Thanks for the info Rich! What makes this tank 'new' to the ETO? I know almost all the tanks used then were pretty new because they were made in less than a year before the end of the war.
I figured this Sherman would have been built in early '44. If it was an Easy 8 or had the mantlet canvas mounts on the turret (or a bunch of other little telling mods) on it then it would be in later '44 or '45.
So, to 'fix' the rear engine deck all I'd have to do is put a seam across the back, put in some more bolts, and it would be 'right'?
And if I raise the travel lock hinges UP higher, then won't the barrel travel clamp (top) be too HIGH above the hull (even when stowed)? There's no way to shorten this travel lock because it's cast. So I eyeballed how high the barrel clamp was above the hull edge then put the hinges where they are.
And, yeah, I know the color isn't exactly right. When I started building this I searched the web with the tank color arguments there and studied my M4 books on what little bit they say on colors. One book said semi-gloss appeared in Aug '45 and another said post-WWII and another Korean War era. There's more studied M4 color/shade experts than me and I'm not going to open that 'can of worms'.
I've seen some color pics of 76 M4s close to this color I'm using so... just look at this tank as 'dusty'.
That recipe of mixing Tamiya jars of black, yellow, and brown may be right but do you know how MANY of those Tamiya jars it would take (at their cost) to paint THIS BIG model?
I've read and collected book on tanks since 1968. Especially during the three years ('91-'93) we were stationed on Okinawa (wasn't nothing much else to do except order books, watch VCR tapes, build Tamiya KTs, and drown my liver!) I GREATLY enlarged my tank library those three years.
Now, building this Sherman, I'm reading and studying the details of the M4A3 (76) models. Same thing when I rebuilt the 1/6 Tiger 1. I 'knew' both these tanks but when I went to build one, that's when I REALLY read up on the year-built configurations and unit.
These two large tanks I have may not be 'exact, perfect, museum' examples of a certain exact tank but, for an R/C vehicle to have fun with, they'll be in the ballpark of looking 'right'.
Thanks for the help!