"How would you make Oddball's tank in 28 mm?" Topic

I have just finished assembling a Warlord/ Italeri plastic M4 Sherman. First off what a nice and easy plastic kit to assemble. I have added some boxes and bags to give the tank that lived in look prior to priming. Now I would not use this tank for Oddball's tanks as in the movie Kelly's Heroes; however, while working on this kit it got me thinking I would love to do just that, create Oddball's tank for a 28 mm game. I have the really nice Aritzan figure of Kelly, Oddball, and Big Joe. Why not have the tank as well?

So what version of the Sherman was in the movie? Was it a M4A3/76? To me the most challenging item to make would be the loud speakers. How would you go about doing that addition. Thoughts?

Kim

For loudspeakers, try a model railroad supply source such as Walther's. You'll want O scale speakers although they may be a tad big.

Jim

It was an M4A3(W) with a 76mm mounted in a standard 75mm turret with a Commander's cupola. The 3rd Army actually considered doing this but the standard M4A3(w)76s became available. This conversion kit exists but it's in 1/35th,

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Hobby Boss do an M4A3 with the 75mm gun in 1/48th scale. It shouldn't be hard to convert it to mount a 76mm gun tube. Especially as the gun wouldn't have a muzzle break.

That is a great idea Rrobbyrobot only all my 28 mm vehicles are 1/56 scale so the 1/48 would look HUGE with the rest of my stuff. I will look into the railroad modeling angle. In the end I might have to scratch build something if I can find the right materials.

As mentioned above, my first thought is model railroad or doll house accessories.

To actually scratch it you would need;

An M4A3 "donor kit"

The late "75mm" turret with a commander's cupola (note, not the T-23 turret that was standard on M4A3(W) 76mm tanks.) It also needs the (IIRC) M43 mantlet present on late Shermans. If it has the cupola it will have this mantlet.

A 76mm gun tube without muzzle break (these were found on earlier 76mm mounted vehicles.

A .50 caliber with a full barrel length perforated cooling jacket (the USAAF's version of the M2)

And the speaker

It's my guess that the hardest things to find will be the turret and the speaker. I'm not familiar with 1/56th scale kits but if someone makes a late war Sherman 105 it may have the cupola and would solve a bunch of your problems.

Gonna need a driver in a fez…

He didn't have a 76mm gun. He had a regular 75 with a big tube or pipe slid over the barrel. He said it looked like a 76. So I'd make the regular 75 and then get a piece of plastic tubing and slide it over the barrel.

Oh and definitely, the driver needs a fez!

You Tube Link:

Odd Ball talking about his tanks.

YouTube link

Yep from the Youtube link he states it is a 76 and that the pipe over fit is to make it look like a 90 mm.

Don't forget paint splashes for hits from it

The movie used M4A4 Shermans. A post war conversion of standard M4 75 tanks with a 76mm gun, done with Korea in mind but never used. Sold off to many countries, including Yugoslavia where the movie was filmed.
Just replace the 75mm gun barrel with a 76mm gun. The speaker is the hard part.

For the loudspeaker, it's model railroading again (or maybe dollhouses) and think old industrial or institutional lampshades.

I have no idea which scale will match, and they can be a bit pricey to get a pack of the ones with actual illumination to be discarded, but some may be the approximate shape.

Off topic a bit, it just now occurs to me, what sort of audio equipment would a WWII tank crew have available that could produce quality sound while in motion?

[Edit: It seems reel to reel tape recorders were in the process of being developed, but still, inside a Sherman?]

I'm sorry but it isn't an M4A4. M4A4s all had the 3 piece transmission housing, early glacis plate and grouser hoods at the rear. No M4A4s were made with the "wet" hull, noted by the late glacis plate and the larger hull hatches. Photos from the movie clearly show M4A3s. You can easily tell by the armored exhaust reflectors. These are M4A3 (W) "big hatch" hulls.

Another consideration is that the loudspeaker is on the starboard side of the main gun when Kelly first sees it. But it's on the port side coming out of the railway tunnel playing All for the Love of Sunshine.

* sigh *

Rivet counters and movie continuity. This is a fun place to be.

If you're looking for an M4A3 to kit-bash, then why not the Rubicon one?

Rubicon one??? Do tell?

Rubicon M4A3

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