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This scene depicts an assault by a Japanese anti-tank (suicide) team on a USMC Sherman on Okinawa. The supporting Marine infantry have seen the Japanese soldier with a satchel charge coming down the hill and have moved to enage him. But only the tank commander has seen the second Japanese soldier coming up the small ravine and now he must try to fend him off with only his pistol.
So what happens next?
Issue in doubt.
CONSTRUCTION
The Sherman depicted in this diorama is unusual in that it is a mid-production M4A2 with welded hoods that has been upgraded with the commander's vision cupola and rubber chevron tracks which were rarely used by the USMC. A photo of this tank can be seen in the Concord Book, Tank Battles of the Pacific War.
The model is actually a 'clean out the spares bin' project. The upper hull and transmission cover are from Formations. The lower hull is from an Italeri kit and the engine deck and rear hull are left overs from a Dragon kit.
The suspension is a mix of two Dragon sets with Formations track skids and Tiger Models road wheels. The sprockets are from Tamiya as are the one piece tracks.
The turret is from the Dragon Sherman III kit with a Tamiya mantlet and cover. The metal barrel is from somewhere that I can't remember. The cupola is from a Legends set. Additional details are left over Eduard photoetch and Formations bits. The spare tracks are left overs from RHPS.
The USMC infantry are modified from the Dragon USMC on Iwo Jima set and the tank commander is a mix of parts from that set with arms and hands from the spares bin.
The Japanese soldiers are from Warriors with repositioned poses.
The palm tree is from Verlinden and the base is made of polyfoam with sheet plastic siding.
Most painting was done with Model Master enamels and the weathering is a combination of oil washes, thinned Tamiya Buff and MIG pigments. [View discussion] [Discuss my model]
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