they match the color of the other numbers on the hull sides.

There is a photo with both a vehicle of the 70th and the 2AD/3AD. There is a difference in the intensity of the numbers between the vehicles. No surprise, the number on the 2AD/3AD is slightly darker. I'd say because it is yellow...

As for stars. The 70th had already limited the number of stars before D-Day (as did other vehicles of the 6th Armored Group). In fact, the presence of vehicles with lots of stars in certain units usually indicates a replacement vehicle. Certain green units were inexperienced enough to go into battle with stars all over the place. The 70th was already a veteran formation.

If you're convinced the color of the numbers is yellow I'd like to see some support for that. Until I do, I'll rely on my own observations which mostly happen to agree with Steve Zaloga's conclusions.

I'm okay with different opinions, but I think we should give Bill the chance to make up his own mind and not push him into a certain direction.

Niels