1:35 British Army Sherman III MID Production

British Army Sherman III MID Production 1:35 — Asuka (formerly Tasca)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the British Sherman III in the mid production version with a cast driver's hood. The maker is the Japanese company Asuka, which formerly traded under the name Tasca and counts among modelers as the benchmark for accuracy in the Sherman family: fine casting and weld texture, carefully worked-out running gear and an exact parts fit. Besides the plastic sprues the box holds photo-etched parts, clear parts and decals for two marking options. The T49 tracks in this kit are one-piece flexible belts, not assembled from individual links.

The real subject

Watch the designation: Sherman III is a BRITISH name, not an American one. The British renamed the American Shermans delivered to them according to their own system: the American M4A2 was called the Sherman III in British service (M4 = Sherman I, M4A1 = Sherman II, M4A3 = Sherman IV, M4A4 = Sherman V). The Sherman III was therefore the machine with a welded hull and a pair of General Motors diesel engines, a 75 mm gun and VVSS suspension. The great majority of M4A2 production went abroad under Lend-Lease, and the British received the most of them. British machines differed from the American ones in their equipment and markings: a different arrangement of tools and stowage, British jerrycans and boxes, British tactical signs and numbers. The diesel drive was also considered safer and less sensitive to damp conditions than the gasoline versions.

Building and painting tips

Finish and paint the suspension and the running gear before you close up the hull, because the wheels are hard to reach once it is glued. Glue with thin cement for plastic (capillary action) and the photo-etched parts with cyanoacrylate. Lay the base down over primer and spray with an airbrush. British field olive (SCC15 / olive drab) looks better if you lighten it on the upper surfaces. For weathering, use a dark wash in the engraved lines and dust pigments on the running gear and the fenders. Apply the decals onto a gloss coat and seal them with a matte one.

Who the model is for

• Modelers who want the most accurate Sherman available on the market
• Anyone interested in British and Allied vehicles in Normandy, Italy and North Africa
• Diorama builders, because the British markings and stowage stand out
• Collectors of the Sherman family who want a version different from the late American M4A3E8 Easy Eight (which has HVSS, wider tracks and a 76 mm gun)

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.