M4A4/2 Kitbash

This is a kitbash using Dragon M4A4 and M4A2 kits. In the years following WW2 France and Britain exported numbers of M4A4 Shermans to Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt and Israel. These vehicles were, for various reasons, re-engined with diesel engines used on the M4A2 Shermans. This gave the tank the odd combination of the long hull of an M4A4 and the louvered engine deck of the M4A2. I made this tank to represent an Egyptain tank that took part in the 1956 Suez War. The M4A4 kit is fairly old and has less detail than the newer M4A2 kit, therefore I used as many parts from the newer kit as possible. The parts were for the most part perfectly compatible and went together without any problems. I had to scratch build the exhaust deflector on the rear of the tank. I used Evergreen styrene for that. I fashioned the fuel can rack with steel wire. I drilled out the hatch hinges and set stretched sprue in them so they will open and close. I also approximated the “donkey sight” mount and brush guard in front of the commanders cupola.
I was lucky enough to have one color photo of captured Egyptain tanks from the 1956 campaign for reference. I painted the tank with Tamiya Buff lightened with flat white. I post shaded with straight white diluted with Tamiya lacquer thinner. I weathered with a wash of black Gumbacher oil and pastels.

I used casting marks from Archer Fine Transfers for the first time and was very pleased. The markings are taken from photographs of Egyptain tanks on parade in 1955. I hand painted the Arabic slogan on the turret which reads Damah (defense). The charioteer on the hull was a fun project. I printed a photograph of the insignia on white copier paper. Then I turned the paper over and traced the pattern on the clean white side with a black marker. Then it was a simple matter of scanning the drawing, sizing it and printing it on Testors decal paper.