This is an overhaul of Dragon’s M26A1 kit that I built close to 30 years ago when it was a new release. That was before I used to gloss coat before decals, flat coat after, and other such techniques… the original kit decals eventually lifted and flaked off over time, and I also found out that Marine Pershings in Korea were not repainted from Army OD into USMC green as they were taken from Army stocks. Recently I bought a set of Star Decals USMC Pershings in Korea, and about two weeks ago I started the overhaul by cutting back the front fenders to how photos showed. I was working on this between several other projects as paint or glue dried. This is from 1st USMC Tank Battalion during the winter of 1950/51 on the drive to Chosin and back.
I finally got this one’s overhaul finished yesterday…
Gamera, I am with you on slowly whittling away at the shelf queen count here. If I ever get it down to single digits I’ll be overjoyed… just over two dozen now.
Gino, Star Decals is definitely a friend of armor builders looking for something more in markings choice options. I always like to see what’s new on their line.
Tony, that’s the AK Real Colors. I can’t say enough good things about those paints… they can really be thinned down for doing that sort of work.
Excellent build. Sharp pick-up on using the Marine P-41 packs, too. Also, that the packs matched. 782 gear was distributed at the Regimental level, and units typically had all matching gear in either khaki or OD.
Helmet covers, ponchos, and shelters would all be reversible camo (the vexation of 1/35 modelers), and which side was “out” was pretty random. KW was wierd, too in that Shelter Quarters were mixed in with Shelter Halves.
Capn’ this particular tank was fairly well photographed during the 1950/1951 winter during the drive up to and back from Chosin, so I tried to keep the load with what could be seen there. The WWII gear was much more common in that period of the Korean War, and I do like the look of the khaki packs for contrast. I have a couple of helmets that I might add later as extra stowage… once I finish painting their camo covers. I like the tan/beach camo pattern myself.
Gary, no I did not strip off the old paint. I simply painted over it. Aside from a few spots where I had to sand off the remains of a few decals it was my base coat to work on top of. The AK Real Colors paint is really some great stuff to work with.
Yeah, some reasonably well-known photos–a good job replicating them.
KW was strange for gear as Army pretty much use dall M-45 LBE, and introduced the OD helmet covers. The average M-26 can be pretty anonymous unless you can spot a bit of camo on it, as the Marines were, typically, the only ones with camo.
It’s an outstanding build, from its bones to the details. Very well executed.
The M26s were pretty much all gone by Spring 1951, replaced by M46s and Sherman’s.
The Army went hog wild with Cat/Tiger artwork on tanks for Operation Ripper in Spring 1951, and later camouflage pattern painted many of their M4’s & M46’s in 1952 and 1953
