After checking out the Combat Camel website
http://www.combatcamel.be/
the Steve Zaloga/Osprey M4/76 Sherman book and the Signal Walk Around Sherman I'm still not sure if the T-23 turret actually had a basket like the 75mm turrets, can anyone advise?
-Pat

Gday Pat! Well the best I can do is quote some info I have, as I am a muppet when it comes to creating links to things...
" Most of the turret basket (on the T23) was eliminated to enable use of the floor ammunition boxes. A partial floor was retained which was suspended from the turret ring." Now I know this isn't terribly conclusive for you, but at least now you know that a further search is required to unearth some pics of this alteration... Hope this helps some
Oh, and the T23 turret was so named as it was intended to go on a new medium tank of the same designation...

The old Bandai M4A3 76mm kit came with a fairly accurate turret basket, rudimentary, but OK. If you want, I can scan the instructions for you so you can see what it looked like.

I've been puzzling over the Bandai interior for a while now, as there seems to be a real lack of decent photographs showing the loader's side of the turret. Even the AFV Interiors set didn't help much.

I think Bandai got the gunner's side reasonably well (though there's a lot missing) but they include a section of floor with vertically-stowed ready rounds on the loaders side which I don't really believe. The Sherman 'bible' seems to indicate that the ready rounds were stored horizontally in a box next to the gunner, and the Bandai's ammo stowage would make it very difficult to lift the floor plates to get at the wet stowed rounds below.

Perhaps we could e-mail Combat Camel and ask them to post a photo straight down through the loader's hatch. Solve all our problems

Im no GOD when it comes to SHERMAN facts but.....
I the the basket on the T-23 was partial. It only was under the commanders side of the turret. This allowed access to the stowed rounds in the floor compartments of which there were (3)

The 76mm Sherman turrets started out with a half basket under the commander and the gunner. Later versions of the tank eliminated the basket altogether, leaving only a bracket for the gunner's foot controls. The loader and commander seats were mounted to the turret ring. The loader stood on the tops of the ammo lockers.

Mike Canaday

Thanks everyone. That all helps. I'm modelling an M4A1 with the crew outside and the hatches open so I want to scratch build an approximation of the interior.

This picture should further explain what Mike is describing.



The gunner's seat is mounted on the 76mm ready round box. The commander's seat is seen folded up on the turret ring behind the gunner's seat. On the right side of the picture are the hull floor ammunition lockers. The loader's seat is out of view.

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

Exactly what I needed Chris. Thanks. Is this from your M4A3(76)HVSS and M4A2(76)HVSS SHERMAN WALKAROUND CD?

Pat,
It's one of the pictures I didn't use on my CD. However, there are one or two similiar pics like it on my CD.

Chris