Post by Beekster on Jan 21, 2018 10:53:59 GMT -6
If you are interested in building Shermans, there are several publications that have to be in your reference library. Here are some of the most valuable:
Sherman: A history of the American Medium tank by RP Hunnicutt. This is the Old Testament of Sherman works, a complete developmental history of the whole family of vehicles. A bit dated in some respects, it is still the foundation of Sherman literature.
Son of Sherman Volume One: Sherman design and development by Patrick Stansell and Kurt Laughlin. The New Testament of Sherman works, and truly essential. The authors illustrate the major and minor changes to the Sherman throughout WW2, with numerous drawings showing how each hull type evolved and highlighting differences between factories. This is the ultimate source for detailing a Sherman from any factory on a quarter-by-quarter basis. If you know when the tank you want to model was built, you will find the correct configuration here. Conversely, if you have good images (a memorial survivor, for example) this work will allow you to pin down the factory in virtually all cases and the time period in most of them. While this work does not deal with the TDs, recovery vehicles, prototypes, and other variants (and predecessor vehicles like the M3 series) as Hunnicutt does, the sections on differential covers, wheels, and suspensions are applicable to all those other variants. The details in this work are also very helpful in identifying IDF variants as the Frankenstein creatures that they are, since it is often possible to identify what factory a hull came from and which foundry a turret shell was cast in...even after major alterations like the conversions to M50 and M51.
Sherman Firefly by Mark Hayward. Long out of print, and with a modeling section at the back which is now obsolete, this is still the best work on the development and use of this famous British variant.
Israeli Shermans Second Edition by Tom Gannon. Easily the best single-volume work on IDF Shermans with a wealth of detail on all the gun tank variants used by Israel. He now has companion volumes as well on Israeli Sherman-based self-propelled artillery, for those who want to build an IDF Priest. The more adventurous will find enough photo reference to get you going on an M50 TOMAT howitzer, or an L33 Soltam, or even a Kilshon anti-radiation missile launcher.
Lioness and Lion of the Line series by Robert Manasherob. While the foundation Volume 1 is out of print, this series of books on the development if IDF Shermans is very enlightening, if occasionally somewhat preachy politically and somewhat stilted in translation from Hebrew. There are several volumes on the M1, M50, and M51 that highlight development and operations, including many images of training in the early 1960s. While not combat photos, they give excellent views of the tanks in their operating environment so that your weathering will benefit from that.
Various titles from Concord Publications by Steve Zaloga David Fletcher, and Dennis Oliver. While not essential to understanding the physical features of Shermans, these titles show the tank in its operational environment in WW2. Zaloga covers US operations. Fletcher covers Commonwealth operations, and Sherman units are well covered. Oliver's title British Sherman Tanks has some overlap with Fletcher but is all Sherman.
And then there are the walk-around books from various publishers. All have some value since they focus on details, especially interiors. The Squadron-Signal series are worthwhile, and for Firefly fans the Armor Photogallery #13 on the Sherman Vc and #21 on the Sherman Ic are superb. Though each illustrates some non-wartime features because they illustrate survivors in museums, these are usually noted as such. And if you want to add an interior to your Firefly they are essential.
Sherman: A history of the American Medium tank by RP Hunnicutt. This is the Old Testament of Sherman works, a complete developmental history of the whole family of vehicles. A bit dated in some respects, it is still the foundation of Sherman literature.
Son of Sherman Volume One: Sherman design and development by Patrick Stansell and Kurt Laughlin. The New Testament of Sherman works, and truly essential. The authors illustrate the major and minor changes to the Sherman throughout WW2, with numerous drawings showing how each hull type evolved and highlighting differences between factories. This is the ultimate source for detailing a Sherman from any factory on a quarter-by-quarter basis. If you know when the tank you want to model was built, you will find the correct configuration here. Conversely, if you have good images (a memorial survivor, for example) this work will allow you to pin down the factory in virtually all cases and the time period in most of them. While this work does not deal with the TDs, recovery vehicles, prototypes, and other variants (and predecessor vehicles like the M3 series) as Hunnicutt does, the sections on differential covers, wheels, and suspensions are applicable to all those other variants. The details in this work are also very helpful in identifying IDF variants as the Frankenstein creatures that they are, since it is often possible to identify what factory a hull came from and which foundry a turret shell was cast in...even after major alterations like the conversions to M50 and M51.
Sherman Firefly by Mark Hayward. Long out of print, and with a modeling section at the back which is now obsolete, this is still the best work on the development and use of this famous British variant.
Israeli Shermans Second Edition by Tom Gannon. Easily the best single-volume work on IDF Shermans with a wealth of detail on all the gun tank variants used by Israel. He now has companion volumes as well on Israeli Sherman-based self-propelled artillery, for those who want to build an IDF Priest. The more adventurous will find enough photo reference to get you going on an M50 TOMAT howitzer, or an L33 Soltam, or even a Kilshon anti-radiation missile launcher.
Lioness and Lion of the Line series by Robert Manasherob. While the foundation Volume 1 is out of print, this series of books on the development if IDF Shermans is very enlightening, if occasionally somewhat preachy politically and somewhat stilted in translation from Hebrew. There are several volumes on the M1, M50, and M51 that highlight development and operations, including many images of training in the early 1960s. While not combat photos, they give excellent views of the tanks in their operating environment so that your weathering will benefit from that.
Various titles from Concord Publications by Steve Zaloga David Fletcher, and Dennis Oliver. While not essential to understanding the physical features of Shermans, these titles show the tank in its operational environment in WW2. Zaloga covers US operations. Fletcher covers Commonwealth operations, and Sherman units are well covered. Oliver's title British Sherman Tanks has some overlap with Fletcher but is all Sherman.
And then there are the walk-around books from various publishers. All have some value since they focus on details, especially interiors. The Squadron-Signal series are worthwhile, and for Firefly fans the Armor Photogallery #13 on the Sherman Vc and #21 on the Sherman Ic are superb. Though each illustrates some non-wartime features because they illustrate survivors in museums, these are usually noted as such. And if you want to add an interior to your Firefly they are essential.
