I have been looking through the stash for my next project and am at a loss. I would like to do something for the Italian campaign. Which version of the M4 Sherman would be proper for the 1st or 2nd Armored Divisions in Italy?
Only 1st Armored division served in Italy. 2nd Fought in Sicily, but was then moved to England for the NW Europe campaign. There were also around ten or so independent tank battalions attached to divisions or Corps or 5th Army assets. Early Model M4 and M4A1s were the predominant tanks in both divisions for the majority of their time in the MTO. In late 44 1st AD began to recieve some M4A3 76mm tanks.
On Sicily 2nd AD camoflaged most of their tanks in Earth Yellow and OD schemes. In Italy 1st AD often had many of their M4s and M4A1s in Earth Red/OD with White counter shading (under main gun barrel, final drive housings and hull sponsons), Sand/OD, or Black/OD with White Counter Shading camo schemes.
Well I have the Italeria M4A1 and the Tamiya M4A3 late version 75mm armed tank in my stash.
The M4A1 76mm (the Italeri kit) mainly saw service in Italy with Commonwealth armored units. They did not have enough Fireflies to equip units outside NW Europe so the US 76mm armed tanks were sustituted in Italy. This variant first saw combat service with US forces in Normandy with the 2nd and 3rd Armored divisions during Operation Cobra, the breakout from Normandy.
I have not seen any photos of the late M4A3 75mm (Tamiya kit) serving in Italy. This does not mean they were not there- just not documented. I will have to check my refernces again. Those mainly saw service in NW Europe from Autumn of '44 on and in the Pacific with Army Tank Battalions. Again this would be starting in Autumn of '44 there as well.
For a US Army Sherman in Italy the best kits in 1/35 are Tamiya’s Early Production M4 or Dragon’s M4A1. Both come with Italian campaign marking choices.
I just checked my references and could not find a single photo of either an M4A1 76mm or M4A3 75mm (wet), the two kits you have, in service with US units in the Italian theater.
Other US AFVs that did serve in Italy aside from the early M4/M4A1:M4A3 76mm, M5 Light tank, M8 and M20 armored cars, M10 and M18 GMC Tank Destroyers, M2 and M3 series half tracks. And of course Jeeps, DUKWs, and Deuce and a Halfs.
If you’re willing to go non-US, then you can use these:
DML Tarawa Sherman (M4A2) (by all allied nations)
DML Sherman III (M4A2) (by all allied nations)
Italeri/DML M4A1 76W (by British and S African forces)
M4A4 (DML, Tasca) by allied nations
I have been doing a little more research and have found several builds online where guys kitbashed kits. Thaught I might kit bash the M4A3 turret with the M4A1 hull. All I need now is markings.
Putting the 75mm turret onto the late M4A1 hull will give you a rare variant, the M4A1 75mm(wet). Most of those appear to have been converted to DD tanks. On the other hand, putting the 76mm turret onto the late M4A3 hull gives you the M4A3 76mm that 1st Armored Division in Italy first recieved in August of 44. I can check on markings for you later. I’m at work now and dont have my library handy.
That’ll get you something that’s borderline “undocumented”. All M4A1s with the 75mm gun were on the “small hatch” hull, or composite hull. I know there are pics of the 75mm turret on the “big hatch” cast hull, but they’re probably either museum re-constructions of stripped DDs (another mystery for the Shermaniac). Something documented (of course this may be what you are contemplating) is the 76mm turret on the late -A3 hull. That’s a good project, actually.
Edit: Whoops, composed a reply, left, came back and hit “post”. So, “what he said”.
You know all this Sherman reasearch is so confusing. Would it be possible to kit bash the two kits I have and create an M4A1 75mm Dry?
OK, markings for a 1st AD M4A3 76mm:
All info based on photos and research from Steve Zaloga books- Overall OD, no disruptive camo schemes photographed; no stars on glacis, hull sides, or turret, only aerial large recognition star (no surround circle) on engine deck, standard bumper codes, colored (accourding to unit) outlined in white single digit number on sides of turret bustle, colored -outlined in white- unit ID stripes on main gun tube and rear of turret bustle.
stripe/number ID colors:red-lead company A/1st Btn, D/2nd Btn, G/3rd Btn; White- next Company B/1st Btn, E/2nd Btn, H/3rd Btn; Blue-last Company C/1st Btn, F/2nd Btn, I/3rd Btn.
Colored stripes on turret bustle rear and gun tube corresponded with platoon: one, two, or three vertical stripes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd platoons. A single horizontal stripe for HQ platoon.
Tank Battalions in the 1st AD in Italy were: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1st Armored Regiment; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 13th Armored Regiment; 4th Tank Battalion.
Those are the guidlines for marking a 1944/1945 M4 from the 1st Armored Division in Italy.
The hull front on the M4A1 75mm (dry) has a majorly differrent galcis plate. You could not do it simply with the kits you have. It would require MAJOR surgury and scratch building. It also used an earlier 75mm turret with a low bustle and no loaders hatch.
In 1/35, kits currently available of that variant are the new Tasca kit (very expensive), and the older Dragon/DML. Nichimo/Hasegawa have also released this version, but it is long out of production. It can be found occasionally on Ebay or at kit collector shows. A decent kit, but track replacement is a MUST.
One other option is the old Verlinden or Kirin M4A1 resin hull conversions to convert.
I found the old Nichimo kit in a shop in Iowa, maybe 15 years ago, in a Hobbycraft box. Started it last weekend. My “quest”: to use only the parts in the box, with as much refinement as I can squirrell in. Sort of. So far, lower hull is half the way, bogies built and on. Takes one back to the old days…
Um. What are my other options for building armor from the Italian campaign?
straight from the box- US armor:Tamiya M4 Early production or Dragon M4A1 Early production, Italeri M-24, Tamiya or Italeri M20/M8 Armored Cars, Tamiya M5 Light Tank/M8 HMC, Academy/AFV Club M10 GMC, Academy M18 GMC, Italeri or Academy M7 HMC, Italeri or Dragon M4A3 76mm, Dragon M2/M4 Half Tracks, Tamiya M3/M21/M16 Half Tracks
Commonwealth: Dragon M4A2/Sherman III, Academy Achilles IIc, Dragon/Alanger Bishop, Tamiya Churchill, AFV Club M3A3 Stuart, Bronco Models Staghound, Tamiya Universal Carrier, Italeri M4A1 76mm, Dragon Sherman V/M4A4, Italeri LVT-4.
I think this list and what has been listed on this thread earlier covers just about most everything. All those kits/vehicles saw service in the Italian campaign with the respective countries listed.
Found a Tamiya 1/48 M4 Early Sherman in my stash. I had forgotten about having it. It will do for now.