Gday there
Have been rummaging for, and making some stowage...

Let me know what else I can add if necessary please!

Is this an American or Commonwealth tank?

In NW Europe, Italy, N. Africa?

These questions could impact what type of stowage should be on the tank. For example, if it's an American tank from Normandy-end of war, it should have at least one air recognition panel on the back deck somewhere, either flourescent red/pink or yellow.

Also, why does everyone seem to put a chain on their tanks? I think, in ALL the books/references I've looked through over the years, I've seen one on a real WW2 tank. But on models, there seems to be a chain on about every fifth tank. Chains are as strong as their weakest link, meaning that tow cables were much stronger and more commonly seen.

HTH.
Rob

Hi Honeycut,

How about some ammo boxes, a German helmet, a crate of captured Champagne and some loose kit bags chucked on the back along with a shovel / spade?
Just a thought.

Cheers
Kevin

Duffle bag, or M36 bags for a US tank.

:-) Gday Rob I KNEW this would raise someone's ire! Just stirring; nothing's permanent here... I also haven't seen much in the way of chain stowage, maybe just snow chains for example...
And yes, the air recog. panel may be added... Would you know the dimensions off-hand?

Gday Kevin
Do like the helmet and crate idea! Have to work on it...

Gday Randy. M36 bags. Good idea! Funny how the brain goes a bit blank sometimes...
Cheers all
Brad

Nothing wrong with a chain on YOUR tank. But there is when there's one on EVERYONE'S tank, which is not your fault.

I like the stowage so far.

Aerial Rec panel should be 12 ft X 2.5 feet, which, if my calculations are correct, would make it, in 1/35 scale, 104.5mm X 21.7. It should have the bright color on one side, white on the reverse, and the edge should be a thin OD border (ideally with grommet holes spaced out, but I didn't bother as I'm not sure how many, how far apart, etc.). I'm pretty sure that a later one came out that was 6ft X 2.5 ft, but not positive. And again, colors would be a flourescent red/pink, or flourescent yellow. Orange, as used today by the US, Israelis, etc., was not used then.

Oh, as M4's were oil guzzlers, an oil can like the one that comes in the Tamiya m4 (it comes with 2) would be a nice addition, as it was commonly seen.

HTH.

Rob

Thanks for the info Rob
The oil can I have seen on the front fenders, tied/trussed to the brushguards... Could add some variety?
I know Archer make the fluoro panels, but surely they couldn't be too hard to make and print...

I did one so far (for an M4A3 75w), but three more to do on in-progress Shermans, and I just used copy paper that has a slightly glossy sheen to it. I just painted it, measured out the lines, cut it out, painted the border, wrinkled it a bit, added it atop the stowage, and then roped it all down with wood model ship rope. Worked okay.

Oil cans often on the right front fender, especially on 6th Armored Div tanks. But you could also sometimes find them mixed in with the stowage on the back. Mostly, the back stowage tends to be various bedrolls/bags/crates/ID panels, with the occasional odd civilian item thrown in.

Look forward to seeing it complete.

Rob

P.S. If this link works, you can see the one I've done. This was a dio (my first) I did about 6 months ago, trying to use all things I had around (didn't want to buy anything new). If I had it to do over again, I'd have done the cobblestones more different colors, more rubble, etc. But I had to declare it done and move on. I made all the bricks and cobblestones myself.
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/biggsgalassi/album/576460762314299187

There is a good colour picture of the cerise side of the panel on this French M4A2

Angouleme

David

Brad, if you were a few continents closer to Arizona I'd offer cast up your home made stowage in resin. I have 10 M36 bags that I hang on my Jeep for displays so this was a natural idea.

Nice picture of the French Sherman. I actually inspected a late war (1944 we think) air recognition panel a couple years ago at a vehicle show. The vendor wanted 2 Shermans and a few Jeeps for it. It was still in the bag and it was yellow, slimy yellow as one guy put it. No one bought it.

All is OK from my point of view since there is no regulation to tell what stowage is going to be done how. Battletime stuff can be randomly thrown on the vehicle as seen safest by the tank crew...

But curiosity got the best of me : what does that crescent stand for ? Red Crescent Organisation serving rations to the US Army ??

Crescent is the "badge" marking of the Commissary/Quartermaster corps in the history of the US Army, so the inclusion of the crescent on the rations box is a standard mark carried over from that.