bigfoot Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 (edited) Hi all, this is going to be my entry for this fine group build, a late M4A2 of 1st marine tank battalion on Peleliu. I’m going to be using the dragon kit for this build, mostly OOB but with a few additions: metal barrel, resin .30 cal for the commanders hatch and resicast wading stacks, plus some stowage and spare track links. Much as I dislike them I’m going to be using the DS tracks as my modelling time is limited so no indi links. And the main two reference books I’m going to be using. Now, I said mostly out of the box, but there are a few changes I need to make to make an accurate version of this. I’m going to be basing my Sherman loosely on this picture. Notice the tracks in opposite directions. The first 50 large hatch M4A2’s were built without the hull ventilator cover, as well as the early large hatch versions having the longer splash guards in front of the hull hatches, padded lifting rings on the rear hull and dry stowage with the sponson appliqué armour. These very early large hatch M4A2’s, or at least a lot of them, ended up in the marine tank battalions, as in the picture above on peleliu. so there’s a few changes I need to make to the hull before I start building, highlighted in the picture below. Can’t wait to get cracking on this. Edited June 15, 2022 by bigfoot 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 This looks interesting with those hull changes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 Welcome aboard with a Marine Deuce at Bloody Peleliu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 Hi bigfoot. Welcome to the GB. Great to have you here and with what looks like a very interesting project. I've thoroughly enjoyed making a few Dragon kits, but always be a bit wary of errors or vagaries in the instructions. Your instructions may be fine, but I've found there's usually something to trip up the build. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted March 15, 2022 Author Share Posted March 15, 2022 9 hours ago, Robert Stuart said: This looks interesting with those hull changes. Yeah a few changes to make, also realised I need to add the weld marks around the hull MG port too. At least the weld lines on the hull are alright. 6 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Welcome aboard with a Marine Deuce at Bloody Peleliu Cheers, I like all the additional armour they chucked on these, not quite up to the Iwo Jimo Sherman’s though! 38 minutes ago, PlaStix said: Hi bigfoot. Welcome to the GB. Great to have you here and with what looks like a very interesting project. I've thoroughly enjoyed making a few Dragon kits, but always be a bit wary of errors or vagaries in the instructions. Your instructions may be fine, but I've found there's usually something to trip up the build. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Kind regards, Stix Thanks Stix, yes well aware of the dragon instructions issues, came unstuck with that in the PzIII GB! Thankfully I’m more au fait with Shermans so I will hopefully be able to spot the errors. Might have to turn it into a drinking game! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 So I'f I understand you right, you are making an early late version. I expect you will finish right on time. 😄 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted March 15, 2022 Author Share Posted March 15, 2022 4 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said: So I'f I understand you right, you are making an early late version. I expect you will finish right on time. 😄 I’m hoping so! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Interesting choice with a few extra additions/modifications to separate it from the norm, excellent! By all accounts Peleliu was a heck of a fight with the Japanese tenaciously hanging on to ever inch. Listening to a documentary about it a while ago pretty much everything is still there even now. Good luck Darryl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 Thanks Jasper. Started work on it last night, it was past midnight somewhere in the world! Plus I’m away for a week from next Friday so not going to get much done in the next couple of weeks. I removed the ventilator blower cover and rebuilt the area using plasticard to get the recess. Need to blend it into the turret ring with putty. Extended the hatch splash guards to the earlier longer version, again need to add the weld beads with the putty. Started work on changing the rear lifting hooks to the earlier padded version and scribed the prominent joint where the glacis meets the side panel ready for, you guessed it, adding the weld beads with putty. Need to add the weld bead around the front MG casting too. That’s all the work needed to back date the dragon hull to the early version, so once the putty work has been done I can start assembling. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Hi bigfoot. Great to see you are underway. Looks like your mods went well. Looking forward to more. Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 2 hours ago, PlaStix said: Hi bigfoot. Great to see you are underway. Looks like your mods went well. Looking forward to more. Kind regards, Stix Thanks Stix, they turned out more straight forward than i anticipated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 4, 2022 Author Share Posted April 4, 2022 Back from my week away and cracking on with this build. I’ve added the weld beads to the extended splash guards and the join between the sides and glacis. Also added the cast texture and casting markings to the turret and FDA. That’s all the changes added to the hull to back date it to an initial batch large hatch M4A2 with dry stowage. Just the additional armour plates to add the the sides. I’ve added the remnants of the resicast wading kit to the engine deck. The FDA is a bit oversized and needs to be trimmed back to be flush with the side plates. The sprocket mounts are undersized too as is pretty common with dragon Shermans so I’m going to replace them with some from a spare italeri kit I have kicking around. The turrets on these early fisher M4A2’s had some unique features on them with clips for the .50 barrel on the top of the turret between the hatches and the mount and clip for the .50 body on the rear of the turret. I’ll be adding these next time I’m at the bench. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 6, 2022 Author Share Posted April 6, 2022 Got the turret accessories finished bar the hatch flaps, undecided if they will be open and closed. Added the .50 barrel clamps to the middle of the turret roof, barrel and gun shield added and .50 pedestal on rear. Having not planned to use much AM on this build I found a few bits in my drawers that I’m going to use. One being the lovely flexible voyager brass antennae mounts. Moving onto the hull, I’ve got the upper and lower hulls together. The fit of the sponsors to the side of the upper hull wasn’t great and I had to put some shims in to fill the gaps. I also found in my draws a set of tank workshop wading stacks designed for this kit. The resicast one I was going to use was the British version and this is the US so I’ll be using this one now. The bottom piece was a bit of a dodgy cast so I had to do some filling and sanding to get it flat. I also found a set of the formations tools so I’ll be using those too. The early large hatch M4A2s didn’t have to rear blanket shelf so I had to fill the gaps where that should be fitted and added the bolt heads to the rear plate. These M4A2s also had the sledge hammer and wrench stowed on the rear plate too so I have added those. Still need to fill the gaps around the wading trunk base where it meets the hull. Next big job to tackle is the suspension. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 8, 2022 Author Share Posted April 8, 2022 Frontal armour added made from dragon indy link tracks. Removed the bolts to make them look less like T62 and more like T54 tracks. These are horrible to use as actual tracks but work quite well as additional armour! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjbartos Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 This is starting to look really good, nice extra detail that you have put into this... Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbow Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Shermans look good with extra track protection. I like the photos of the ones with welded on Panther and Tiger tracks, around the turret sides. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 8, 2022 Author Share Posted April 8, 2022 7 hours ago, edjbartos said: This is starting to look really good, nice extra detail that you have put into this... Ed Thanks Ed, there’s definitely plenty of scope with the dragon kit for improvements and the good thing about Sherman’s is every one can be individualised. 4 hours ago, Longbow said: Shermans look good with extra track protection. I like the photos of the ones with welded on Panther and Tiger tracks, around the turret sides. Cheers, it definitely makes them look beefier with the track link armour. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 Taking shape, the extra track on the front does look rather good too. Almost feel for radio operator/bow gunner, his mate gets a full length of extra protection he gets diddley squat! Darryl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 Hi Bigfoot. That is coming along beautifully. Your improvements are really impressive and the track armour really adds to the effect. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 26, 2022 Author Share Posted April 26, 2022 (edited) On 4/11/2022 at 6:53 AM, PlaStix said: Hi Bigfoot. That is coming along beautifully. Your improvements are really impressive and the track armour really adds to the effect. Kind regards, Stix Thanks Stix, it’s coming along in stops and starts. I’ve done lots of little steps over the past couple of weeks but there was nothing to really show for it until now as I’ve got most of it fitted to the Sherman’s now. First up, additional track armour added to the turret, resin tools cleaned up and added to the hull, armour plates and sand skirt mounts added to the sides. Wading gear fitted and holes filled. I added some L bracket and bolts along the bottom, not strictly accurate but it hides the gap! Suspension units all built and ready for fixing to the hull. I’ve used some tank workshop track skids I had which are nice but some of them are a bit warped so need a dunk in warm water to straighten. Jobs left to do are commanders cupola, periscope brackets to add, front fenders to attach (already soldered up but need tweaking as I adjusted the FDA and then stowage and she’s ready for paint! Also need to find an appropriate horn as the kit one isn’t right for this tank. Edited April 26, 2022 by bigfoot 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 Well thats looking very nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 Smart looking build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper dog Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Looking good and pretty much ready for paint I'd guess! Wading trunk looks good as do the replacement skids. Great work Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjbartos Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 That is looking very nice indeed, looking forward to some paint on it... Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 On 4/26/2022 at 7:37 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Well thats looking very nice. 21 hours ago, Hewy said: Smart looking build Thanks very much both, pleased with how it’s coming out. 11 hours ago, Jasper dog said: Looking good and pretty much ready for paint I'd guess! Wading trunk looks good as do the replacement skids. Great work Darryl thanks Darryl, almost! Suspension units are on now that I’ve straightened the skids. It’s just the delicate bits to add now, 3D printed light guards, cupola and MG to add and got to find a horn. 10 hours ago, edjbartos said: That is looking very nice indeed, looking forward to some paint on it... Ed Cheers Ed, me too! I’ve realised the commanders cupola in the kit are wrong. According to SoS, the one they have you use is for a 76mm turret, they right one for this build is different. None of my numerous Sherman kits contain the right one. From scouring the net, the only place that seems to do one is in Asuka’s Ic firefly. Anybody happen to have a spare one of those cupola’s they don’t need or can trade? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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