AgentG Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I am first and foremost a former US Marine Infantryman, but that doesn't prevent me from loving all things forest green. What these crews had to do to their tanks was definately improvising, adapting and overcoming what they knew they would face as they marched ever closer to the Japanese homeland. Heavy oak planks bolted 2 inches from the hull sides with the gap filled with concrete. Wire mesh hatch covers, spare track links and sandbags galore. These tanks looked for all the world like circus wagons come to town. I started with the ancient Tamiya M4A3 as any innacurracies will be well and truly covered by the build. I used some .030 sheet for the wood planks, I scribed the grain pattern into it by using a razor saw blade. I scratchbuilt the wading trunk adapter from .015 sheet eyeballing the basic shape. Some Bronco track spares made for some great turret armor. Milliput makes sandbags easy. It took all day but I was able to scratchbuild the rearmost wading trunk. The lower section: The mid section: (this was left on the tank to protect the radiators from shell fragments) . G 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vally G Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Hi G, What can one say? It's great! The sandbags are really impressive. Kind regards and looking forward to more, Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foghorn Leghorn Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Ooh, that's proper modelling. Excellent work, especially the sandbags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawkuk Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 That is great. I am planning to build one myself, so this will provide a lot of inspiration. The sandbags are spot on. I would love to know how did you make them. Is it just sculpturing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joethornton Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Fantastic attention to detail, brilliant scratching joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 Thank you all! dawkuk the sand bags are just blobs of Milliput sculpted in place. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 This is looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Interesting project, great work so far, looking forward to more of the same Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I'll be watching this one for sure. There are wayyy too many models of European theatre tanks and not enough of these IMHO, especially considering the amount of different modifications and additions they made to their tanks. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Aye up G Nice to see you at it again. Will watch and learn from this as i have with your DAK Panzer builds! Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 Thank you gentlemen, Mark, Steve your comments are much appreciated. Steve if your learning from me I'm thrilled as I don't know what the ferk I'm doing.......... Oddball I'm with you on that, how can you not like a Sherman with camo and more mods than any ETO "funny"? Hamden, here's a bit more then. Primered the trunk and fixed some rough spots. First primer coat. G 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeKay Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Great work so far matey, looking forward to the next stages - keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shermaniac Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Looking really good - we don't normally see much WWII Pacific Armour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredben Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Really good build so far, cant wait for the paint to go on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David1988 Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Looking very good - this is an interesting idea, looking forward to see how it turns out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Nice.....Are you working from a specific reference? Iwo Shermans had some crazy features.....I've seen a few festooned with nails all around the hatches, to keep Japanese anti-tank teams off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 Thank you all! Three tank battalions fought on Iwo Jima. The 3rd Battalion used M4A2 "early" small hatch tanks with little or no add ons besides wading trunks. They did have non standard applique steel plates welded on the hulls. The 4th Battalion had the full monty, wire cages on the hatches, heavy oak planks backed by concrete and in some platoons, the most vivid camo ever seen on a Sherman. The 5th Battalion had nails welded to the hatches in most platoons.They had oak planks bolted to the sides but reportedly ran out of nails and lumber before all the platoons were taken care of. That's why you will see Shermans with a mix of all the above features. My build most closely replicates a 4th Battalion tank. I have some fine Eschelon decals for the markings. Remember, their appearance changed almost daily due to new threats. The tanks themselves lagered on the landing beach and sortied out from there to handle issues as needed. Sometimes the entire day's mission was travelling 100 yards, flaming or shooting at an emplacement, then heading back. No external stowage, machine gun or tools. Nothing a Japanese infantryman could take advantage of. Each tanks always had a wingman that could and frequently did, shoot marauding Japanese troops off the companion tank. Imagine leaving your gear outside and it becomes ventilated by friendly fire.......... It wasn't until Okinawa that the Jarhead tankers got a taste of what their ETO cousins encountered. Long marches to new positions every night and stowing everything aboard. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 Now that I have a few days off it's time for paint. I made the decision to spray the basecoat of Olive Drab, then brush paint the camo pattern. The real tanks were painted that way plus this model has way to many fragile parts. I was afraid of masking over them. That's Tamiya OD lightened a bit with Tamiya "Desert Yellow" It'll have a faded appearence when weathered. I'm going to use Vallejo for the brush painting. G 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 Here's some more paint. This is where I will leave this for the evening. For the camouflage pattern I used Vallejo "Yellow Tan", "Mahogany Brown" and "Black Gray" . The sandbags are basecoated in Vallejo "Dark Sand". 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I don't think 'lovely' would be overstating it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shermaniac Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I did one of these years ago as a Flame Tank firing the flame, I'll have to dig it out of storage and tidy it up I'll then have to research the Flame part for the right colours You've got my creative juices flowing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 Thak you gents! Glad I could provide inspiration. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Stunning paint - work looking forward to see it finished Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentG Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 I weathered the piece based on period photos. There is no paint chipping and minimal rust. These M4A3's were collected from the supply point, modified and painted just before the invasion. They were on the island a month or two at most. The last thing I will do is dust the whole thing up. Vehicles on Iwo Jima became covered with a grayish pumice dust in no time. G 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 One word - STUNNING! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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