M4A3

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I have a question regarding the M4A3, my kit came with the added armor plates for the side, nowhere on the instruction does it say anything about the plates, did the M4E3 have these? I am looking at restoring this old model that I built over 10 years ago.

2

Oh, those are supplemental welded-on armor that they put over the ammo storage, I believe? Just google them and you will find Sharmans with them on both the turret sides and the hull sides.

3

According to the below review, no, they should not be used, Tamiya got that part wrong.

“Unfortunately, Tamiya misidentified a late M4A2 with appliqué armor as an M4A3. The appliqué armor was welded to the hull sides of the M4A2 to provide added protection to the ammo stored within. But the hull in this kit is the intermediate style with wet stowage (i.e., the ammo was stowed in a bath of ethylene glycol, or antifreeze). So don’t use the appliqué pieces as the kit instructs.”

From US Army Models website: www.usarmymodels.com/…/tamiya35122.html

4

!http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKs0zWti6ck/US1UwgDStII/AAAAAAAABJM/d1YM6-dXcc8/s1600/M4A3DS-012.jpg

Here’s some news you might can use . Click on… !http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u302/that81guy/emoticons/Smiley_news_bw.gif

5

Thanks for that, Gino–I had no idea they were wrong for this particular kit.

6

That’s the earlier small hatch M4A3 hull you’ve linked with the earlier low bustle turret. The Tamiya M4A3 is a fairly late version.

7

Just to add on to what Rob just posted. Disastermaster’s picture is NOT the late war M4A3 large hatch hull which is the subject of the Tamiya kit. Intstead, it’s clearly a Ford produced early model M4A3 which did have the side armor patches. It’s not one of the improvised M4A3 assault tanks either — it has simply standard applique plates (hull patches, turret cheek and drivers’ position armor) – like 1000s of other 75mm gun tanks during WW2.

There is NO WAY the Tamiya M4A3 kit should ever be made with the armor plates as provided in the kit.

8

So if the Tamiya is the late version does that mean i have to use the late version Commander hatch or can i still use earlier one? It comes with both

9

probably the later version, but never know with Shermans

10

Thanks for all the info guys, ill go with the late version hatch and no extra armor plates, as far as the color i think ill go with a mixture of the Tamiys OD and the Tamiya dark yellow I read thats a good mix

11

I tried doing the Tamiya Nato green but its too green.

12

The type of Sherman you have used both types of TC hatches. Check photo’s for any particular tank you intend to model. Just in case you are wondering about the why of the ammo bin applique armor, the ammo bins were moved from the sponsons to the hull floor (with the “wet” stowage) when the M4 hulls were redesigned with the larger angled hatches, based upon combat reports for improvements needed. Except for the M4 Composite hull, which kept the dry sponson stowage and the applique plates.