AFV Modeller - Issue 02 - 8 - Winter Wonderland Part 3. Sherman Dozer

Sherman Dozer by Dinesh Ned

WINTER WONDERLAND

Part Three

All my modelling life, I’ve had eyes only for

big 76mm gun in the T-23 turret, and could

the same tank of the 743rd Tank Battalion

German, and more recently, Russian tanks

have a bit of camo applied…wow, almost

hauling around this big M1 dozer blade

of the Second World War era. But after

as good as doing panzers! Since Italeri’s

(pp.47), and I realized how I could

some gentle ribbing from a few modeling

offering was then impossible to find, I went

compensate for peewee Sherman’s lack of

buddies, I decided to try an American tank.

for the only alternative I had, the M4A1

firepower. The picture shows armored

The M-36 was my first foray into Yankee

‘late’ by Verlinden. However, upon scrutiny,

elements of the 743rd Tank Battalion

armor-land, fuelled very much by Steven

I discovered that what VP offered was not

following a grubby whitewashed Sherman

Zaloga’s awesome M-36B1. I tried it, and I

the late but the intermediate hulled M4A1.

M4A1 with the M1 dozer attachment as it

was hooked.

I was bitterly disappointed that I’d be

winds its way through Malmedy in mid

I purchased the excellent “Modelers Guide

restricted to the wimpy looking 75mm gun.

January 1945, clearing up the debris of the

to the Sherman” book by Ampersand. I

Then, in the book “The M4 Sherman at

failed Ardennes Offensive, thus allowing

found that I really liked the curvy look of

War – The European Theatre 1942 – 1945”

free access to the roads and highways

the cast-hulled late M4A1s. It also had the

by Steven Zaloga, I saw a picture of just

again by American motorized and armored

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columns headed East.

attachment strips to either side of the hull,

Some of the tools were stowed on the

As fate would have it, a friend was selling

but had to scratchbuild the rear fenders

upper rear plate, and I used picture

off his allied stuff, and so I picked up the

(VPs were too small) and the inner mud

references to detail these as well. The

M1 dozer blade set from VP and I was all

flaps, as many tanks featured this and they

engine deck lifting handles were made

set.

weren’t provided. The engine door handle

with 10A fuse wire.

and towing braces were made from 10A The VP resin replacement hull set comes

and 15A fuse wire respectively, and a few

The drivers’ hatches were the hardest part

with the replacement hull, driver/co-driver’s

missing bolts were added using a punch

of the hull. The later type small hatches

hatches, rear plate, early style air filters,

and die set.

were spring loaded to assist in opening, and there were various latches and locking

idler mounts, engine deck air inlet cover

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and a simple brass photo-etch fret. It is all

The upper hull detail is generally quite

brackets on it. These were all carefully

right for an intermediate hull M4A1. It fits

good, is correct for an intermediate M4A1,

scratchbuilt using styrene rod and strip

well on to the Tamiya lower hull, and

with no fuel shut-off switch, which was an

and fine armature wire wound round a pin

accepts the Tamiya cast nose with only a

early feature. There is a nice cast texture

to simulate the spring. The delicate

bit of adjustment and filler needed. The

throughout, and the brackets for the shovel

periscope guards were made from 5A fuse

back plate needs a little work to sit

and tow cable are provided. Since no

wire and carefully superglued in place. A

correctly, as VP are a little vague in their

reference is provided, you will need your

FineMolds US periscope was installed in

instructions in this area. The rear hollow

own to correctly place all the tools. I used

the opened hatch. Four pairs of hooks

underside of the hull requires a bit of clean

those from the Tamiya M4A3 kit with

were affixed, one pair on each side of the

up too. I super-glued the p/e fender

buckles and straps from Aber and Eduard.

driver’s and co-driver’s hatch exterior, to

replicate the foul weather hood attachment

detailing for the hull.

bogeys. These don’t have the upswept return roller arms typical of the late

points. By the way, don’t be fooled by the styrene

Sherman production varieties. I also added

Moving on to the hull front, the light guards

applique armor you see on my Sherman.

four bolt holes on the side of the bogeys

were from the VP set. I scratchbuilt the

The VP set comes with them already

where the return roller arms were not

light plug holders and attached them using

rendered, but I sanded mine off because I

attached. Sherman bogeys were all

Aber chain. The horn was from Tamiya,

thought mine was a late hull and late hulls

interchangeable, so bolt holes were

but I replaced the face with a photo-

didn’t have applique, now did they?!

provided on either side for quick

etched piece from the Tamiya fret. I

Argh……

replacement.

again fuse wire. It is possible to use the

The bogeys and wheels came from

Tracks are the T54E1s by RHPS. Well

barrel clamp as provided in the M4A3,

Academy’s excellent M-12. These come

made, they went together without many

though its brackets would need to be

with exquisite cast numbers and wheels

problems. Although in reality they featured

modified for the M4A1. I went ahead and

detailed on both sides. I transplanted them

more prominently on the M4A3s and late

changed the clamp to another less

onto the Tamiya lower hull, which required

war M4A1s, I went ahead and added them

common type that I saw in the

sanding off the locating bases molded

on because these are my favorite Sherman

Squadron/Signal “Sherman Walkaround”

onto the Tamiya base, but after that it was

tracks. Extended end connectors were

book. A few strips and some ‘bolts’ from

quite straightforward. Please note though

leftovers from the AFV Club T-51 track set,

the trusty punch and die set completed the

that the Academy set has mid production

which I used for my M-36. Since there

scratchbuilt its holder and the lead was

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weren’t enough, I left some off as they often did get detached during movement. The drive sprockets were Tamiya originals, but I detailed the inner sides with reinforcing wedges and bolts, as I noticed this feature while looking at my reference pictures.

The VP M1 Dozer is one intimidating looking set! It is the first ‘serious’ conversion I have ever attempted, and in retrospect, it wasn’t so bad! It comprises of a photo etched fret, 2 chunky bits of resin that form the upper and lower halves of the massive blade, various resin bits that comprise the hydraulic piston, dozer arms, reinforcing wedges and other bits and pieces. Also provided are a length of hollow plastic pipe, 2 plastic rods and some copper wire.

All I can say is follow the instructions, and test fit, test fit, test fit! VP provides an exploded diagram that shows by means of arrows where each piece is supposed to go, but it doesn’t always make sense. Test fitting will help you understand what is going on. When you are about to commit to super glue, I recommend the thick, slow action variety that will allow you some leeway to fine tune your placement to achieve the best possible fit.

One thing I noticed in the pictorial references I had was that dozers used in summertime always had their arms flush to the side of the blade, whereas in winter, when many tanks sported extended end connectors the arms were wider, and had a beveled edge when meeting the blade. Since my Sherman would be so equipped for winter, I replicated this by pushing my dozer arms out slightly and beveling the forward edge. I plugged the resultant gap on the inner face with styrene, sanded and puttied it flush, and carried on as usual.

Generally, the kit goes together well, with the only fiddly bit being the bent rods and photo-etched plates that form the rear face of the blade. In actuality, a cable runs through these channels. The cable is actually a release trip which attaches to a drum inside the triangular hydraulics shield, which in turn controls two small cables

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running back through each blade arm to

machine gun. The hatches were detailed

1200 to check for flaws, and after a few

the blade attachment mechanisms bolted

from the pictures I had and the .50 cal

corrections, proceeded to paint with Gunze

to the bogie assemblies. The trip cable

cradle and ammo box support came from

Matt White to simulate the winter

feeds back from the triangular shield,

the Eduard photo-etch set. Tie downs

whitewash. When this was dry, I sprayed

beneath one of the two notches in the

were from Aber and the antenna came

supposedly worn areas with Matt Olive

hydraulic line shield, and through a hollow

from Academy. Gun barrel was from

Drab + Dark Green in a 3:1 ratio. Then, a

tranny bolt which was substituted for a

Elefant. I tried to replicate that heavy cast

second application of plain Olive Drab to

solid one. The assistant driver needed only

look that Sherman turrets have by first

soften the contrast, and finally, a light khaki

to yank once on the cable to release the

applying Tamiya putty, then stippling it with

brown color (I just mixed according to my

blade completely. Pretty ingenious if you

a stiff brush, then after it has hardened

judgement) to further soften and blend the

ask me! Many thanks to Lynn Kessler for

somewhat, reactivating it with Tamiya glue,

colors.

this nugget of info! I kept the dozer in

and softening the stipple effect with a

several subassemblies for ease of painting

softer brush. The undercarriage, lower

Next, when all the Gunze colors had dried,

later on.

sponsons, lower hull sides, under hull,

I mixed up different tones of Vallejo colors,

fenders, tracks and especially the dozer

shades of off-whites from light beige to a

The turret was the General (late) turret with

blade were “muddied” using a mixture of

dirty yellow, some greens, even blues and

the early M34A1 gun mount. This version is

fine and coarse sand, static grass and

a touch of red, and scrubbed them into the

provided in Tamiya’s early M4, and

Tamiya putty. This was randomly but

paint. I used lighter colors for highlighted

features the applique armor on the turret’s

realistically applied to simulate build up of

areas and dirtier shades for scuffed or

right cheek. It has no loader’s hatch, a

mud and sod.

lower parts of the tank. The permutations and mixes possible are virtually endless,

steep rear slope, early commander’s split hatch and early vane sight. There is no

When everything was finally done, I primed

and it is very much up to the individual to

exterior storage facility for the .50 cal

it all with Gunze Sangyo’s Mr. White Primer

mix and apply as he pleases. Then I

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applied a wash of oils (burnt umber + a

100% pigment, they are many times more

References

touch of burnt sienna), and when that

vibrant than pastel chalks (which are only

"Modeler's Guide to the Sherman" by Pete

dried, I applied some more scrubbing with

10~20% pigment and the rest clay and

Harlem, Ampersand Publishing;

Vallejo paints. This procedure was

filler) or even oil paints, which are, at most,

"The M4 Sherman at War- The European

repeated about 7 or 8 times, till it just

60~70% pigment. The colors stain first

Theatre 1942-1945" by Steven J Zaloga,

looked like layered dirt and paint all mixed

time on, and they don’t come off easily like

Concord Publishing;

up.

pastels do. Using various earth shades, we

"Walkabout - Sherman" by Squadron/Signal

mixed and splattered it on till we got the

Publishing;

When everything was satisfactory, tarps,

grungy look we wanted. We also paid

"Dragon's Early M4A1" by Phil Dyer, Military

bedrolls and sheets were made by rolling

special attention to the dozer, since it

Modelling, Vol. 28, No.4;

out fine Milliput mixed with a touch of

would receive particular abuse.

"Sherman Turret Changes" by Phil Dyer,

talcum powder, and then shaped into the

Military Modelling, Vol. 30, No.8;

required items. Straps and buckles were

Finally, all highlights were touched up using

likewise sculpted from Milliput. Jerry cans,

a light beige Vallejo mix (white would be

Kits used

ammo boxes and other paraphernalia

too harsh) and metallizing was done with a

Tamiya M4A3 (kit no. 35122);

came from the spares box. One jerry can

blunt 2B pencil.

Sherman M4A1 Hull (late);

was painted red, being filled with grease Figures are from Verlinden, their recent

RHPS T-54E1 US Metal Chevron Individual

carrier. When dry, the whole was painted

“Cold and Wet” US Tanker set. They are

Track Link set (rh04);

and tied down with nylon thread.

quite well molded, and they were painted

Academy M-12 155mm GMC (ac 1394);

for me by (who else?) Calvin Tan. The scary

AFV Club M4 T-51 Workable Track (av

The lower hull, tracks and running gear

part was that he did them both in under

3526);

were all sprayed a dark base coat, and

three hours!

"Special thanks to Calvin Tan, Sudhesh

then I tried a new method of weathering

Nair and Nigel Cham for all their labor and

introduced by my friend, Calvin Tan of

assistance in completing this article."

DogTag Miniatures…pigment powder. Fully

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VP Sherman Dozer Set VP 0646;

and so not to be confused as a petrol