Sherman Tank M3 hatches Right or Wrong?

[Beskar Mando]

Me and AAZ (mostly AAZ) have been looking over the Sherman tank model we just got from raven. I'm no expert on Sherman tanks, nor is AAZ. But he thinks that the hatches are might be wrong, he couldn't find any pictures to support the odd looking hatches either. I believe him, although I would like someone more knowledgeable to give an answer.
This is the model we have, and the mysterious looking hatches:

Upon looking in further we think it might be the M4A2(75).

 

[aaz777]

i dont say they are exactly wrong, i just want to know which modifications exactly had this type of hatches.

For example i found this M4A2 75mm ( seems to be this modification ). Does it mean that all shermans of this modification have hatches like that?

 

[PoisonStrudel]

Some have em' like that and others have it like this, I think it just has to do with the model of Sherman

 

[aaz777]

it looks like 76mm shermans had only direct front armor plate, while 75mm A2 and A3 had these cylindric hatches. But i can be wrong

 

[mrsirr]

Oh you mean the way they stick up like that? Yeah I think that was just something they started doing after the first few versions.
ofc not all of the newer versions. Without using le goog I'm thinking the E2 and E8 didn't have those.

 

[aaz777]

http://www.172shermans.com/Gallery/Gallery.htm
according to this page, all 76mm had regular hatches with direct front armor plate, while A2 75mm had "boоbs". The model i got is called A3 75mm, did these have big hatches too?

 

[PoisonStrudel]

According to the good ol' wikipedia, the only versions that had the crew armor like that was the M4A4 variant, the most notable type being the Firefly. The bad news? I don't think it was fielded by US forces.

 

[mrsirr]

You mean the weird armor boobs? Nah the A3 had those. I think the A1 and A2 as well.

 

[morticore]

Sherman recognition guide:
http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/index.html

 

[Jeromator]

http://imgur.com/hn2qNRj

M4 sherman

 

[mrsirr]

Hmm
Just realized.
Does that area around the gun mantlet remind anybody else of the Ram?

 

[morticore]

Hmm
Just realized.
Does that area around the gun mantlet remind anybody else of the Ram?

Well, in Polish Army Museum (Warsaw) there is Ram imitating an early Sherman with marks of 1. Polish Armoured Division (should be M4A4 or Firefly). Almost nobody knows the truth

 

[Kleist]

Just install WarThunder (play for free) and take a look at all the tanks they have create.

Tank gameplay in WT isn

 

[mrsirr]

Although Warthunder does some things wrong from what I've heard.

 

[Twrecks]

There was probably over 20 variants of the M4 Sherman. Where it was made, and when produced entirely different looking tanks. Even at the same plants, based on supplies, the M4 could be a welded hull, cast, or composite of cast and welded parts.

Looking at the model Beskar Mando posted, looks to be an early welded M4 (not a M4A1). The "boobs" in these early versions were welded plates, which is why it looks squared off. Typically the manufacturer also welded 1" plates in front of these weak spots to create a glancing surface. Another give away is the 3 piece bolted transmission cover that forms the front glacias, definately an early M4.

The 3d model looks to be based of a 1/35 Tamiya plastic kit. So the "struts" are wrong as those are from mid-production M4's, and should be identicle to those used for Lees and Grants with thin \||/ ribbing. Not something most ppl would care about.

What you need to decide is when it was fielded, and look at the options, and decide what look you like best. Full cast mid M4A1s are the sexiest IMO, because they have sweet curves (and consiquently more difficult to 3d model).

 

[OldRavenNL]

There where a lot of field modifications also.
Especially when they realized german guns shot straight through an M4.

I've send you a link with all the reference foto's I took in France.. there are a couple of shermans at saumur tank museum, and as you can see.. they are all different

 

[aaz777]

Well, yeah, i can see they had ****tilions of different variations.
T-34 had exactly the same thing. It was very different, on different factories and produced in different time periods.

 

[PoisonStrudel]

I'd say the best option at this point would be to not worry about it, very few people would realize. If a Polish museum can get away with it, a videogame definitely could as well.

Hey just out of curiosity how is this tank coming along?

 

[1SG steve]

ok the early model of the sherman is the M4 these hatches as well as the M4A2 then the hatches were changed i am a expert on shermans if you need any thing just let me know....1SG

 

[Lemonater47]

I know this thread is sorta old but I think I know what sherman tank this is as it was never really answered.

It's an M4A2(75) small hatch tank manufactured by Federal Machine and Welder (FMW). The next closest is the M4A3 small hatch manufactured by ford. Though that doesn't quite look the same as your model. Though with a slight modification you can definitely pass it off as such.

It also has armoured skirts which rules out the M4 and M4A1. They didn't have skirts. Side skirts were a modification on some shermans and not on others.