Sherman wading preparation

[Killingholme]

Hi all,

Can anyone enlighten me on what was involved (other than fitting wading trunks+ covers for the gun/machine gun- I've got that covered courtesy of Resicast) to prepare a sherman tank to deep wade- i.e. during a major landing operation, not just crossing a river.

I'm particularly thinking about the waterproofing gunge that appears in photos. 1) What was it (i.e. what colour should it be on a model!) and 2) which bits was it supposed to be applied to?

Any pointers appreciated!

Will

[Graham Boak]

It was black, and was fitted to all hatches and openings - anywhere that water could get in.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Graham Boak

[Killingholme]

Cheers Graham, much appreciated.

By all hatches- do we mean right up to the top of the turret?

Will

[Graham Boak]

I think the commander needed to look out of his hatch to direct the driver, so I rather doubt it. They left the universal carriers with open tops, after all. However, I'm sure this included the turret ring - I remember comments about this being fitted with detonating cord so that it could easily be blown off ready for action. The gunge was made by Bostick, I believe.

[Killingholme]

Nice one, cheers

[JackG]

Googling images, this one is particularly interesting, as it looks to have been applied to the joints of the wading gear as well:

I've also read that it was the crew's responsibility to waterproof their vehicle, but I've also seen a photo (Fortin's book on British Tanks in Normandy), which has a trio of women workers applying it at a depot in Nottinghamshire.

regards,

Jack

[Centaur95]

As I understand it, it was the crew who were responsible for waterproofing their vehicles (in reality I suspect that many Troops/Squadrons developed a 'procedure' and it worked on teams from various crews).

All the under-floor access panels were removed and the mating edges slapped with 'Bostick' as the gunge was known. The panels were then bolted back into place and the edges treated to a further layer of the stuff. Wherever possible, the tank was then driven into a local pond/stream/river/lake to test the results. If it didn't provide a proper seal then the whole process had to be repeated.

Fundamentally, it was the engine and transmission that needed to be protected temporarily against water ingress. keeping the crew dry wasn't a priority although the ammunition was probably protected in some way.

I would suggest that treating the crew access hatches was probably not done as they would need a rapid exit if anything went wrong (either flooding or due to enemy action).

Cheers,

Centaur

[Plastic Licker]

I've built a Cromwell with wading gear, and represented this 'bostik' with around a 50/50 mix of Vallejo 'Plastic Putty' and their 'German Grey'. It needed painting on in a couple of layers but seemed to represent what I saw in photos reasonably well.

[Killingholme]

cheers for the tip!

Will

[Wafu]

I've gone for the slightly cheaper option of typing correction fluid (typex to you and me), it goes off quick and can be rippled while it cures. It also fills any little gaps in the Wadding Eqpt.

Cheers the Woo.