Prefer a kit with the wading trunk and added wooden sides. Thanks.
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In 1/35 I know that Italeri and Academy both make such kits. I don’t know current availability on either kit. Both are large hatch hulls. The Italeri kit has engine decks for an A2 and A3. I believe that the Academy kit is an A2 only, but am not certain.
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If you’re looking for accuracy, then AFAIK neither the Italeri or Academy kits are very good as far as the wading gear is concerned.
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Marine Corps M4’s in the pacific were all composite hulls as well…
Just so you know…
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there’s a few options available.
Not the real “Caesar”, but it shows a similar model Sherman in USMC markings.
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Between the Academy and Italian, which is the lesser of two evils? Just want something reasonably close. Thanks
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Academy is decent; newer stuff is really nice. I have both of the kits I mentioned in my stash. Definitely want to build the Academy one as pictured.
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I have yet to come across a photo of a USMC Composite Hull Sherman. Army tank battalions in the PTO used them widely. But the USMC aside from one campaign in 1943/44 used the A2 and A3 in every photo I’ve come across.
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I stand corrected brother… My current research agrees with your info..
Looking up the page where I got that info to let them know they are wrong… (so they can correct themselves as well)
Thank you…
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Just check references for the Academy M4a2 marines.They have mixed the decal options up and most of the included schemes are for M4a3s rather then M4a2s.Star decals have a few sets.
Good luck with your model.Im planning to do a direct vision m4a2 “Jungle Jim” using an Asuka kit which has Value gear add on wood armour etc.Ive also got a Tamiya M4A3 i want to add wood armour and nails on turret hatches.
This is a great model i found a picture of.“Jungle Jim”.
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There was a few US Army stock A1s but as you said A2’s and A3’s for the rest of the war.
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I think either one is fine. You can add Tamiya A3 to that mix. It gets you something that looks like a Marine Sherman.
I do like Auska Shermans, with Value Gear armor (you could scratch build them especially if using an older kit) and LANMO wading gear. They are campaign dependent.
Finescale and someone else did publish plans for the wading gear. Might be fitting if scratch building the armor.
Most Marine tanks had three cleat T49 tracks but also unit/campaign specific.
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Thanks all for the good info.
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I knew about the A1s being used by Marines on New Britain, but Marine armor being on New Guinea at Hollandia is a new tidbit. I was always under the impression that New Guinea was a US Army/Australian Army campaign while the Marines were busy in the Solomons and Central Pacific. Very interesting 
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I have built Academy one recently, without wading kit. It builds fine + it is a Sherman, and few tweaks should be corrected - vision slits, protection, grab handles etc… Also, someone mentioned the decals (as they are for A3). I used photo references, and i believe that i have used DML M4A2 PTO decals for this one. Also, that one is also a good kit, but i used several parts from Italeri to convert it to M4A3 from Iwo Jima.
Start with photo references, then choose the kit and aftermarkets…
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