Welcome chaps! Yes another sherman, found on ebay for less than £10! Read up on the kit and it seems very nice to build and is pretty accurate. Not tamiya, but i really wanted one with the wading trunks and thought this might be different.

Seems to have several options in the kit and i guess could be done as a British version too as its the diesel powered variant. Online reviews all seem good. Contents look good, instructions easy to follow.

May build so far then wait till i get an airbrush to complete.

Nice kit!! Academy are very good, I have 2 of their Tiger kits with full interior. A few minor issues, but nothing that cant easily be put right.

Well......further news. Ive been slowly doing the build and realising i probably need glasses!!! Tiny parts....However it does need a damn good clean up and its almost there but not fully assembled yet.

Still looking at ways to replicate the concrete that some of these tanks had between the hull and the wooden 'armour' on its flanks, or maybe not bothering!!

Will put her together properly, then prime her up in the next few days, then decide just what to do with her!!!!

Ok...further news on the 'unknown' sherman. I guess it has to be done as an A3 rather than an A2. I gather an A3 and A2 are only separated by such things as the engine cover which are hidden anyway by the wading stacks.

Looking at various books, I've still to decide just which tank this is but im adding (slowly) several bits that tanks of the USMC on iwo had- I've added tank track holders, one of which will include the 'telephone' as you can see.... I've still a lot to do, but i primed her last night, and am still adding various bits which are in both this kit and the tamiya kit but unused, mainly from photos. So far so good

Cheers!

A few more little things. Ive discovered just what all the gubbins on the back of the turret is actually for - It seems the USMC Sherman's didn't use the turret mounted gun actually on the turret, or not very often.

They tended to use it when parked up for defence and to protect the tank if it was disabled.

Although they did carry it. Reference pictures show how several parts on the back of the turret where used to carry the .50 cal. I noted some spares in the kit parts resembled these so on they went!. Also, there was a kind of folding bracket on the top of the turret that locked the .50 cal in position, folding down when not used. This was also in the kit but not used....so on that went also





I still have to paint a few of these bits so thats why they look a bit grubby. The gun doesnt quite fit as it really does, but in most cases it was covered by a tarp. Investigating ways to maybe do this.

Theres a few other bits ive discovered in the kit that dont appear to be used but actually went on the tank so more to come i think - why do they not include these things in the instructions? I realise that this kit is a mix n match from a few other sherman kits so there are parts left over but if the real thing had them, why not use them?

Not a fundi on military vehicles, but I think it looks brilliant. Well done.

Thanks guys, no id never heard of blue/green shermans either. But thats not the only photo ive come across, also others showing them 'faded green' and some in the camo colours they used in the pacific.

I also believe they are actually stills from a USMC film in colour that showed the invasion and action on Iwo Jima. Reading further, theres no mention of Marine tanks coming in anything other than Olive drab 'when new', but that they where painted in the field by the various battalions. Still trying to find out more! Although in 'Tank warfare on Iwo Jima' the author captions a few Shermans as 'Blue/green'. Theres obviously the effects of service on this volcanic island, loads of tanks where knocked out, repaired, knocked out, repaired and so on.



Actually, after i 'kleared' the Sherman to seal the finish its now gone quite different to what it looked like yesterday! Further work needed i think

Hi T H
She looks like she's had a hard life, very nice work on the weathering and it all came together in the end. Keep up the good work
regards
Andy

Hi all! I dont know why i didnt update this but i think i moved house and the kit went in a box. I recently got the bug back and finally completed this Sherman. Not maybe as i remember trying to, but i was happy with the outcome. I finished it as per one of the depicted tanks, 'Doris'

A few pics as i went through the finishing process...











thanks for looking and apologies for the year or so gap!!