Gunnie,
I have seen you article on your site about the M-45 build. It looks great as always. My question is on the turret. Do you need the resin conversion to make the M-26 into an M-45? I am currently building the Tamiya M-26 for a USMC at Chosin Resevoir dio. It looks like the turret is the same as the M-26 turret with different gun mantlet and the 105mm gun itself. Could the Tamiya or DML turret be used and the mantlet and gun changed to make the conversion? I like the looks of this vehicle and have an idea for a small vignette of the tank placed on a bermed up incline, as I have seen used in Korean war photos, being used as artillery support since we were short arty.

The MB Models M45 Pershing Turret is pretty difficult to find, but no, I don't think you absolutely have to have it.

The M45's Turret, when mounting the 105mm Howitzer in place of the 90mm Gun turned out to be lighter than what was employed on the M26 Pershing. This allowed the basic M26 Turret to be upgraded with much more armor thickness. You can do the same with a Tamiya or DML Turret and some of your favorite modeling putty. The Gun Shield was thickened to 8 inches, and the front turret armor thickened to 5 inches. The sides of the turret thickness varied from 3 to 5 inches in thickness as well.

A vignette like you mentioned would do this subject justice nicely.

Gunnie

A detail often overlooked in M45 conversions (including by MB) is that it had a different exhaust system from the M26. I think the Hunnicutt Pershing book has a picture. Also, don't forget to change the travel lock for the gun.

John Eckhardt

Is the added armor thickness added onto the outside of the turret, thus changing the profile, or is it still basically the same shape? I am wondering how much it changes the turret profile. I'm truiny to figure out how much I would have to change the turret. Also, wheer is there more data on this vehicle? An internet search has revealed nothing on it.

Yep - been there - done that...





Gunnie

The M45 Pershing is a little-known beast - which is why I opted to build it before a standard Pershing. It's rarely seen in reference books - as well as model display tables. Who wants to keep on seeing the same old line up of Shermans and Pershings?

R.P. Hunnicutt's reference book has the most information on it in one spot. Squadron Signal's Pershing/Patton book has a little bit, as does the Schiffer Military book on the M26 Pershing and Variants. I posted two TM photos on my webpage.

The additional armor thickness was internal mostly, and ammo stowage was revised to accomodate the 105mm ammunition - if you're not going to model an interior - no problem. Use your preference between DML or Tamiya's Turret. The major external differences on the M45 Turret are an addition of a pintle and mount for the Commander's .50cal MG positioned over his periscope (like on the M46 Patton - which all surviving M45 Pershings were converted into by the Summer of 1955) and the thicker Gun Mantlet in front of the 105mm Howitzer.

Other than that, the external Turret contours are not changed noticably as the features of the M45 were identical with late-production M26 Pershings.

Big recognition features are the Travel Lock for the 105mm Howitzer located over the Ventilator Roof, the revised Muffler / Exhaust assembly, and the two turret features I mentioned above.

Gunnie

Gunnie,
Thanks for the info. I will definitely put this on the To Do List. It looks great and doesn't seem too difficult to build. Hopefully I will be able to get another M-26 kit and go to work on it soon.