I’ll throw in with this Tamiya M4A3E8 76mm
I’ll probably do a little late war vignette with it, as I’ve got some Royal model crew that are looking for a home.
Build is mostly OOTB, and currently experimenting with different painting techniques, including using stencils for all the markings.
Hopefully this’ll be one of a couple of shermans I finish up this year.
Cheers!
I think something like this deserves its own thread in the Allied section too. Kind of like what Jakko is doing with the T6 prototype.
What kit are you using to make this?
I’m using the Asuka M4 “Fay” as the basis for this tank.
Made some small progress on Hurricane.
Asuka has in recent times made some small changes to their molds, with some parts now having a subtle cast texture, where in the past these parts were smooth. Since I needed to do some sanding on the turret, some of this texture was lost, so I added some of my own. I also added cast marks.
I also replaced the tranny cover with one that has cast in steps, instead of welded on strips. I also removed the welds in the glacis plate and added welds around the bulge for the bow machine gun. ALCO built M4’s had a different layout of the parts that made up the glacis plate, so that had to be done.
This is where I am at now.
I will be starting soon on my project
After some deliberation I think I’ll go with this M4A1 turretless dozer as seen in George Forty’s book “Tanks in Two World Wars”:
Yet another outing for the venerable Italeri hull! Pity there’s no info on the unit (so no help with markings) or even the backstory as to why such a valuable piece of machnery wasn’t being put back in the fight…
It could have been with some wrecker unit/ clean up, the only reason I say that is because it is pushing a destroyed/burnt out train cars. There is also the soldier there with what looks to be like a hose line not using it but helping the guy who is. There is also the pile of burning material (near the front of the first set of bogies). Hopefully this helps.
Jack
Yes, I assume some Engineer battalion found a knocked-out dozer in a boneyard with a FUBAR turret, and thought “Why not just take it all off?”. A simple lid over the hole, and hey presto they had an armoured dozer for clean-up jobs like this one…
I might just pick a random unit for bumper codes.
Minus the turret you can tell that not only is the suspension riding higher than it normally would but you can also tell that the missing weight in the middle has given the vehicle a rake like on a Jumbo. Instead of the armor causing the rake it’s the weight of the blade. You might need an Asuka suspension to recreate that effect.
Sweet! Where did you get the replacement tranny cover form?
It’s from HD Models.Fit was pretty good, needed minor tweaking.
Also to get the flat return roller mounts, instead of the angled ones the Italeri kits come with.
To me it looked like it had the later suspension but maybe the rake caused an optical illusion?
Another thing that stands out to me is that the vehicle seems to be missing all the sand shield mounting strip brackets and the mud guards. What would be the purpose of removing the sand shield mounting brackets? It also appears to be missing the rear stowage foldaway shelf. Also the lid that covers the turret opening seems to be hinged in the middle and opened in the photo? Maybe it’s some debris in the background? It’s definitely an interesting looking beast without the turret on it and the choice of wheels on a later large hatch hull with the slope in the rear.
It’ll definitely be an interesting build! I have lots of spare bogies from several brands, but I need better evidence of upswept vs horizontal roller brackets. I just wish I could find a better copy of that picture!
I think they’re flat, but it’s difficult to be sure.
And the spare track holders. But there seem to be scars where those are supposed to be, so it looks like somebody took a blowtorch to the tank to remove unwanted parts?
The spoked idler wheel is also a little odd for a large-hatch M4A1.
I should be finally getting some modeling time in the upcoming weeks. For this campaign I’m going to start collecting some data on this particular tank.
It’s pretty wild that I’ve never done this one before. From notes I’ve taken over the years…
Odd turret with extra lift hook on upper left side, early stowage brackets dropped down halfway, inboard front hull lift rings, turret forward antenna but with bolted over circular plate, later suspension with upswept return roller mounts, smooth unthreaded M1A1 barrel, forward hull ventilator missing the cover like on “operation cobra” M4A1s…
I’m not 100% on any of this stuff but this is the information I’ve collected over the years on Thunderbolt VI, I know that it was a veteran of Arracourt and the BOTB which perhaps makes it the most historically important tank that Abram’s ever commanded.
Please, if you guys have more accurate information let me know…one of the things that really attracted me to this project besides the fame of it’s commander is that the markings were not blanked out and also the time that this tank was in service means that it was cold, wet, messy, and muddy…so the combination of the of the big bright markings and the grime and dirt will make for a nice contrast.
I have both the Meng kit and the Asuka kit and right now I’m investigating which one is the easiest to use OOTB with the least amount of modifications required. Anyone that has suggestions regarding these kits neither of which I’ve ever built, I would be very grateful for any insights, TIA.
Bench time has been limited the past 2 weeks, since I have a pinched nerve in my left leg which prevents me from sitting in the same position for extended periods of time. But what time I got, I spent on Hurricane.
Put the upper and lower hill together and started adding more details. She now has the “long” towing hook seen on many ALCO tanks and I replaced the kit lifting rings with 3d printed items of the correct type. They even have little casting marks, which is crazy to me.
Got that one in my sights some day. Have you seen the color video footage of it moving through a town?
Michael 
I once read that Abram’s Thunderbolt was the basis for the “Haunted Tank” from the GI Combat comic book……with him having served all through the war from Libya to Germany……hence the number VII on his last tank. After reading those comics as a kid….I was surprised to find out that not every German tank was a grey painted Tiger tank.
and surviving being hit by a “Tiger’s 88mm” when a Panther is drawn…..
and I just learned that they resurrected the story…..but this time with the grandson of the original tank commander Jeb Stuart……commanding an M1 Abrams in Iraq……..
How cool is that???
