1:35 Sherman M4A4 (D-Day) Deep wading kit

The Sherman M4A4 rigged for wading, a set in 1:35

Resin components from 3D printing together with photo-etch make up the contents of this set from LANMO Model. With it, a model of the Sherman in the M4A4 version gets the stack extensions for the intake and the exhaust in which these machines drove off landing craft onto the Normandy beaches. The tank kit is not in the package; a model from another manufacturer is assumed.

The engine that changed the rear

Into the hull of the M4A4 went the Chrysler A57 Multibank power unit, that is, five automobile six-cylinder engines coupled to a single crankcase. The unit was longer than the other Sherman powerplants, so the designers stretched the hull and the wheelbase of the running gear. The wading stacks therefore sit differently from the shorter versions and the difference is clearly visible on a finished model.

Who fought with this version

Most of the M4A4s built went to British and Allied units, which operated the machine under the designation Sherman V. In Normandy it made up a substantial part of the armored force landed in the first waves, and wading equipment was used on it just as it was on the machines of the American army.

Advice on assembly

• Dry-fit the parts before gluing, because printed surfaces tend to be slippery
• Sand the remains of the support structure away so that plate seats on plate
• A base coat from a spray can will reveal any grooves left by printing
• The seams around the hatches can be suggested with modeling putty
• The set presupposes some skill in bending photo-etch