Introduction:
Most armies involved in the World War II adopted some form of improvised armor for their tanks at some point. Many US tanks had spare track links attached to them, as well as other forms of improvised armor including sandbags, wooden logs, tree trunks, armor plating from other destroyed or abandoned tanks and even a thick layer of concrete. Concrete was usually added to the tank front glacis to protect the driver from antitank rifle fire.
Review:
The set comes packed in a hard cardboard box. The front of the box features an image showing the contents of the set and states the set is designed for 1/35 scale M4A3 kits. DEF Model website specifies the set is designed for M4A3 from Zvezda (#3676), but that it can be fixed to most other M4A3 kits as well.
The box contains a zip-lock bag with 3 pieces cast in grey resin.
Closer inspection confirmed a superb cast, with no imperfections in the resin whatsoever. However, the large resin part of the front armor suffered some damage in the transport… two delicate “fingers” of the travel lock scissors jaw broke off. I managed to find these tiny pieces in the zip-lock bag and fix them back on.
The details are nicely defined, sharp and clean. The texture of the concrete is well reproduced, depicting a quick field modification over sandbag add-on armor.
Along with the front armor, the set also includes two pieces of stowage, one for each side of the Sherman tank turret. These canvas rolls are also nicely delivered with fine details all around.
The casting blocks are large but easily removed using a rotary tool, side cutters and some sandpaper. After cleaning the blocks, the parts are ready to use.
I can’t comment on the fit of the pieces to the tank model. Being designed for Zvezda’s M4A3 (76) Sherman offering (#3676), DEF Model website shows a perfect fit to that particular model. Fitting the set to other 1/35 scale M4A3 models might require some additional work.
Conclusion:
WWII US M4A3 Sherman Concrete Front Armour (DM35122) from DEF Model offers some additional sandbag/concrete protection for the Sherman front glacis, as well as two turret stowage rolls. Well cast and with nicely defined details, this set is designed to fit Zvezda’s M4A3 (76) Sherman offering (#3676).
Highly recommended.
A big thank you to DEF Model for this review sample:
EDIT: I just had to add two photos from DEF Model website, as I feel these images showcase the set perfectly. Enjoy.
