KELLY'S HEROES SHERMAN

Mr Plastic@build models.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I saved this from Cookie a while back. It talks about 1/35 kits but the detail is excellent. Been thinkin' the same thing tho with all the new Shermies showing up.

Frank

**** I hope someone has information about the Shermans used in the movie "Kelly's Heroes", especially the one with loudspeaker (Oddball's). I want to know the type of hull and turret and other characteristics.

If someone has pictures I wish to get them mailed.

After reading your request, I fast-forwarded through the movie and made some quick notes. Here you go!

The Shermans used in the movie were wet-stowage 75mm M4A3s, with 47 degree glacis plate, late cast transmission housing, and late-style driver's hatches (Tamiya's hull is, in my humble opinion, the best available).

The turrets were fitted with the M34A1 mantlet, commander's vision cupola, and oval loader's hatch (the DML turret included as an option in the Hybrid Firefly kit is probably the best one out there). Additionally, these vehicles were refitted (as were some Pakistani Shermans; see New Vanguard

1) with a 76mm M1A2 gun (threaded for but not fitted with a muzzle brake; a turned aluminum version is available from Tank Workshop) in the original 75mm turret. On the right side of the turret are three spare track links, while the left side of the turret mounts the loudspeaker and a single spare track link.

The .50 fitted to the turret is unusual in a few respects: the ammunition is simply stacked into the ammunition tray (i.e., without ammo box), while the gun itself is a .50 air-cooled (as fitted to most WW2 aircraft and LRDG/SAS vehicles) instead of the common .50 M2HB (Heavy Barrel). Collector's Brass makes this weapon in this configuration, I believe.

The tracks are standard metal chevron types without extended end connectors (T54E1, available from DML), while the wheels and idler are the "solid spoke" type (available from Tamiya and DML), and the volutes feature the upswept return roller mountings. The drive sprocket is, for want of a better description, the "solid" type (look at the two different types included in Italeri and DML kits to see what I mean; in Italeri kits, the correct part number is 15, while in DML kits it's D15).

The vehicle has extended fenders at the front and rear, as seen when these vehicles are fitted with sandshields, but the sandshields themselves are not fitted. The mounting brackets on the rear hull plate for spare track links are missing on these vehicles. Also, an extra radio antenna is fitted to the hull, just behind and to the right of the assistant driver's hatch (I believe where the air vent is usually fitted).

The markings on Oddball's Sherman are as follows:

1. a mid-sized white star in the center of the transmission housing;
2. white stars on the hull sides, under the turret;
3. a small white star on the right rear fender;
4. the codes "USA 301104" on the hull sides aft (as standard on most WW2 US tanks), as well as "USA 301104" on the left rear fender, with "USA" above and "301104" below.

No other markings were visible (although there may be a star on the engine deck or turret roof, it's not apparent in the movie). The patch on Oddball's jacket, by the way, is for the 6th Armored Division, although standard US divisional codes are not visible on the vehicle.

Incidentally, one of the other Shermans appears to have been fitted with a loudspeaker on the right side (as seen when Kelly is first introduced to the tanks), while the other did not seem to be fitted with one.

Were I building this, I would use the hull from the Tamiya M4A3 kit, and just about everything else (turret, suspension, tracks, and anything else that seems superior in the DML kit) from the DML Composite Firefly. You could quite easily build a Sherman Firefly with all of the leftover pieces.

I hope this is of some use, since I consider this a most worthy modeling project.. Sorry, but I don't have any pictures.

Good luck!

Collectors Brass makes a 1/35th scale 50 Cal. with open ammo tray & ammo belt which they offer "as seen on Oddballs Sherman".

Any idea what drugs he was on?

All of them.

Postive waves, man, postive waves - and a little bread and wine...

Cookie Sewell

(As "I've been workin' on the railroad" plays softly in the background)....IMHO, Oddball was one of the best characters in the whole movie, and so was McLeod(sp?) as one of his crew.

Hmm....Diorama idea for someone.....Oddball's tank making *pretty pictures* with those paint filled shells....Just the thought of that makes me laugh....

I'll bite -- black market morphine? Wait and there'll probably be a resin or PE set of it available. ;-)

WmB

If I remember the movie, they said that he smacked his head and was acting wierd ever since.

-- John The history of things that didn't happen has never been written. . - - - Henry Kissinger

"Eric Ferguson" wrote in news:MYPKd.24513$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com:

That's what I'm gonna do with my old Tamiya Tiger. Have it stuck up a narrow lane with a wrecked wall on one side and tree on the other. Paint all over the back. Odball's Sherman behind him.

OK, what was the Gavin McCleod character's excuse? Moriarty was it?

WmB

Nah, couldn't be right - smack wasn't available back then, was it?

RobG

19th century invention. cure for morphene addiction. morphene was invented as a cure for opium addiction. duh.......

Yes, that's right on his character, not sure on his excuse...lol. Mike G.

"Negative waves, Moriarity, always with the negative waves..."

Cookie Sewell

Ahh...

everything I had to know, I heard it on my radio....

Or this ng (:

RobG

and opium was a treatment for headaches...

showing up.

Thanks for the cool info...... I'll put it to good use.

Mr Plastic@build models.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Between the existing Sherman kits, the new Extratech kits and the aftermarket folks (see

for everything you ever wanted to know about 1/72 armor, he lists the aftermarket folks who do a lot for Shermies like Fine Scale Factory and MR Modellbau among many with links) I think it is probably possible to fairly easily do an Oddball's Sherman or pretty dang close anyway. Future project for me, too. There is an article by the site owner on Sherman kits and aftermarket that is rather extensive.

Please note the Tigers (well that's what they are supposed to be) lack zimmerit. Not quite sure when the movie takes place exactly (fall of '44?) so the Tigers should still have it. You could use up your cheesy Hase Tigers or go with the Revell or Dragon ones.

From the imdb:

"The "Tiger" tanks used in the film were actually Russian T-34 tanks which had been specially modified to look like Tiger tanks. This is apparent when you look at the suspension of the tanks (T-34s used a modified Christie suspension, whereas the Tigers' wheels were much more elaborate.)"

The hull and turret are pretty convincing, but there is no way that they could modify the running gear. It's most obvious when the battle in the village takea place and the Tigers are dashing about.

The film was shot in Yugoslavia, because they still had some Sherman's in service. So Oddball's Sherman is going to be based on whatever the Yugoslav's had in 1970.

Written by Troy Kennedy Martin, whose other famous film involves a bunch of strange characters and a whacky caper to rob a bank of a large number of gold bars. Its name? The Italian Job! Play spot-the-similarities...

Alan Dicey wrote in news:420109b4$0$45193$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net:

That's why I think the best diorama possibility is the alley where Oddball shoots the Tiger in ass with paint first. I'm gonna get a copy of the movie on DVD so I can look at the scenes carefully, but I'm pretty sure you can hide the suspension with the wall on one side and the building on the other.