"Figuring out the PSC M4A2 Sherman?" Topic

I grabbed a bunch of Plastic Soldier Company M4A2 and plan to use half of them as Soviet lend-lease tanks and the other half for Commonwealth/UK forces in Italy (i.e. the Sherman III). However, I cannot quite figure out this kit… Here is the only sheet that comes with the box, showing the sprue:

A number of questions emerge:

1) The sprue map doesn't indicate what colour the "red" tank (75mm wide mantlet) uses, but I am guessing it is just the same as the green turret (only using the wide mantlet gun). Is that right?

2) The sprue map indicates the red (single door) hatch should go with the 75mm wide mantlet tank, but the image on the right shows the green (double door) hatch on the tank instead and has the single door hatch on the 76mm model. I guess the 75mm variants all used double door hatches and the 76mm variant had two hatch entrances (one double and one single door). Is that right?

3) The sprue map and example suggests that the sand skirts should be put on the 75mm wide mantlet variant, but as far as I understand these skirts were only used in Africa (and were not limited to particular Sherman variants over others). I should leave them off for lend-lease M4A2's in Russia and Italy, correct?

4) There are two versions of the lower front hull transmission assembly armor: one with a pair of parallel riveted vertical ribs and one without. Which should I use on which models and in which theaters? I have perused a few photos and it seems like all of the 76mm M4A2's used the smooth lower hull while the 75mm M4A2's (both wide and thin mantlet) could be found with either type of transmission assembly cover in Italy. I have yet to see an M4A2 Emcha in Russia with the ribbed lower hull armour, so I am guessing the Soviets only used the smooth transmission cover type. Is that correct?

5) As far as I can tell, the Soviets got 75mm and 76mm Emchas in equal numbers. If this is true, did the Soviets receive and deploy both 75mm and 76mm gun vehicles at the same time, or did the 75mm vehicles come first with a gradual replacement for 76mm (as you see with the Western Allied forces use of Shermans)? Also, all of the historical photos I have found seem to suggest that the 75mm vehicles were all the wide mantlet type. Is this correct?

Thanks for any help!

that all tracks

The hull is wrong for a 76mm M4A2.

I've built a few, but it's been awhile. As to your questions, this site has a lot of info about the various Shermans used in the war, by US, Allies and Soviets:

link

Mike

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I found this site as well which is quite detailed: link

About a third of the way down the page, Sherman III in Italy are discussed. About two-thirds down the page, Soviet Emchas are discussed. The Italy pictures show that the various lower hulls (i.e. with the single-cast smooth differential cover or the three piece riveted differential cover) were mixed freely with the two mantlet types (narrow and wide). I'll take that as my cue to be at liberty when building my Sherman III's for Italy. The Soviet section suggests that the Soviets only received the smooth lower hull types:

"a consistent appearance typified by the use of 1-piece differential housings"

Soviet Emcha mantlets appear to be a mix of wide and narrow, but I am guessing that wide mantlets predominated by the end of the war (just a guess).