...at least I think so . I normally build mostly modern stuff with some WWII German thrown in here and there. But I got the itch to build this from seeing John Murphy's article in Tamiya Model Mag #103. This is the Tamiya kit with the Accurate Armour conversion. I also used WW2 Production tracks (which went together like a dream and look great) and Tiger Model designs sponson box handles. I scratched the equilibrator springs because the ones that came with the AA set were somewhat warped.(let me say here that AA has been very good about replacing damaged parts when I have had to contact them before, in this case I just didn't want to wait a week for the piece to arrive) Also to backdate the Tamiya kit I cut back the side fenders to the sponson boxes, removed the reinforcing ribs on the final drive housings, and then added oil filler caps and some casting numbers and textured them. The mantlet assembly and barrel are not glued on yet as I was planning to do this after the basecoat. I've been working on this one for only about 3 1/2 weeks, which for me is light speed. I usually take at least 5-6 months on one project, but I guess I got inspired on this one. (that and the fact that both kit and conversion go together so well) I'm going to be busy tommorow, but hopefully Wednesday I can start putting some paint on this Bad-boy. All comments welcome.

Cheers,
Mike

I feel the need to show my ignorance. What are those two large cigarettes on the top of the turret ? And don't say parts 29 and 30 (he, he).

Mike,that is one sweet looking tank Only thing I noticed is that on back of the turret it looks like the holes? need a little more filler Then again maybe it's just the way the pic looks on my screen
Also is there a U.S. importer for those tracks?

Mike

Well done here. I built the AA Super Pershing awhile back, and would much rather have gone the route you have here, i.e. the Tamiya kit, with the AA add on's.

Construction looks solid, tracks are very good looking, and your pe work is also crisply applied.

Once painted, what have you planned for markings? Keep us posted.

Steve

That thing is sweet!! Wish someone made a conversion for my 1/16 pershing! Can't wait to see it painted, might have to build one myself.

[quote]
I feel the need to show my ignorance. What are those two large cigarettes on the top of the turret ? And don't say parts 29 and 30 (he, he). [quote]

If you're ignorant, then so am I. I haven't a clue to what this tank is. My guess is some kind of Isreli tank, likea "Super Sherman" but that is just a WAG.

What the HECK is this thing?

Rodger,the 3rd Armored division,U.S.,had two? of them during the war Basically they were just up-armored and had a longer 90mm gun than a normal Pershing

Hi guys,
Thanks for the comments. The Super Pershing was an experimental U.S. tank that was used in a limited capacity at the end of WWII in Europe by the 3rd Armored division. It was in essence a Tiger hunter. Army ordnance wanted to send it out in battle to hopefully confront a Tiger II. What they did was mount a longer high velocity 90 mm cannon on an early Pershing. Once the tank reached Europe maintenance personnel in the 3rd had already determined the Pershings frontal armor could still be easily penetrated by the German 88 so they added the extra frontal armor. The piece on the mantlet was cut from a knocked out Panther, and the extra armor on the front was cut from boiler plate found at a captured German maintenance facility. Once they added this extra weight on the mantlet they discovered that it made the gun barrel droop. That is when they added the "wings" to counter-ballance the cannon. The "large cigarettes" on the top of the turret were equilibrator springs that were mounted in the states to help offset the extra length of the barrel. OK, history lesson over for tonight
Steve, my plan is to portray the SP right before they hand it over to "the troops". It will be painted in OD of course, with black camo stripes and just the 3rd AD's markings on the front glacis, and somewhat dusty. I only have one small pic of it before the troops got it, and that is the way it appears in my pic.

Mike



Oh I forgot, "Zod" WW2 Productions track sets can be purchased from M & Models in the states.

Mike

No intention of steeling your thunder on this great looking build, but I just thought you and the others might be interested in some good Super Pershing info that popped up in a thread here a long time ago.

Question:
"And how is the gun different from the regular Pershing 90mm?

Answer:
"The standard gun for the T26E3 Pershing was the M3(T7) 90mm gun which fired at a velocity of 792-853 meters per second. The Super Pershing's (T26E4) used the T17 90mm gun, which fired at a velocity of 975-1,128 meters per second."

"The following is from Osprey's M26/M46 Pershing Tank, (thought you might be interested).

"The sole example of the so called Super Pershing to see combat - an original T26E1 pilot tank which had been re-armed with a new long barreled T15E1 90mm gun that was designed to offer performance comparable to the German 88mm KwK 43 on the King Tiger. The T15E1 gun could penetrate 220mm of armor at 1,000 yards at 30 degrees using the new T30E16 tungsten carbide HVAP round, On arrival at the 3rd Armored Division, the ordnance battalion decided to enhance the Super Pershing with additional armor plate to bring it closer to the armor on the King Tiger. The 5 tons of applique armor were designed and fabricated using layers of 40mm boiler plate on the hull and a plate of 80mm armor taken from a German Panther on the gun mantlet. This tank got to fire its gun in anger on only one occasion on April 4, 1945 when it engaged and destroyed a German armored vehicle, probably a Tiger or Panther, at a range of 1,500 yards, during the fighting on the Weser River."

I recall reading somewhere else (can't remember which source however), that troops were reluctant to see exactly what the Super Pershing had knocked out, because of snipers in the area. Speculation was a Panther had been destroyed.



Steve

Very nice, Mike. Thanks for sharing photos of it before painting.

A couple questions: Are you going to but a tow cable or its mounting brackets on the rear end?

Also, are you sure the Super Pershing had the turnbuckles on the front and rear fenders? The T26E3 didn't have them. I think they were added on the production M26.

Kelley - Thanks for straightening old an ignorant old man, about the "cigarettes". My mind just blocked on them. Now that you've said what they are for I can see how they attach. Again Thanks, or is that Tanks.

Bob,
No tow cable or brackets. On the very few pics I have there are no brackets or tow cable visible. (and one pic is a decent shot of the rear) Also the AA instructions tell you it is optional, so I decided to leave them off. As for the turnbuckles ( I'm assuming you mean the mud guard tensioners) again in the pics I have you can see them very clearly on the front and rear.


Steve, no problem. Up until I became interested in this project I didn't know that much about the tank. What little I did know I had read in a book called "Death Traps" written by Belton Cooper, who was the maintenance officer in the 3rd AD in charge of uparmoring the SP.( which I would highly recommend as it gives you a look at life in a U.S. armored division in WWII from his perspective.) I have also recently picked up a book titled "Another River, Another Town" by John P. Irwin who was an 18 year old gunner in the 3rd AD who got to be the gunner in the SP late in the war. I haven't read it yet but I have been told that he states that he knocked out a Tiger II in it. His first shot glanced off the upper glacis, then when the Tiger tried to move it went up on a mound (or something like that) and he hit it in the lower glacis and KO'ed the tank. Again thanks for the comments guys.

Mike