ARM: Review - DML 1/35 scale Sexton II with CDP tracks

Cookie, this is a repeat of the DML 1/35 scale leFH 18/40 with Crew review, and not the Sexton :)

GRRR - hate it when cut and paste does neither one!

*** Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale '39-'45 Series Kit No. 6793; S exton II with CDP Tracks (Canadian Dry Pin Tracks)- Smart Kit; 514 parts (5 00 in grey styrene, 10 etched brass, 4 DS Plastic Track runs); pre-order pr ice US$54.99 via Dragon USA Online

Advantages: nice alternative to the first kit of this vehicle in styrene; m akes use of proven components from previous DML M4 medium tank kits

Disadvantages: unsure if this is a WWII era vehicle or not (see text)

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: for all Commonwealth "gonners"

As I noted when the first Sexton kit was released in December 2012, while the US had provided the American M7 105mm HMC ("Priest") to the Commonwealt h forces, it was not popular due to the fact that 105mm was not a standard British caliber and they preferred the 25-pdr gun/howitzer as a standardize d weapons system. So experiments were carried out to adopt the same concept and layout of the M7 Priest to use the 25 pounder on a Canadian Ram chassi s (basically the same M3 chassis used for the M7).

The new hull incorporated British design concepts (driver on the right, no t the left) and fittings to include British radio sets and mountings for Br en light machine guns vice the "pulpit" for the M2 .50 caliber which had gi ven the Priest its nickname. Keeping in the same line (showing a good sense of humor!) the new gun was nicknamed the Sexton. Production began at the M ontreal Locomotive Works (Canadian branch of the famous ALCO works, who bui lt medium tanks in the US) in late 1943 and provided some 2,150 self-propel led guns to the Commonwealth forces. Easy to service and maintain, they rem ained in service into the 1960s with some Commonwealth forces.

While the directions offer the hallmarks of a very late production vehicle - "upswept" trailing bogies with "spoked" welded road wheels, "solid" driv ers, welded idlers, cargo rails on either side of the engine deck, the kit does provide for the earlier "flat" return roller M4 style bogies, the note d CDP tracks with correct pattern drivers, and other detail differences.

I am no expert on Sextons, but it would appear if this kit has some late-m odel features they can be removed with relative ease to backdate the vehicl e to anyone from production serial number 126 onward. These apparently incl ude the stowage bins at the rear of the hull which were added during the pr oduction cycle but are not seen on all wartime Sextons. Also, there are no Bren guns provided for the hull even though the mount bases are present.

The model uses the hull from a DML M4 early production version with binnin g molded onto the floor. The kit also comes with the large sprues for the M

4 generic suspension with different styles of wheels and "flat" bogies plus the add-on sprues for the "spoked" wheels and "upswept" bogies. The DS Pla stic tracks are two-piece runs in this kit, which may make them easier to s horten than some of the one-piece runs. Unlike the helpful hints in their 1 /72 scale kits DML does not tell you how long they have to be to give a tig ht but correct fit, so the modeler will have to trial and error (these usua lly run a bit long and have to be shortened, but as the plastic can be ceme nted together with styrene cement it usually is not difficult to fix).

The basic parts for the 25-pounder come on one sprue from the Mark II kit and on one of the Sexton sprues, and while all styrene they look quite serv iceable.

The interior parts are fairly complete, but the ammunition lockers in the right rear section of the open hull come closed so "in action" posing will take some scratchbuilding or after-market bits.

A considerable amount of detailing is provided for the engine deck, such a s all of the pioneer tools (more than on a regular tank), cable reels, stow age boxes, and etched brass strapping and engine air intake. This is over a very shallow spot on the engine deck, and some modelers may wish to open i t up to provide greater depth.

Design credit goes to Hirohisa Takada, but I know several others also part icipated in the research and design work on these kits.

Four finishing options are provided: 86th Field Regiment (SP) RA (Hertford shire Yeomanry), 2nd Army, Northwest Europe 1945 (S233996, white stars, fla sh number 147, Bc); 5th Field Regiment (SP) RHA, 7th Armoured Division, Nor thwest Europe 1945 (S234682, flash 76, red jerboa, Hh); 1st Artillery Regim ent, Motorized, 1st Polish Armoured Division, France 1944 (S234087, black a nd green camouflage, white stars); 23rd Field Regiment (SP) RCA, 4th Canadi an Armoured Division, Northwest Europe 1945 (CS234155, flash 76, A7, "Roger "). Markings are on a nicely done Cartograf sheet.

Overall this is a bit nicer kit than the first Sexton offering and gives m ore flexibility for making a wartime vehicle.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell

Sprue Layout:

A 22 Sexton - hull and internal details B 84 Sexton - interior parts, driver's position, shields and details B 54 M7 Priest - transmission cover, transmission, internal components C 40 Sexton - 25-pdr barrel, internal and external details C 30 M4A1 DV - rear hull plate, doors, details C 24 25-pdr Mk II - cradle, breech, recoil mechanism D 19 M4 - "lifted" bogies, spoke wheels, CDP drivers R 30 M4 PTO - transmission cover, final drives, hatches, details V 98x2 M4 - all-in-one VVSS basic suspension components (plus 24 bolt heads ) X 1 M4 - lower hull pan Z 4 DS Plastic Canadian Dry Pin tracks MA 20 Etched brass