I want to build a diorama showing some Canadian Priests being converted in the field to Kangaroos. I tracked down a couple of the Italeri/Testors kits on E-Bay, but know that they're not the right version to make a Canadian Priest. How complicated is the conversion? And has anyone made a conversion kit?

Oops - I guess this should be in the "Canadian Armour" section.

Hi Michael,

I ran a post some time ago about converting the M7, Here's the link:

http://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/76964#642759

As best I can remember you need to change the transmission to an early 3 piece one, change the Bogies to the early type (Lee or Grant), move the headlights, cut down the sides, depending upon the version you want, scratch some stuff in the fighting compartment and change the number of ammo bins and cut down the pulpit and you will probably want to change the tracks.

Here are soem more useful links:

http://home.cfl.rr.com/modelerv/preist.html

http://www.guntruck.com/M7HMC.html

There are a couple of folks here on site who can give you much better information than me.

As to changing it to a half converted kangaroo, I wouldn't know where to start there. LOL, LOL

Good luck with the project sound great and hope this helps a bit.

Cheers

Al

Remove the 105 and all the ammo bins (so you don't have to make the older style ones). Remove the curved shield for the 105. Leave the cross beam the 105 was mounted on. Plate over the hole in the front with either a single flat plate about .015 thick or with two thinner sheets spaced abuot 8 scale inches apart and fill the gap with sand.

Easy Peasy.

Once you get back to an early M7, of course. :-)

Al's link to the earlier discussion is relevant as the Kangaroos were made from Priests still fitted with all the deep wading gear except, apparently the rear trunking. There would have been a flange remianing from the wading gear, even at the rear as most Shermans fitted for deep wading displayed their trunk mounting points for the rest of the campaign or until heavy engine maintenance forced the mountings to be cut off the tank. (The motto being don't do anything unless you absolutely have to)

There is a very small photo here:
http://www.1cacr.org/m7.html

You can see the side plates, the Allied star on the sides and what appear to be retained battery and troop markings plus the remains of LCT loading markings chalked on the sides. Note the coaming above the front plate to add even more freeboard while wading.

For the initial attack you would doubtlessly find _all_ the arty markings intact. For the later attacks that used the Priests the markings would have probably been painted over, yet other than the star, there would have been nothing to replace them. The distinctive Kangaroo badge and the tac and formation signs didn't appear until the regiment was properly formed on Rams in December. The double plate system was due to the use of mild steel with the 8" of sand to stop bullets and this material cam from beached landing craft. I have heard that this material was left in its Navy grey, which would make for an interesting model. Add to that that these were not repainted for the initial attack and you would also find lots of weld, burn and grinder marks all over the inside and front of the hull. These carriers would look pretty bad that first evening of the attack.

HTH

Paul

Thanks very much, gents. Looks like I'll have to scrounge around for some additional kits! I've been wanting to do this diorama for a long time: since the conversions were done in secret, and since detailed shots of the first Kangaroos are rare, I think I can take a bit of artistic licence with this one...