Shermaholics!!
When building the Sherman M4 composite. (like the Firefly 1C from Dragon). But in US service. What is the base sherman type. for
the engine, Bogies and wheels. (early,mid or late). Turret is 75mm I think correct? w/ late mantlet type. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The Hunnicutt book calls it an M4A6, but I thought this type of sherman was in service way before the A6.

Composite hull Shermans which saw action were based on the M4 (Continental radial engine) hull. The may have been a few composites with the 60 degree glacis, but most had the 47 degree glacis and presumably late suspension to match. The large hull hatches suggest that the high bustle turret would have been needed, and I can't off-hand think of any with 76mm guns. So 75mm it is. Composites turn up both in NWE and in the Pacific.

The composite hull type was originally designed for the M4A6, which had a diesel engine and an extended hull like the M4A4.

Roto
Think I remember the ol' 'Sherman in action' book has a few b/w pics featuring the composite M4, both ETO and Pacific...

The composite M4 Sherman (as in the DML kit) would have these features (for a 75mm gun tank):

engine: continental Radial engine
turret: high bustle hatch w/or w/o oval loader's hatch. Commander's cupola usually single hatch type.
VVS: upswept return roller arms, usually stamped roadwheels
mantlet: wide late type

Brad = Thanks I have that print. I'll check it out.

Roy,
that is really a good description of what I was looking for. Thanx.

M4 composites were not limited to high bustle turrets. Most of the production occured in 1943 and used the late low busle with out the pistol port and with the cast in reinforcing armor on the right cheek.

The D69993 late type rotating split hatch ring was typical for most production vs the early D51050 on both the low and high bustle turrets. The vision cupola was retrofitted in late 1944 in the PTO. The ETO units seemed to have stuck with the D69993 or D51050 hatch.

The high bustle turrets were not fitted with the external mg stowage as seen on the 1944 production tanks. They still had the footman loops on the rear of the turret and didn't have the armored periscope cover.

The earliest composites probably had the E6347 small hatch hull front, but those seem to have been very rare, most used the large hatch E6289 bow casting hull front..

The suspension shown in Hunnicutt on the first M4 off the Detroit line (a small hatch) showed horizontal return roller brackets. There are a few pictures of large hatch composites with horizontal brackets, but most seem to have been fitted with the later upswept ones.

Nearly all of the photos of M4 composites (regular 75mm in US or British service or converted to Ic) show stamped wheels and idlers and the forged sprocket.

The M4A6 was the only other tank built with the composite hull design. There were designs for a composite M3 medium (pretty wild looking) and M4A4 (which would have been similar to the M4 composite).

Hope this helped.

Mike Canaday