Italy is the setting for my Club Med Entry.

While searching the net for USMC Tank Battalions , I ran across an excellent site Dedicated to the 752nd (Army) Tank Battalion during WWII, created by Robert Holt. Who’s Father, Sergeant Raymond Holt was a Tank Commander for the 752nd Tank Battalion, B Company. On the 1st of July 1944, B Company including Mr. Holt’s Tank, a M4A1 Sherman, was in a battle for the city of Cecina, Italy against a German column of tanks and infantry. Tiger 221 of the 2nd Company of the 504th Heavy Panzer Battalion, was leading the column. A close quarter’s exchange of fire between these tanks ended with the destruction of the Tiger.

Reading through the web site I found an outstanding explanation and detailed research of this battle and an excellent overall site for the 752nd Tank Battalion. I contacted Robert Holt expressing my desire to try and complete a diorama for the Cecina Battle and requesting his help in making this happen. He has agreed and has provided incalculable assistance in getting this project started.

Please browse through Robert Holt’s Web Site752nd Tank Battalion
and read through the description of the battleCecina

So far our plans are mostly on paper with a small start on his Fathers Tank. We plan on submitting weekly updates on our progress and hope the excellent people here at Armorama will be checking up on our status and critiquing my work. This is definitely worth my best effort.

These are copies of our plans and layout of the diorama.




This is as far as we have progressed to date.






Please respond and ask any questions that may arise.

We will try and update often.
Thanks for your time,
Bob Card

Hi Bob,

Excellent project, brilliant web sites for reference. I love these builds based on personal account, a real tribute to the men who fought there.

I'll look forward to seeing more as you project developes, thanks for sharing this one - brilliant.

Which kits will you be using for the build?

Cheers

Al

I don't remember his Callsign but Bob Holt is a member of Big A

Hi Alan,

Bob Card has been in contact with me and is off to a terrific start on modeling my dad's encounter with Tiger 221. Bob has provided a link to my web article, which is a condensed version of an article that Daniele Guglielmi and I wrote for After the Battle magazine. If anyone has any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them. Stay tuned for Bob Card's progress reports -- this is going to be a beauty!

Cheers,

Bob Holt

Gday Bobs!
This is bound to be terrific... What could be better than modelling a dio of a Sherman victorious over a Tiger? Lemme tell you... Modelling a dio that tells a true story of a Sherman victorious over a Tiger!! Love to have your references to build actual historic scenarios...
Definitely be watching this progress
Cheers
Brad

Just a quick update.

Please look through the rest of the photos; Photo Album




Changed the transmission housing, and some of the individual items. Coming along. Trying to match the real ones shows whats missing for the kits.
752nd Vehicles

Thanks for looking,

Let me know if You see something I missed,
Bob

Bobs

Glad to see that you two connected for the project. I just wanted to make sure that Bob Card was able to take full advantage of Bob Holt's resources as a fellow Armorama member.

BTW Bob Holt I used the reference pics of your Calliope to work on mine.

New Update. This is as far as I'm going for now on the M4A1. I like to weather everything going on the diorama at the same time. All assemblies are done just need to be put together.






Gallery

The next item I'll work on is the tiger.

Again to see the story of the battle;
Cecina
And about the entire 752nd Tank Battalion;
752nd

Let me know if you see something I need to fix, repair, adjust, scrap, replace, or trash.

Thanks for looking,
Bob