during WW2 2 shermans were bought to Australia for War dept. trials. Here are 5 pics of the tank.

ONE/ can someone tell me what version it is

TWO/ which is the best kit to buy to make this particular tank?

remember I am a novice at tanks so please speak plain english











thanks in advance
Cheers
Cliff

Cliff,

I believe that is an M4 Early with applique Armor and a low bustle turret.
Im not completely sure about this but I think thats it.
Conformation?


Regards
Matt

I think Tamiyas early Sherman is of this tank, except for the tracks.

Mr. Roo, not 100% on this but I believe its a remanufactured M4A2.
Yet still a bit of a Frankenstien, it appears to have a welded glacis, early low bustle turret [? ], welded armor plate in front of driver - m.g. hoods and the front middle mounted siren & guard.
Yet it also looks to have a M4 - M4A1 rear deck with air intake cover.
To make a long story short Lord knows what the heck we sent you guys for trials.
Do you have any time frames on delivery 43 - 44 ?
Cheyenne

Photo says June to July 1944.

Some of the other pictures are of a different sherman altogeather which has rounded lines rather then the square lines of the above pictures.

If it is a mix of parts then I will not build it as I do not want to fork out for two or three kits just to make a tank! Mind you if it was a truck....now that would be a different story. LOL :-)

Yes, yes, sad, the scatalogical, always debatable, sometimes violently argumentitive life of a Shermaholic.
Cheyenne

The photos depict an M4 (not a remanufactured M4A2). The Tamiya kit of the Early Production M4 has what you need. The kit includes the armor in front of the drivers' positions. The kit's tracks are of the T48 chevron tracks but the ones in the photo are T41, smooth block. Lots of Sherman modellers have these lying around their spares bins.

Of note that would require modifying the Tamiya kit in order to depict the features in the photos:
1) the turret is a later production type that omitted the left rear shell ejection port: you'd need to fill in a small spot on the Tamiya turret
2) the turret also has the reinforced "cheek bulge". If you want to replicate this, go here:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/Sherman%20Corner/turretcheekarmor.jpg

Other improvements to the Tamiya kit can be found here:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/MANUFACTURERS/Tamiya/tamiya35190.html

The rack of track grousers on the engine deck would require someone to give you some (I think the Academy M10 kits have these)

Good luck and don't get stuck in the nitpicks if you want to model this M4. Go ahead and go for it!

roy is correct about the version,

for tracks you should go for AFV club, they make a set of vinyl rubber block tracks that are very good and reasonably priced

ill have a look in my spares box as i have loads of sherman parts and may have one of the grouser racks, although with your scratchbuilding skills cliff it would take about 5 minutes to make one!

regards

joe

I agree that it's an M4. The rear deck does not have the air intake grill of the M4A2 and the rear has air cleaners indicative of the M4/M4A1 series. Since the M4A1 was a cast hull that can only mean this is the M4 with the welded hull

1) A late 1943 production M4 is what you have there. The installation of the travel lock didn't start until the latter part of 1943. The turret is the late low bustle type with the cast in right side armor reinforcement.

The rack of grousers on the the engine deck, photo 068063, and on the hull front, photo 068056, are not US standard, and must be a local installation.

The tank is not remanufactured. The June to July 1944 time frame definitely rules this out. Also, it lacks the stowage elements added during re-manufacture, e.g. rear luggage rack and .50 caliber machine gun stowage on the turret rear. Some of the manufacturers apparently used the vertical rear plate and even the direct vision hood castings up until almost the end of their production runs.

2) The closest plastic kit you can get for this is the Tamiya M4 early, which is a nice kit.

Hope this helps,

Mike Canaday

Guys thank you very much for your help on this one. I really appreciate it.

I will start collecting the bits for this one including the Tamiya M4 kit although it will be a little while before it gets done.

Thanks again
Cliff

I'm sure that it'll be completed to your usual standards Cliff, and it's perfectly ok to make both trucks and tanks - doesn't mean you need psychiatry or anything LOL.

Darn you mean I'm not nuts? :-)

Guys the Tamiya kit you mention is it #35122 - Sherman with 75mm gun?

Thanks again

No this is the kit. No. 190. I think the re-release may be 35190. It should read Tamiya M4 Early although it is really a mid-production. The kit you listed is an M4A3 version

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2589&item=5978774819&rd=1

Just found the link I was looking for..!

Mr Roo, there's a shop just up the road from you (ie, Somewhere In Australia...) selling a Sherman tank...

I don't know enough about Shermans to tell you much, but looking at the photos from the above link , this one has the same(ish) turret as the one in your photos, but has different track and a three piece bolted transmission cover.

It's being sold as a former 'star' of the movie 'The Great Raid', but one wonders what it's history is up until that point - is it a survivor trials vehicle or was it imported into Australia later..?

acav out