Preview: Takom's take on a set of Sherman's in June

The 1/35th scale Sherman HVSS & the Super Sherman are the newest kits in what we hope is a family of the type from Takom. We look at the CAD features in our preview...

Preview: Takom's take on a set of Sherman's in June

Takom continues to surprise with new subjects, broadening their horizons with, although not a unique set of subjects in this case, something new to them. They don't make money from other companies selling Shermans, so why not make their own? We look at Takom's take on a set of Shermans in our preview...

We will look at them quickly, with the CAD artwork showing us a few hints along the way...

M1 Super sherman

From Takom

Kit No 2206

1/35th scale

Photo etch included

Brass cable, clear parts & track jig included

From the middle of the 1950s until the beginning of the 1980s, the Israel Defence Forces used upgraded variants of the American M4 Sherman tank, known overseas as the Super Sherman, known as the Sherman M-50 and M-51. Another name for the M-51 was the Isherman, or Israeli Sherman. However, the Israeli Defence Forces never formally adopted the nicknames "Super Sherman" or "Isherman."  Classified as the Sherman M-50, the M-50 was similar to the WWII-era British Sherman Firefly tank in that it possessed the original smaller type of Sherman tank turret (as used by US Shermans, which carry the original 75mm M3 tank gun), which was fitted with a large counterweight at the turret's rear end to balance the weight of a longer and heavier tank gun.

An Israeli Sherman M-50 in 1970. 

 The first 50 units were based on M4A4 hulls, with a Continental R-975 gasoline engine and VVSS suspension. However, poor off-road mobility resulted from the vehicle's increased weight and narrow tracks. Additionally, the engine was being overworked, which led to frequent mechanical breakdowns. Thus, for the remaining conversions, hulls fitted with HVSS suspension and a Cummins V-8 diesel engine with 460 horsepower (340 kW) were installed on the hulls. The M-50 Continental and M-50 Cummins, or M-50 Degem Alef and M-50 Degem Bet, were the names given to these subvariants at times. Because diesel fuel is less flammable than gasoline, affecting survivability, diesel engines were chosen. By 1964, around 300 M-50s had been produced overall (although it is conceivable that 120 155mm M-50 self-propelled guns mounted on Sherman chassis were included in this total). They saw combat in the 1967 Six-Day War, fighting Soviet World War II-era armour like the T-34-85, and also in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The M-50 and M-51 Super Shermans were eventually retired from Israel in 1980

The Kit:

The CADs show a metal barrel, with the choice of a gun shield for the turret mounted .50 Cal, also brass cable and clear parts included.

A diagram showing the choice of metal or plastic main gun barrel and the photo-etched parts that replicated the thinner parts of the kit...

.50 Cal covers, stowage, and towing cable are included in this kit also.

The suspension on this kit is workable, and the tracks are supplied with a track jig to assist the construction.

M4A1 (76w) HVSS

From Takom

Kit No. 2206

1/35th scale

Photo etch included

Brass cable, clear parts & track jig included

The first model in the late-generation Medium Tank M4 (Sherman) family was the M4A1 (76) W Sherman. With "wet" ammunition stowage to lower the chance of ammo rack detonation and a modified T23 turret holding the new 76 mm M1 gun, with split loader's hatches. They were essentially updated and upgunned versions of the early-generation M4A1 type. The M4A1 (76) W has a simplified stabiliser and an improved oil gear turret traverse system. 

These tanks were sent to depots in England in time to be assigned to troops for Operation Neptune (the Normandy landings); however, they never saw combat in that theatre because of a lack of time for M4A1 (76) W training before the operation commenced, and the army could not afford problems with the M1 tank gun's ammunition supply for the logistic lines. However, following World War II, Israel would engage in significant action with the M4A1 (76) W and other 76 mm-armed Shermans like the "Super Sherman.

The Kit:

The CADs of this kit show us the many features included, including the kit's metal-barrelled main gun with photo-etch details, clear periscopes, and brass cable included for the tow cables.

This kit also has the choice of a metal or plastic barrel for the main gun. Metal cables and photo-etch that replicates the finer parts are included.

Two different track guard options are included, with three different drive sprockets, three gun brackets and a dust cover for the mantlet is also present in the kit.

Workable tracks are included in this kit. They have supplied a track jig for ease of construction, with a workable suspension offered to make use of terrain in your diorama.

A figure of a tanker manning the .50 cal is included in this kit.

That is all we have on these two for now—keep tuned for more info on the kits themselves. You can see more about Takom's kits on their website or on their Facebook page