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Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series; M4A3 105mm HVSS
(6354) |
M4A3 105mm HVSS
Reviewed by Cookie Sewell
Summary
Stock Number and Description |
Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45
Series Kit Number 6354; M4A3 105mm HVSS |
Scale: |
1/35 |
Media and Contents: |
706 parts (639 in grey styrene, 27 etched
brass, 18 clear styrene, 12 springs, 6 brass tubes, 2 tan DS plastic
track runs, 1 turned aluminum barrel, 1 twisted steel wire) |
Price: |
|
Review Type: |
First Look |
Advantages: |
Totally new kit of this vehicle; many nice
touches to make it either WWII or postwar versions; correct tracks for
late-war HVSS tanks |
Disadvantages: |
Separate guide teeth for the tracks will
not be popular with many modelers |
Recommendation: |
Highly Recommended for all US WWII and
Korean War fans as well as "Shermaholics" |
Dragon's 1/35 scale
M4A3 HVSS will be available online from Mission Models
FirstLook
There was an old saying I recall of "it never rains but what it
pours." Right now that seems to be the case with Dragon, for after
several year of exclusively German (with a few Russian) subjects now
they are churning out one great American armored vehicle after
another.
This kit is no different; hot on the heels of three brand new
Sherman kits (their M4A3E8 "Thunderbolt VII", the USMC M4A2 "Tarawa"
tank, and the Commonwealth Sherman III) comes another missing link,
the M4A3 105mm self-propelled howitzer with HVSS suspension.
Created primarily to replace the M7 Priest as the close support
weapon of choice in tank companies and armored infantry battalions
(each one had two or three 105mm howitzers for close support
missions) the 105mm howitzer tanks proved relatively popular with
the forces as they were fully armored and thus able to face a
pillbox or strong point at point blank range and level it.
Externally these tanks looked just like a normal Sherman with the
exception of the different mantelet and rotor assembly and of course
the thick, stubby gun barrel. Internally the tanks were rearranged,
and while initial production models with the VVSS suspension did not
have power traverse it was quickly reintroduced after complaints
from the field. Also, early tanks had the old split-cover hatch for
the commander with the new oval loader's hatch. Due to priority for
the so-called "vision" cupola to go to the "gun" tanks, it was not
until the summer of 1944 that the howitzer tanks began to receive
them. Photographic evidence is hard to evaluate, as it appears in
some cases either an early tank was updated or a later one swapped
out the vision cupola for the split-hatch version as tanks with a
variety of features can be seen in photos.
Later production tanks had the new HVSS suspension, and the last
group to be built also added fittings for a canvas mantelet cover
along with that cover. The Marine Corps in the Pacific also had a
modified version that added a flamethrower, dubbed the POA-CWS-H5.
In Korea, the USMC used both that vehicle and a regular M4A3 (105mm)
but also fitted with an M1A1 dozer blade.
The US Army took delivery of 1,641 M4 (105mm) (800 with VVSS and 841
with HVSS) tanks and 3,039 M4A3 (105mm) tanks (500 with VVSS, 2,539
with HVSS). The UK received 593 M4 (105mm) tanks.
Previously these vehicles have been covered as the Tamiya M4 105mm
VVSS kit and an early DML POA-CWS-H5 version with and without
corrected hull, neither of which was very good or very accurate. But
DML's new kit combines bits of their latest kits with several new or
redone sprues and a totally new set of tracks. The model can be
built as an early production HVSS tank with split-hatch cupola (or
upgraded one) as a very nice one is provided in the kit, as well as
the vision cupola with clear styrene blocks. It also provides the
attachment gutters for the canvas mantelet cover as separate parts,
so a WWII version without it or a postwar/late war one with it can
be built from the kit.
The upper hull is the recent one with raised (!) weld bead and an
M4A2 engine deck, with the A3 deck provided separately. An older T23
turret shell is provided, but it only is included in the kit for the
early model (WWII) rear exhaust deflector. A new first-aid kit is
now provided for the rear of the tank or side, based on time and
version modeled. All of the periscopes and their mounts are separate
parts as well.
The fantastic "E8" HVSS suspension from "Thunderbolt VII" is
included, but this time DML has changed the tracks to the T80 type,
and it may provide the one plus or minus with the kit based on
modelers' preferences. DML realized with the VVSS tanks that Sherman
tracks per se do not lend themselves to their concept of "Magic
Track" snap-together links (other than the correct T66 tracks with
"Thunderbolt VII") and thus have turned to their DS cementable
vinyl-like plastic for the T80 tracks. But here they have used slide
molding to accurately produce the center guide teeth – a hollow cube
with a hole in the top so that it can be connected to the center
hinge in the tracks by a bolt, and DML has nailed it. But as a
result, the kit comes with 176 individual guide teeth in grey
styrene that must be individually glued to the DS track runs. While
this should work without any major problems (if you use styrene
glues and not ACC or non-compatible adhesives) the concept of having
to glue a large number of itty bitty guide teeth to the tracks may
not be very popular. Given that adviso, the tracks are excellent
with even the outside detail on the end connectors.
The turret is a "high bustle" type with oval loader's hatch and
pistol port, and as noted the sprue provides both the vision cupola
and the split-hatch cupola. The latter has been completely retooled
with spring detail as well as the casting mounts for the machine gun
clip and lock. Many turret detail parts can be selected from either
styrene or metal, such as the barrel and vision device guards. Tiny
styrene tie-downs are included, which makes better sense from the
standpoint of good adhesion to the kit and not going "airborne" when
you turn on an airbrush. The styrene barrel even comes with rifling!
The kit also now provides the correct bore brush/cleaning rods on
the left rear of the hull and the panels over the grouser bins are
now gone. The only thing which could have been added are the
late-war/postwar split exhaust deflector grilles and a commander's
M2HB machine gun, which is AWOL in this release of the kit.
The kit provides markings for four tanks: 713th Tank Battalion,
Okinawa 1945; 67th Armored Infantry Battalion, 13th Armored
Division, Austria 1945; the 20th Armored Infantry Battalion, 10th
Armored Division, Germany 1945; and the 752nd Tank Battalion, Italy
1945. All but the first one are solid OD vehicles with white
markings; the one from Okinawa is OD with what appears to be a
greyish color mud daub over parts of the tank. No postwar markings
are included, but with new markings postwar Marine tanks in Korea
are easy to do.
Overall this is another super kit for those of us who are Sherman
fans, and DML has done it up very nicely. I just wish they would
have spaced them out!
Highly Recommended.
Sprue Breakdown
A 96 M4A2/A3 Late upper hull with
A2 engine deck
B 76 High bustle 75/105 turret
C 18 clear styrene
G 24 M4A3 engine deck and VVSS details
H 24 Early T23 style turret
J 24 Road wheel tires
K 4 Idler tires
Q 35x2 Drive wheels
Q 48x3 HVSS road wheels and bogies
S 1 Twisted steel wire
T 44x4 Center Guide Teeth - T80 track
X 1 Lower hull pan
Y 2 DS plastic track runs
MA 27 Etched brass details and fenders
MB 12 steel springs
MB 6 brass tubes
MB 1 turned aluminum barrel
Thanks to
Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Text and Images by
Cookie Sewell
Page Created 15 October, 2006
Page Last Updated
05 December, 2006
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