How should i paint the new sherman I got for my birthday? It is a M4a2 early production
Marine shermans were painted a variaty of colors depending on when and where they were. Try looking on google for Marine M4 sherman Tank or something like that. Greg.
Generally speaking, Shermans were Olive Drab. But paint fades, dust coats the cover etc.
Here is a version of the Academy M4A2 I did. It is Model Master OD green, highlighted with some Model Master Field Green (which is slightly darker). The tannish color is Tamiya Buff.
I’ll start by saying that I am no expert, but I have just finished reading Ed Gilbert’s great book so I’ll toss a few things out there. First, if your model has the 60 degree glacis then I think that Tarawa and Roi-Namur are your choices. The individual tanks at Tarawa are very well documented so they would make great subjects (though you would need to find a decal of the very distinctive white elephant with red blanket which adorned all(?) of the medium tanks). The M4A2s at Tarawa had the T54 steel chevron tracks, split commander’s hatch, M34A1 mantles, cast transmission covers, horizontal return roller arms, no loader’s hatch, no welded applique’ armor, solid drive sprockets and road wheels. The tanks at Tarawa were solid olive drab (no camouflage) and did not yet employ any supplemental wooden armor.
I think that Roi-Namur is the other option for an earlier A2. By this point the threat of the Japanese magnetic mines was known, so the A2s had the wooden planks mounted on the hull sides. Most tanks at Roi-Namur (all but one?) would be OD (without camouflage). The exception, Max English’s tank “King Kong,” did have a dappled lighter color camouflage applied to the turret. “Jungle Jim” is also an interesting subject from Roi-Namur because it had the steel cleat track. Finally, “Killer” is a great Roi-Namur subject because of the famous picture of “Killer” with a Japanese Type 95 tankette loaded onto the engine deck for transport back to Hawaii after the battle.
After Roi-Namur, I think that any A2 would be late production (47 degree glacis, loader’s hatch, large hull hatches, etc) or would be an A3. I hope that this helps and that someone will correct me if I have screwed anything up.
Dave
Osprey Modelling Manual 14, M4 Sherman is a good reference. They build 3 different Marine shermans and discuss the different camo schemes found on Marine shermans. Greg.
I’m not so sure about the value of this book for Marine Shermans. David Harper (most surely one of the most knowledgeable people on Pacific Shermans) said: “The USMC tanks built in the Osprey Modeling Manual #14 are terrible as far as accuracy and details are concerned. I would totally disreguard this books USMC tank chapter.” Not meaning to insult the author, but just thought that I should toss this cautionary quote out.
Dave
Pardon my lack of knowledge but who is David Harper?
Take a gander at his website, http://www.hardcorpsmodels.com . He has written a couple of books on modelling LVTs and has a book coming out this fall on modelling Pacific Shermans. I think that he works for VLS Corporation (i.e., modelmecca) and he runs “Harper castings” (custom figures, like a Marine tank crew ang others). Finally, he has issued numerous decal sets and resin kit upgrades for Pacific modelers (you can see this at his website on the “shopping page”). I’m not trying to be obsequious, but he is very knowledgeable on the the subject (and very helpful - he lurks at the Missing-Lynx forum).
His site was what I used on mine as far as reference pics. Great site