This kit is not an accurate M4A3E2 Jumbo Sherman, but I am glad that I bought it, nonetheless.

What is inaccurate about it? The kit includes the same hull as Italeri's earlier M4A3(76)W kit. The only thing changed in this new kit is the turret. Which means that the uparmored hull, the front and side plates, the thickened nose piece covering the final drive, the tracks with extended end connectors, none of these details that make the Jumbo a Jumbo are included. (Not pictured below is the lower hull tub, which also is the same as the M4A3(76)W kit.)

However, I am glad that I bought the kit because the turret is actually the only correctly-shaped Jumbo turret in this scale. The surface detail on the turret is fairly decent, the deficiencies being an exaggerated weld line and closed hatch covers. But the complex shape of the Jumbo turret is correctly rendered. The difficulty in modeling this turret (and the T23 turret in general) is that the widest part of the bottom part of the turret is wider than, and more forward than, the widest part of the turret roof. When kit designers look at scale plans of the tank, this oddity of shape is not readily apparent from looking straight down at the top of the tank. See here:

It will be easy enough to enhance the details on the turret, replacing some items, improving others in situ. I can see two different paths forward with this set of two models: 1) use the turrets to replace the poorly-shaped turrets in other Jumbo kits/conversion sets, and use the hulls for other M4A3 projects, or 2) modify the hull to represent an accurate Jumbo Sherman hull, which wouldn't be overly difficult, only time consuming. One would have to scrape off all of the surface details on the front glacis plate, cut add-on armor plates to shape for the hull front and sides, and glue them into place. You would need to source some lift rings and gun travel lock from your spare parts box. The most difficult part of the conversion would be thickening the armor on the nose piece, which would take some modeling putty and sculpting to get the correct shape. To be fair, many of the other Jumbo kits/conversions that are available also lack this up-armored nose piece.

And of course the sprocket wheels and tracks would need replacement as well. T48 rubber chevron track with extended end connectors would need to be sourced, which are not commonly available to us. The most common sprocket design on Jumbos was the solid, "D47366 economy" type, though I've seen at least one photo of a Jumbo with "forged D47366" style.

Markings

Three marking options are included, two with the 3rd Armored Division, and one unknown, all in 1945. The two from 3rd AD are not labeled entirely correct. One is labeled as being from the 32nd Tank Battalion, and the other from the 33rd Tank Battalion, when that should read the 32nd and 33rd Armored Regiments respectively. Although, looking closely at the decal sheet, there are bumper codes only for the 33rd Armored Regiment, and the label in the instructions for the other tank says "32rd Tank Battalion" (sic), so I'm thinking that's a typo, and they both are meant to be the 33rd. Markings are very plain, with only white stars, one set of bumper codes, and four sets of serial numbers. The serial number shown for the tank described as being with the "32rd" Regiment (Battalion) has an extra digit in it, and should read "3082929", not "30822929". Note that the photograph I have seen of this tank shows that the white star on the turret has been almost completely covered with paint(?) dirt(?) and is barely visible.

Two complete kits are included in the box.

Back to M4A3 Kit List

Back to Table of Contents