binglee

Hi, Sorry to say the SAR and LdSH didn’t use Sherman Iiis in NWE. 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade had a whole suite of Sherman IIIs. SAR and LdSH had Sherman Vs with a small scattering of Ic hybrids and maybe some Ic. LdSH squadron hq even had some Sherman I 105mm. print Scale decals does a nice sheet of 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade Shermans. you can pretty much use any combo of wheels since most 2nd Armoured tanks were repaired extensively and/or replaced. cheers Bill

Hi, My understanding is that TRR was loaded early for the initial landings and as such didn't have time to paint their tanks in the new schemes. Waterproofing could explain the horizontal strip on the lower turret. I agree that based on photos, TRR kept its OD tanks through the Moro campaign at least, perhaps with a few localized exceptions. These two documents spell out the TRR detachment from 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade to land in the first wave on Sicily. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/reports/cmhq-reports/cmhq132.pdf https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/reports/cmhq-reports/cmhq126.pdf Page 72 My thoughts anyway. Cheers Bill Inglee

Sorry, grabbed one out of the storage tube that looked about right. My machinists ruler says 5/32 wide and about 20 thou thick (imperial that it.) Cheers B

Looks like a single piece of timber in this Canadian picture. I just used some Evergreen strip with a little grain added by X-Acto knife. WIP on the bench. Dimensions? I just put a ruler on it and took a shot. Cheers Bill

Hi, That's a Sherman from the South Alberta Regiment, part of 4th Canadian Armoured Division in Bergen Op Zoom in October 1944. Many of the SAR Shermans had Panther tracks on the turret, applied some time in Normandy. Some SAR tanks had attachment points for wire that was used by riders to climb up onto the vehicles. If these links work you can see it in use around the time of Operation Totalize. "45" is the South Alberta Regiment. https://flic.kr/p/2nWhamA Bill Inglee

Hi, Generally, the Riich kits are more complicated than the Tamiya versions. The Tamiya kit is also overscale compared to the Riich. Easiest is the Riich Mk II since its forward seating arrangement uses less photo etch. This is a Mk II in progress: Don't build them according to the instructions. Start from the inside out. Definitely worth a go for Commonwealth armour fans. Here's a link to the mortar carrier I built posted on TrackLink. One gotcha on the mortar carrier is the lack of a radiator. https://www.track-link.com/gallery/12045 Cheers Bill Inglee

The Riich Mk II Universal Carrier is a great choice for a Market Garden era vehicle from XXX Corps. You get markings for either a Guards Armoured Division Motor Battalion carrier or 43rd Infantry Division vehicle out of the box. The Mk II is an easier build than the Mk I. The seating arrangement in a Mk II carrier makes assembly simpler. Detail overall is great. Good luck. Bill Inglee

No radiator is a fault in both the MMG and mortar carriers. Tab down a little in this thread from Maple Leaf up. The Mk II carrier pictured has the factory plywood radiator cover fitted. I think it was to aid in warming up the carrier. Anyway, a little sheet plastic, some brownish paint and you're away. It even fits on the little sill that's already there. The little knob thing has to come off and go on the cover. You may have to cut and paste the link. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29949&highlight=universal+carrier+radiator+cover Cheers Bill Inglee

Here are two links to Canadian Army WWII Albums. They are the contact sheets from Canadian Film and Photo Unit photographers. They are PDF files and you can zoom in for a better look. The first link has pre-departure photos as troops readied for Sicily. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/CollectionSearch/Pages/record.aspx?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=5065189&new=-8585823242763679475 The second is later in the campaign. It has a number of trucks. There are more in the series. These are just good Sicily insights. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/CollectionSearch/Pages/record.aspx?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=5065189&new=-8585823242763679475 Here's a link that describes what the files contain and an explainer about how to get there on the Canadian archive site: https://canadianfilmandphotounit.ca/2020/04/12/library-archives-canada-army-numerical-series-110-albums-now-available-online/ Cheers Bill Inglee

Hi Darryl, The hood is a challenge. go slow and let the cement dry. rear deck was also an issue as I recall. I just went slow and used Tamiya extra thin cement. Cheers Bill _P3A0040

Hi, Your build is looking great. I painted my Canadian version in SCC.2. I wanted to depict a Canadian vehicle in Sicily. General info I found was SCC.2, perhaps with some kind of camo. Cheers Bill Inglee

Hi, The Bronco 25-pounder is by far the best. Not an easy build, but a nice result. For a Mk II, it has a one piece muzzle brake. The Dragon 25-pounder is let down by its Dragon Styrene tires. I had finished a nice version of the kit and in a few months found the tires had melted into globs. The Tamiya kit stands up pretty well despite its age. The Quad needs some photo-etch but its dimensions are OK. Cheers Bill Inglee

Hi, A search for 'holland 1944' on this site will get you pictures like this one: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/results/images?module=images&action=results&Language=eng&PageNum=3&SortSpec=score%20desc&ShowForm=show&SearchIn_1=&SearchInText_1=holland+1944&Operator_1=AND&SearchIn_2=&SearchInText_2=&Operator_2=AND&SearchIn_3=&SearchInText_3=&Media[]=1200&Level=&MaterialDateOperator=after&MaterialDate=&DigitalImages=1&Source=&ResultCount=50&BIGipServerWEBSITE_V41XAPPS_SERVER=1361792654.20480.0000&_ga=GA1.3.267894189.1523289384&_gid=GA1.3.984504608.1523978010&_gat_UA-27341782-2=1 Cheers Bill Inglee