We had an earlier discussion of a pictorial on this same diorama.
My only question … sandbagged shermans on D-Day?
The modelling is quite impressive, but the historical research is less so.
Sandbagging (and rust) are not the only questions.
The choice of Sherman sub-model is not right. M4A3 Shermans did not come ashore on D-Day. The forces that came ashore in the first waves had been assembled in the UK since mid-1943. Their Shermans were M4s and M4A1s. M4A3s did not start arriving in ETO until the fresh follow-up divisions from the States started arriving in August / September time frame.
And the US Army had already replaced the M3 Scout Car by D-Day. M3s had been taken out of the US Army TOEs after the Tunisian campaign, and remitted to lend-lease. US Army units used M8 Armored Cars for recon / cavalry roles, and used M20 Utility Cars for liaison and command roles (and recon in the TD formations). It may well be that random units held on to the odd M3 as a useful "hack" vehicle, so I would not go so far as to say there were none in US Army forces in ETO … but occasionally showing up in ETO is a very different proposition from showing up with the first wave on D-Day. Nope, unless there is evidence that it happened, I'm gonna say it didn't.
But none of that changes the fact that it is impressive modelling.
-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)
checks out the Panthers for D-Day: Germans.
