Tamiya Tank Destroyer Backyard Duel

[Pcomm1]

Got the Tamiya based Sherman M36B1 up and running, well, today. It is an Allied tank destroyer. I built it to better take the fight to my Tamiya Jagdpanther and to all the other big German cats.

A Tamiya Sherman with a 90mm main gun, makes for a 9 hit AFV in our backyard IF battles if the 90mm gun slugging power, vehicle agility – speed are considered winning battle factors. For rc tank club days the TD is a medium 5 hit tank, because it is still a lightly armored Sherman when compared to the bigger – heavier Axis tanks (almost universal infrared fight rules that do not take in to account enough factors).

Weathering next, but first had to run it around a bit and show it off.

I became interested in Allied tank destroyers this year, after a family member sent me a few WWII ETO items and medals that belonged to an uncle who passed long ago. After getting some help identifying his unit insignia, I learned that he fought at the Battle of the Bulge. In Belguim and Germany the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion reported knocking out 68 German armored vehicles including Tigers, Panthers, StuG III Assault Guns, with a loss of 17 M-18’s, during some of the worst tank battles in Western Europe. This uncle commanded both WWII Hellcats and later in Korea commanded Pershings.

Relative to Tamiya tank battles, the M18 Hellcat used the tactic of shoot & scoot; the vehicle was fast enough to get into a firing position, or break-off when necessary and fall back to another position. M-18 units achieved astonishing numbers of tank and other armored vehicle kills in the ETO and it would be great if Tamiya released an 1/16 F/O RC M-18 Hellcat.

My M36B1 tank destroyer rc model is good enough for now, but a scale 1/16 M-18 would be a perfect addition to the infrared battle field, just my 2 cents.

John

[[ICE]monkey]

hi john, great job with the m36, nice to even the sides up
regards, ice

[Pcomm1]

Hi Ice,

I am completely into building WWII ETO German armor and painting camo. The Tigers and Panthers are favorites, but the more I got into Tamiya backyard battles, I realized it was all pretty weak on AFV foe battle concept.

Thus I decided to built a few Allied tanks, so, locally, we all would have something to shoot at. Plus, I was tired of being knocked out so quickly fighting my Sherman Easy 8. I built the M36B1 tank destroyer to help even the odds, if just ever so slightly. Hopefully it will last just a little bit longer in a backyard fight too.

John

[Pcomm1]

A little weathering and shading. It is almost back together now and ready to take on the big backyard cats.

[971wright]

Hi Looks very very nice ,I like the detail you have inside the turret,with the crewman in there and the boxes on the back must be hard to hit the battle unit.


regards pete

[xrad]

Nice! Keep the tanker in front of the IR receiver and continue your streak of 'NO frontal hits'!

[Pcomm1]

Thank you.

Any compatible battle unit tank can score hits quite easily on this TD with or with out the soldier figure; scale ammo boxes on the deck; or the TBU sitting low (it is height adjustable).

Do your own testing and you will discover not much will stop that infrared beam.

Plus at night, even in the optional low position, the TBU receiver unit, when hit, lights up the interior of the turret like a Christmas tree, even though the four TBU lights are below the turret top lip. You can see the turret glow for almost 1000 miles in any direction.

Great fun if you aren't fighting this tank destroyer, so my Jagdpanther remains my favorite.

John

[Pcomm1]

And if fussy club guys don't like the TD, then I'd battle the Sherman Easy 8, Jiving Joan II (two tops, one chassis is the build concept).

Some weathering work on the Sherman Easy 8 which shares with the M38B1 TD's; the chassis – lower hull and the DMD Units etc.

John

[BREL]

good idea on the two hull top concept

[971wright]

Hi Ive been thinking along these lines differnt uppers on one hull (most of the cost in a upgrade is in the lower hull),I like the paint on the easy 8 again dam good job,top marks again.


regards pete