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M24 Chaffee: British vs USA version


MarkIV

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I'm going to build the M24 Chaffee Light Tank WW2 British Army Version AFV Club | Nr. AF35210 | 1:35 kit. I'm just wondering what are the differences compared to the USA version of this tank. If I compare this kit with the M24 Chaffee U.S. WWII Light Tank AFV Club | Nr. AF35054 | 1:35, it looks like the only difference is the british anetnna. But what about others?

I'm thinking about the stowage box mountend behind the turrent and the track covers at each side.

Edited by MarkIV
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Bovington has the tank the Bronco model is based on, as supplied to the UK.  Look up some pics online.  The only difference I can see is the additional antenna base bracket.  But I'm not overly familiar with Chaffee evolution. They only appeared in US service in early '45 and I think ours only saw a few weeks' service before the war ended.  So I don't imagine they changed much.

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1) Different antenna mount on the left-side of the turret

2) British anntena at the turret's roof

3) No stowage box at the back of the turred (not all)

4) Additional stowage box on fender (rigt

5) Fire exthinguisgers

6) No track cover

Edited by MarkIV
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There are 2 antenna brackets on the left rear of the turret.  The upper triangular bracket is original, and I believe mounted the 8 foot A set antenna.  The antenna base here is a post-war one.   The lower rearmost bracket is a British addition and was I believe intended for a No38 set antenna for infantry comms.  The No19 B set antenna with its caged antenna base was mounted centrally on the turret roof as depicted in both Bronco and AFV Club kits

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Bovington's example does have the turret stowage box.  It also has the left and right fender stowage boxes.  Both of these were British additions, not just the right side.  The Mucklbeburgh example does not have the turret box, the additional antenna bracket or the fender stowage boxes.  It still has the usual tool clamps on the right hull side and first aid box on the left fender.

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I couldn't see the usual British fire extinguisher brackets but they should be next to the fender stowage boxes as in this photo.  The AFV Club boxart shows these but the Bronco boxart doesn't.  This tank has the additional antenna bracket but no turret box.  It also shows the additional left side fender box and the first aid box relocated to the left rear fender.  It would normally be above the centre return roller.

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At least some British Chaffees were fitted with the late-war pattern British commander's vane sight, as shown on both AFV Club and Bronco kit boxarts.

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Some Chaffees had a folding blanket rack at the rear similar to that on later Shermans but the basket seems to be more common.  Note the support brackets for the rack are still there under the basket.  This is seen in WW2 period images too.

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So from the Bovington and Muckleburgh ex-British examples it seems that there at least 2 possible configurations.  Let's call the first one Early - unmodified US configuration with no turret or fender stowage boxes.  Let's call the other one Late British modified, with fender and turret boxes and the vane sight.  Fire extinguishers and rear basket are on both.  The additional antenna bracket could apparently be on either, or not.  But it seems that there could be an intermediate configuration with the fender boxes but without the turret box, as the AFV Club kit depicts.  In another small variation, the Muckleburgh tank has the driver's windshield fitting but the Bovington example does not, suggesting it was removed.  Period Chaffee photos seem to show the screen fitting.  The AFV Club kit does not have it but the Bronco kit does, and the windshield itself.

 

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This discussion is interesting, and can the hive mind here can be tapped for information regarding the M24 Caffe kit in 1/72 scale? 

There are 3 kits available AFIK, the old Hasegawa one, the very detailed one by OK Grigorov and newer one by Foreart. Which one will be more suitable for a British version? 

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  • 4 weeks later...

So I want to build this version:

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But I'm not sure about these elements:

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According to Bronco's kit:

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But according to AFV's kit:

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I don't see them on the original image. Also, if most of British M24 were used by the Dutch Army after WW24, we have another clue here:

http://www.m24chaffee.com/m24---dutch-army----01.html

Edited by MarkIV
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17 hours ago, MarkIV said:

But I'm not sure about these elements:

The Bovington tank has them too.  I have been unable to find out their purpose.  The tank T330512 in your photo does not have them.  But it does have the rear stowage basket.

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https://scalemodelingmania.com/2020/02/17/m24-chaffee-bronco-an-overview/

 

Quote

The M24 was thought to be the tank to use in the invasion of Japan because of its lighter weight (though a bit over the 20 tons initially specified) than the M4 series in consideration of the bridges found in Japan. Tests were conducted to see if the tank could be made to float, thereby decreasing the need for LSTs, and the flotation devices (including 28.5″ grousers bolted to the T72 track to increase propulsion in the water) developed for the M18 were successfully (all terms being relative) adapted and tested between late 1944 and early 1945.

The Enola Gay and Bock’s Car changed all that and the program was dropped. However, the mounting pads for the flotation devices on the nose and rear of the tank had been incorporated into the production lines and never dropped.

 

I'm still trying to find out if those "flotation pads" were mounted on the BACK and FRONT of the tank, or not. I saw some pictures of M24 in Germany around April 1945. Some had them on the back, but some not. The same with front. I think the whole "kit" included front plus back. Anway, still searching.

Edited by MarkIV
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Rather like all the Shermans fitted for the T6 Flotation Device which was only used once by a small number, but the redundant fittings remained.  There was to be an all-new Sherman DD for the Home Islands invasion too, based on the 76mm M4A2 with HVSS.  2 were built, but also became unnecessary.

Edited by Kingsman
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