Probably been asked before but I can't find the thread.

What vehicles (preferably easily available in 1/35!) would have towed this gun :
a) WW2 British service (I think the Scammel or Matador?)
b) WW2 US service
c) Post war British
d) Post war US ( used in 'Nam?)

I have a possible commission job for the AFV Club kit - is this suitable for WW2 or is it a post-war variant?

Nope, it was the Mack NO 7 1/2 tonner. The only kit I know of for this vehicle is the ADV/Azimut kit. I have it and it looks to be a good one in the box. A few others have built it and commented that it is complicated, but pretty good.



I think it was the M4 HST


Dunno, probably still the Macks but an equivalent 6-10 ton truck would do.


The M59 was phased out of service before Viet Nam.



It's WW II, but I believe the tires are not the normal type seen on the piece. Replacements in resin are avaialble, but I don't know from whom.

HTH

Paul

I recall reading that some M1 155mm guns were mated with Scammel Prime movers by the Brits in WW2 (along with the Mack NO).

The Mack NO was also used by US forces to tow this.

Resin replacement wheels are available from Masters Productions (France) Kit 35019. This comes with WW2 pattern wheels and tires plus a limber. Also PSP makes a set of replacement tires.

Both can be had at Mission Models (US) or Blast Models (France).

Howdy Dave,

I'll take a shot at trying to answer your question and maybe bring up a few you hadn't thought about.........

Addressing the U.S. service part of your question, you could build a T33 Prime Mover out of an M31 TRV (Grant or Lee).


There were a little over a hundred of these vehicles produced and could haul everything up to and including the 240mm Howitzer.

And, just in case you doubt whether any of these T33's were actually used, here's a pic of one towing a 240mm Howitzer through western europe somewhere......



There was also the M34 Prime Mover, which was based on the M32B1 TRV, which was in turn based on the M4A1 Sherman.


This also could do the same job as the T33, but there were only 24 or 25 of these made because the need for Recovery Vehicles was stronger.

Then were was the M35 Prime Mover, built on the M10A1 Gun Motor Carriage chassis.


But none of these ever really saw service..........I think? ;-)

Tread.

Oh, and just te be a tad more esoteric.....didn't want to forget to include one of my fav's that never really made a 'showing'......the T16.


I always liked the way this vehicle looked....don't really know why, but I just did.
This vehicle finally saw it's way to becoming the M32 recovery vehicle.

Just found a pic in one of my own books of an M35 with 240mm howitzer. That could be a lower cost option than a resin truck.
The potential customer is a disabled ex-serviceman and can't run to resin prices. I'm not going to charge him for making the kits, but it'll still be expensive!

Thanks for help guys.

Just to continiue the discussion, I don't think the M35 was used for things as small as the 155. The 240mm was a much bigger piece and required two M35s to haul it around, but as M35s were in short supply, I don't see them being used on the 155s.

As for the Scammells & the M59, well, they could certainly haul them and given that heavy regiments consisted of two batteries of 155s & Mack NOs plus 2 batteries of 7.2" guns with Scammell tractors, it is likely that the Scammells were used from time to time as required. That said, the "proper" combination was the 155 & the Mack, for all that "proper" is worth in combat.

Just my 2 cents.

Paul

And useful too. Information on the gun, and the Royal Artillery units that used it, are easy - finding out what they used to tow the darned thing around isn't !

Thanks Marcel - I knew the question had come up before but I couldn't find the thread! I wonder if Wespe are still going or if there's a UK dealer? The prices look good for a resin truck in 1/35.

Howdy fellas,

Many thx for reminding me about Wespe Models Greyhunter
I had forgotten about them. I remember being highly impressed by their offerings and even more impressed by their pricing...."...The prices look good for a resin truck in 1/35...."

But it also reminded me of a caution I had the last time I thought about them and that was whether anyone here has had any dealings with them, and how their quality was. I'm just hoping that they are not another AEF because they have several kits I'd be interested in if they were dependable.
Especially this one....



Tread.

Dave:

Good, you've seen Marcel's link, and that should answer al the M4 HST, Mack NO, M35, etc questions.

As to the AFV 155, it is post-war sorta. If you want WW2, then get the Masters Production kit which has proper 6-spoke wheels, and some nice detail fittings the AFV kit should have had such as the bracket & sheave to allow the gun to jacked in/out of battery for travel. The AFV box art shows a later setup but doesn't include the parts in the kit.

The Master Prod kit also has the early M2 Limber, but you can use the kit M5 Limber for WW2. Note the kit instructions for the limber set up are not correct if it is being towed.

But if you get the Mack NO as prime mover, you don't use a limber anyway.

The Blast wheels are the same post-war 5-spoke as in the kit, so don't bother.

I've got the 155 (built, see my gallery, plus 4-5 more 155 & 203 to be built), the M4-HST (part built) and the Mack (unbuilt) and TM's for all -- if you decide to do this, & have questions, let me know.

John