I'm working on a diorama and need some advice from you Allied gurus. A Stuart tank (ostensibly from the 746th Tank Battalion) was knocked out on a crossroads outside Carentan in a place that came to be known as "Dead Man's Corner."



Can anyone tell me:

1.) which vehicle it is (M3? M5? Which variant?)
2.) what kit or kits exists?

I know AFV Club has two Stuarts (early and late), but I am not the one to make this call.

I'm quite sure the tank is a M5A1 as shown by the raised engine deck, not sure if it's early or late though.

M5A1
Tamiya
Afv Club

Hi Bill

I'd say it's an early M5A1. It's got the larger turret but not the protection on the MG mount. Definitely recommend AFV Club, far advanced over the Tamy offering.

Cheers!
Stefan

Welcome to the Drab Bill!
I'd go with an M5A1 early,best kit would be AFV Club 35105,use that inter web thingy to look up Terry's review on PMMS and Steve Zaloga's build in Military Modelling vol 38 no 5 2008-happy modelling!

Steve

Another view :



On a side note, there's now a Dead Man's Corner Museum there...

http://www.utahbeachnormandy.com/dead-mans-corner-museum.htm

H.P.

And on a side, side note: Dead Man's Corner Museum on Armorama

OOOPS

H.P.

That should've read 'welcome to the Drab COMMA Bill' (now I can't edit that and don't want to imply anything about Mr Cross I'm sure he's the very antithesis of that word) nice link chaps

Steve.

Steve, I am drab, but I knew what you meant (Olive Drab).

The reviews were helpful, and I will secure the Early version and some workable tracks. Thanks.

The tank is marked 1A 70 ^ D 12, so it is 1st Army, 70 TB, Co D, Tank 12.

KL

When it comes to 1/35 subject matter, US OLIVE DRAB is my favorite way of doing things!

Hi, Bill! You can save yourself a lot of heartaches and headaches by buying the AFV CLUB M5A1 (early) for this project. A/M Tracks for this kit are available from a number of manufacturers, notably BRONCO, or the simpler, but aggravating to clean up AFV CLUB Track sets. The T16 and T36 Track sets are readily available from both of the aforementioned manufacturers.

If you're a stickler for correctness, I recommend The NEW TIGER MODELS Turret for M5A1 (early), Exhaust, Tools, and Turret Hatches. If you ever decide to build a late M5A1, TIGER MODELS also makes a very nice Turret ass'y for that variant. I believe TIGER MODELS manufactures a better Main Gun Mantlet, too. You may also want to buy the VOYAGER PE set for M5A1 (early), as well.
+
As for armament, I'd fly with RB Barrels M3 37mm Main Gun Barrel, M1919A4 .30 cal Barrels, and if you elect to mount an M2 .50 cal., then you have 3 really good choices: ABER, RB MODELS, or LIONROAR. All three of these manufacturers supply you with separate perforated Cooling Sleeves for their .30 & .50 cals. I personally like ARCHER Dry Transfers or ECHELON Decals for my 1/35 projects...

If you want to include a comprehensive Interior and an Engine Compartment, complete with the twin-Cadillac Engines, I suggest VERLINDEN- These are sold as two separate kits, the Drivers' and Fighting Compartments with Turret Interior, and the separate Engine Compartment kit...

With all of these available "goodies", one can really make either of AFV CLUB's M5A1s shine!!!

Hello there,

This particular tank D-12 has been a long standing wish of mine to build. I have the AFV Club kit waiting....

A small plug if I may, for a friend of mine....


This book will have some specific new details about D-12 and its crew.

Cheers

Sean

Thanks, Kurt, where are the markings in the photo? And would the tank be so marked elsewhere?

Dennis, thanks, I didn't realize you were a Stuart man, too, I thought it was just Shermans. I will look into those various improvements to the AFV Club kit. Thanks.

Thanks.

The Tiger Models site has resin exhausts and PE screens. I don't see any exhausts on the sprue trees. Are they missing from the kit?

By the way...

A side view of this vehicle is in the background of a photo in Niels Henkemans post on ML from a few years back, here (third "dump" photo).

You'll need the "Joe Peckerwood" mascot as well as the obvious numbers.

Cheers

Sean

The AFV Club M5A1 early doesn't have exhaust deflectors. The 'late' kit does have em, and can be built as an early vehicle as well.

If I remember rightly the lower exhaust deflector came in two types,the 'early' one was in one piece,the 'later' one was split to allow placement of a towing pintle
Now what tanks had what exhaust deflector,that I don't know (away from references and the useful field guide to the M5/M8 booklet that Mr Laughlin published...).

Steve

Hi, Bill! You're very welcome!

Actually, I chose the "m4a1sherman" handle because it is PROBABLY my favorite M4-series Tank; ANYTHING in 1/35 US/Allied is my forte, WWII especially, and that includes 1/48 Fighter Aircraft as well.

I'm not just into 1/35 AFVs and 1/48 Fighters, but I love 1/35 Soft-skins & Figures, but I really like ALL types of 1/48 Aircraft, which remain my "first love". I'm very heavily-invested into the US "Golden Age of Steam"-era, in HO scale- I model in brass, (EXPENSIVE!!!), high-end "Brass-Hybrids" and high-end plastic, such as the stuff from BROADWAY LIMITED, MTH, PROTO 2000, etc. I also model cars of the "Classic-era", in 1/24 & 1/25, and I collect the DANBURY MINT and FRANKLIN MINT classics, as well. I am an avid figure modeller, collector and painter, ranging from 1/48, 1/35, 54mm (1/32) to 120mm, and I also build the occasional Ship model, in the ranges of 1/700 up to 1/35. Working with brass, resin, PE and other materials is no problem for me- in fact, I rather enjoy it. Scratch-building, kit-bashing, converting, etc, are "second-nature" for me. I've been "at it" since I was 5-years old, and I'm going on 64 now, so yeah, I guess I would say that I'm committed AND addicted to the HOBBY...

As far as good reference materials for your M5A1 (early) go, may I suggest the SQUADRON "US Light Tanks" book, Thomas Berndt's "American TANKS of World War II", and the EXCELLENT OSPREY "Modelling"-series of books by Steve Zaloga pertaining to modelling US and Allied Tanks of WWII, (Osprey has some excellent books in the "Modelling"-series that deal with Armor and AFVs of other nations, as well as Aircraft, by various other authors)...

I wish more modellers would take an interest in US/Allied subjects- There is a a WEALTH of reference material available, and an ever-growing variety of "models-other-than-WWII German" becoming available as I write...

PS- There's a GREAT variety of "Markings" for your M5A1 available from ARCHER and ECHELON, that you could source the markings for your project from. In the case of "D 12", only the SERIAL # of the tank will be required on the rear portion of the Upper Hull side plates, i.e, no "D 12". Not exactly sure where the "nickname" was applied on this vehicle.

Also, you might want to check your references regarding this vehicle's Serial #- Many US Vehicles had an "-S" applied after the Serial #, which stands for "Suppressed", referring to safeguards having been applied to the vehicle in question's Engine-wiring to help negate electrical static during radio transmissions...

So may I conclude I don't need the resin baffles for an Early?

Hey Bill
Zaloga went with the early single piece lower deflector,New TMD supply both deflectors in the one pack (picked up a couple of these myself years ago,v.nice)
In the Military Modelling article he states that the split lower was a post Nov 1943 feature seen on vehicles with the later turret and rear stowage bin.Also this type (as seen in Normandy) is referred to as an 'intermediate' M5A1 ( straight M5's being the earlier model?) I still have much to learn!
I would link directly to the article but PC ineptitude prevents this....just stick Steve Zaloga M5A1 into Google and you'll find it!

Steve

Hi, Bill! Steve and Matthew are right as far as the Exhaust Deflectors are concerned; however, I would check any available resources that you may come across regarding this particular vehicle. Though it's pretty safe to say that we've ascertained that this M5A1 is an "early" variant, we don't know for certain if it's an "intermediate" vehicle. Any photos that I've seen in this vein make it difficult to identify this particular vehicle, exactly. Possibly, this could be done by checking Serial # records, if such records are at all available.

We also have numerous possibilities arising in that it's pretty much "common knowledge" that US Tankers, Ordnance and Maintenance personnel, (GIs and Marines as well), made a lot of "field mods" to their vehicles and weapons as a result of "Tech Bulletins" and also through their own "resourcefulness"- I think we all know how practical and imaginative Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen in the field can be, so it's also entirely possible that you may find some "non-standard" mod or addition that this Tank's Crew might have made in the course of this vehicle's "life".

Personally, I'm inclined to go with Zaloga's option of going with the single Exhaust Deflector, which I will probably do with most of my "early" M5A1s. At this time, I still have 5 or 6 M5A1s ("early AND "late") that haven't built yet; I did back-date an "early" M5A1 to an M5 with The NEW TMD M5 "Backdate" Conversion set. I built it as a vehicle that would have been in the training establishment- I'm very pleased with the conversion and how it came out!

Future plans, as far as my M5A1s go are:

M5A1 (early)- "as built", from the Cadillac Plant
M5A1 (early)- "TORCH", 1943, with appropriate markings
M5A1 (early/intermediate?)- Normandy, early Summer, 1944
M5A1 (late)- "as built", from the Cadillac Plant, w/Sand Shields
M5A1 (late)- USMC, Roi Namur, 1944 (3-color camo scheme, w/Sand Shields)
M5A1 (late)- Alsace-Lorraine, late 1944, w/o Sand Shields

I also converted a "late" M5A1 with the EXCELLENT NEW TMD M8 HMC (75mm Howitzer) Conversion- It's WELL WORTH the money!

And if you think that THAT is taking things to an extreme, ask me about my M4-series Mediums and GMC CCKW 352s and -353s!!! Yup, I'm TOTALLY into US OD, "Marine GREEN", and US Armor Sand!!!