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British sherman with interior, Normandy.


Tiger_king

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I apologise if this has been asked before but I can't find the answer I'm looking for. 

 

So I've just finished reading 'Warriors for the working day' and it's inspired me to create a diorama of a British sherman in Normandy. Its a fantastic book by the way, really gave you a sense of the breakdown experienced by men in prolonged combat and the utter randomness of death. 

 

Any tips on the best kit to get as I've figured 1/35 sherman are a bit of minefield. Going to be set in late June 1944 and I would like an interior. Cheers! 

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I'm no expert, but I don't think Tamiya have produced any AFV's with a full interior in 1/35th. Have a look at the Rye fields Models and Miniart range. I know that Academy used to produce a smattering of full-interior kits, but don't think the Sherman is one of them.

 

Alternatively, you could keep an eye on E-Bay for aftermarket interior sets. I think Verlinden used to produce a resin M-4 interior set, but they closed their operation down some years ago. The big disadvantage of going the aftermarket route is that it'll be more expensive than buying a fully-equipped kit, in all probability.    

 

Another alternative, put a listing on websites like this one and other 'sites devoted to armour-modelling. You might be surprised at the efforts your fellow-modellers will go to to help out. BTW, I believe that to put a wanted listing on Britmodeller, you need to have a minimum of 100 posts to your name - this is to reduce the possibility of fraudulent transactions being made.

 

Good luck in your search.

 

Chris.    

 

 

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There are no interior kits of the usual WW2 Shermans.  The only one remotely close is RFMs M4A3E8 but that is only appropriate for US Army in 1945.  The interior cannot be adapted to earlier-generation Shermans.  I won't bore you with why: it just can't.

 

Resicast offer interiors for more typical Shermans but you won't like the prices!  In the UK you can get these from Historex Agents.

 

As for kits suitable for UK forces in Normandy, the most common Sherman type in British service was the M4A4 followed by the M4A2 and then the M4 and M4A1.  We had no M4A3s.  76 and 105mm Shermans in UK service were - for all practical purposes - limited to Italy and too late for Normandy anyway.  Then you have the Fireflies based on M4A4 and M4.  With a lot of Dragon kits currently unavailable and the supply of many other brands patchy your current choices are limited.

 

You will struggle for an M4A4 75mm at the moment.  The Asuka kit is impossible to find and £60+ if you can.  The Dragon/Cyber Hobby one is old, tired and needs help.  RFMs Firefly is very nice and seems to be available but there is no 75mm option with that: Firefly only.

 

M4A2s are available from Asuka and Dragon if you can find them.  The Zvezda and Academy kits are later models not used by the UK.  The majority of M4A2s used by the UK were Fisher-built and these are the ones most commonly seen in NWE.  The Dragon Sicily or Tarawa M4A2s are appropriate. You can get away with the Asuka M4A2 or Dragon Sherman III.  Avoid the earlier desert-era kits with direct vision as very few of these were around in NWE.

 

Tamiya Shermans are best avoided.  Their M4 Early is the only one theoretically appropriate but there are fundamental flaws with it. The Dragon Normandy M4 kit is a type not used by UK forces.  The Dragon and Asuka M4 Composites would be appropriate, as would their Composite Fireflies.

 

Dragon and Asuka have 75mm M4A1s, but again avoid the early direct vision desert-era types.  Eduard re-box one of the Asuka kits.

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Ah yes, just the cool 60 quid for the engine on ebay😬😬

 

Think I'll get a rfm firefly, did plan on having the engine visible and have some maintenance done on it but for 60 quid I don't think I'll bother 😅

 

Edit: just seen that mini art do a sherman engine for £15, my plan might be on. Continental R975 engine, I think that should do.

 

Edit again: It's a radial, not the chrysler multibank used on the M4A4. So it's back off. 

Edited by Tiger_king
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Also Das Abteilung as you really seem to know what your on about I have another question for you if that's okay. 

 

So in warriors for the working day it's constantly mentioned about a bren gun being mounted on the turret and able to be used by the commander. Its also frequently talked about it being removed and used when the tank was stuck or knocked out. 

 

I can't find any pictures of this set up and hadn't heard of it before, but the author had been a tank crewman and tank commander through the desert campaign and through the whole invasion of Western Europe so I don't doubt what he was saying but was just wondering if you know anything about this set up? I know that they mounted a 50cal on the turret but that it was usually removed. 

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Yes the nice and relatively inexpensive Miniart engine is only appropriate to the M4 and M4A1, and it doesn't come with the rest of the engine bay, exhausts etc.  I see that you have discovered Resicast, CMK and Verlinden pricing!  The Resicast A57 engine plus bay for an M4A4 will set you back about £76!!  Their 75mm interior is £80 and Firefly interior £94.  So with a kit and the other usual aftermarket parts that's easily somewhere between £200 and £250, pushing towards £300 if you want Friul tracks.............

 

BTW I was wrong about the Dragon "Normandy" M4.  It is most definitely appropriate, although hard to find.  You could put the Miniart engine in that, or in the Dragon or Asuka M4 Composites or in any M4A1.  Basic engine bay walls are relatively simple and little will be seen.  

 

As for the Bren, yes you do see them occasionally on turrets but just resting on the bipod and not mounted.  There was no Bren cupola/pintle mount for tanks, although the Universal Carrier mounting might conceivably have fitted the pintle socket.  There was no stowage for a Bren or its ammunition either on an M4.  Some OP and Command tanks had the remote single/twin Bren/VGO mount in the turret centre, but I have not seen this on any Sherman: usually on Cromwells.  British Infantry and Cruiser tanks up to the Crusader and Matilda could be fitted with the Lakeman Mount for a Bren (think Anglepoise lamp with a Bren suspended where the lamp would be) but this was hugely unpopular and rarely seen or used.  The 0.50 Browning was cumbersome and hard to use from the cupola and generally only 1 tank per Troop in NWE would carry one.  The 0.30 Browning was much preferred and was compatible with the mountings and the ammunition for the hull and co-axial weapons.  It was also much more useful against personnel targets.  0.303 SAA was in relatively limited use in British armoured units in NWE as the tanks all had 7.92mm or 0.30 weapons: pretty much scout cars only.  Many, even most, British Shermans in NWE seem to have carried no cupola weapon.

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I've not seen any photos of Shermans with a Bren mounted on the turret, but there are a few showing Cromwells with this set up. If I remember correctly, there was no specific mount for them. They just sat on top of the turret mounted on their normal bi-pods.

 

John.

 

Edit; There you go. Peter posted just as I was typing my reply.

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