Description
The Allied D-Day landings on 6 June 1944 marked the first successful opposed landings across the English Channel in nine centuries. The massive assault on Hitler’s much-vaunted Atlantic Wall was also the largest single-day amphibious invasion of all time. A total of 130,000 soldiers went ashore on 6 June, while a million men had been landed in this sector of northern France within a month. These Allied soldiers were supported by all sorts of armored vehicles, with the ubiquitous M4 Sherman tank being chief among them. Dragon’s newest 1/35 scale kit portrays just such an M4 tank that participated in the Normandy campaign. Modelers will need to take note that this is much more than just another Sherman kit, for it has been specifically designed as a Normandy veteran!
The M4 variant, powered by a Continental radial engine and armed with a 75mm main gun, was deployed by American, British, Polish and Canadian units. This broad range of users in the tense battles for Normandy opens up new possibilities for modelers of this kit. This exciting new release, the first from Dragon in 2009, shows a welded-hull variant. This kit has received many new parts and extensive retooling to accurately replicate particular M4 characteristics like the thickened armor plates on the turret sides. Newly tooled components include a slide-molded upper hull, turret, engine deck and rear engine-compartment doors. The T51 tracks made from DS are also brand new. Multimedia parts such as photo-etched sand-shield brackets and engine ventilator covers are also included. For modelers wishing to depict a Sherman fighting through the thick Normandy hedgerows and bocage, or dueling with Panthers and Tigers of desperate German defenders, this kit is a dream come true!
Kit Features:
Turret:
- Newly designed cast turret w/bomb-thrower port
- Newly tooled sealed pistol port
- Brand New thickened armor plate on turret side for protection of gunner
- New realistic design for cast rotor shield
- One-piece slide-molded gun barrel w/hollow end
- Anti-aircraft MG w/pedestal mount on turret roof
- Slide-molded anti-aircraft MG w/hollow end
- Commander’s hatch w/periscope assembly
Upper Hull:
- Newly designed upper hull for M4 Sherman
- 2-Diction slide molds enable one-piece upper hull w/weld seams
- Brand new armor plates in front of driver’s and radio operator’s hatch
- Realistic weld seams on frontal glacis
- Applique armor plates on both of upper hull sides
- New radio bracket w/realistic weld seams
- Detailed engine deck splash guard
- New designed engine deck w/air intake covers
- Engine ventilator covers is new
- New horn guard
Lower Hull & Tracks:
- Newly tooled engine rear doors can be assembled open/closed
- Detailed rear plate included engine rear doors and air filters
- Rear towing hook is new
- New designed photo-etched parts for sand shield bracket
- One-piece chassis w/bolt details
- Detailed transmission cover made from multiple parts
- Three types of transmission cover as option
- Brand new one-piece T51 tracks by DS
- Finely detailed suspension system
