Chiefs 1/48 Tamiya British Sherman Ic Firefly

[chief5437]

Hi guys here's my next entry to the D-Day GB. Tamiyas 1/48 Firefly, one of the kits I got from Ozzie (cheers dude!)



Sprues and destructions



Comes with a cast metal hull, to give it a bit of weight. Sprues all look good, no flash, EPMs are all in hidden spots, so no clean up required. Typical Tamiya excellence! I'm not expecting any issues with this, but you never know til the build starts, lol!

See you next time!

[Willem]

There's still 2 and a half months left, Chief. You've got time to build your very own armoured division.

[chief5437]

There's still 2 and a half months left, Chief. You've got time to build your very own armoured division.

Lol! Now there's an idea!

[chief5437]

Right then, first update! I've found a flaw in Tamiyas 1/48 kits..... They build too quick!

As expected, no fit issues. All done in a few hours!


I've left the outer suspension arms off, so I can paint the base coat, then add the wheels, then add the outers. I hate painting wheels when they're fitted!

Primed and pre shaded.


That's all for now, sorry for the lack of pics, but I'm having real problems uploading to photobucket!

Thanks for looking guys

[Rob]

Super quick! Looks great

[chief5437]

Cheers Rob! It built up very fast!

Base coats are on, ready for some detail painting. Upper hull and turret are just dry fitted for now.



Cheers guys

[chief5437]

Clear coat is drying, so time for some education. Pin your ears back, lol!

A bit about the Firefly.

The Sherman Firefly was a Second World War British variant of the American Sherman tank, fitted with the powerful 3-inch (76.2 mm) calibre British 17-pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon. Originally conceived as a stopgap until future British tank designs came into service, the Sherman Firefly became the most common vehicle with the 17-pounder in the war.

Though the British expected to have their own new tank models developed soon, British Major George Brighty championed the already-rejected idea of mounting the 17-pounder in the existing Sherman. With the help of Lieutenant Colonel Witheridge and despite official disapproval, he managed to get the concept accepted. This proved fortunate, as both the Challenger and Cromwell tank designs experienced difficulties and delays.

After the problem of getting the gun to fit in the Sherman's turret was solved, the Firefly was put into production in early 1944, in time to equip Field Marshal Montgomery's forces for the Normandy landings. It soon became highly valued as the only British tank capable of defeating the Panther and Tiger tanks it faced in Normandy at standard combat ranges. In recognition of this, German tank and anti-tank gun crews were instructed to attack Fireflies first. Between 2,100 and 2,200 were manufactured before production wound down in 1945.



Some history of Firefly action in Normandy.

Normandy
Fireflies were introduced to armoured brigades and divisions in the 21st Army Group in 1944, just in time for the Normandy landings. The timing was fortunate as the Allies discovered that the Germans were fielding a much larger number of formidable tanks, such as the Panther, than had been expected in the Normandy theatre. In fact, the Allies had mistakenly assumed the Panther, like the Tiger, would be a rare heavy tank with a limited production run, rather than a total replacement for their medium tanks, and the larger-than-expected number of Panthers came as a nasty shock to the Allied commanders as well as the tank crews forced to engage them with guns that could not penetrate the frontal armour at anything other than short range.

Ken Tout, who served as a tank gunner and tank commander in the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in Normandy in 1944, described the effect of mounting a 17-pounder in the Sherman:

"The Firefly tank is an ordinary Sherman but, in order to accommodate the immense breech of the 17-pounder and to store its massive shells, the co-driver has been eliminated and his little den has been used as storage space. ... The flash is so brilliant that both gunner and commander need to blink at the moment of firing. Otherwise they will be blinded for so long that they will not see the shot hit the target. The muzzle flash spurts out so much flame that, after a shot or two, the hedge or undergrowth in front of the tank is likely to start burning. When moving, the gun's overlap in front or, if traversed, to the side is so long that driver, gunner and commander have to be constantly alert to avoid wrapping the barrel around some apparently distant tree, defenceless lamp-post or inoffensive house"

Fireflies were deployed as one tank per troop of Cromwell or Sherman tanks. The deployment with Cromwell troops made servicing and supply of those units more complex. The Firefly was also slower than the Cromwell.


Panthers and Tigers accounted for only 30% of the 2,300 German tanks deployed in Normandy; the rest being Panzer IVs, Sturmgeschütz IIIs and other tanks that the 75 mm gun Shermans were able to effectively handle. However, the importance of Caen and Montgomery's operations, which pinned German armoured forces in front of the British positions so the American units could break out to the west, meant that British and Commonwealth units had to face over 70% of all German armour deployed during the Battle of Normandy, as well as over half of the elite, well-equipped Waffen-SS Panzer units. As a result, the Sherman Firefly was perhaps the most valued tank by British and Commonwealth commanders, as it was the only tank in the British Army able to effectively defeat the Panthers and Tigers at the standard combat ranges in Normandy.

This fact did not go unnoticed by the Germans, who realized that these long-barrel Shermans posed a much greater threat to their heavy tanks than the normal Shermans, and German tank crews and anti-tank gun crews were instructed to eliminate Fireflies first. Similarly, the Firefly crews realized that the distinctive long barrel of their 17-pounder gun made the Firefly stand out from standard Shermans, so crews attempted to disguise their tanks to reduce the likelihood of being targeted. Some crews had the front half of the gun barrel painted white on the bottom and dark green or the original olive drab on the top to give the illusion of a shorter gun barrel. Another suggestion was for a shorter wooden dummy gun to be mounted on the rear of the turret and point forward; however, this tactic does not appear to have been used in service.


Despite being a high priority target, Fireflies appear to have had a statistically lower chance of being knocked out than standard Shermans; this was probably due more to how they were employed than to the actual effectiveness of the attempted camouflaging of the long barrel. Given the high value placed on Fireflies, a common tactic was for commanders to reconnoitre the battlefield before a battle to look for good hull down positions. During the battle, Firefly tanks would stay behind in those positions and cover the ordinary Shermans as they pushed forward, eliminating any enemy tanks that revealed themselves when they opened fire on the advancing Shermans and only moving forward when the standard Shermans had secured the area, or when they could no longer cover them from their current position. Similarly, when on the move, troop commanders tended to position Fireflies in the rear to reduce the chance of them being knocked out. However, given the relatively unpredictable nature of battle, this setup was not always practical or possible, and many times, Fireflies were forced to engage enemies in the open where they could be identified.

Despite this, the Firefly's increased firepower was much valued, and during many engagements, the Firefly proved its worth, knocking out Tigers and Panthers at long range, as well as less formidable tanks like the Mark IVs and StuGs.

One example of this increased firepower was displayed by Lt. G. K. Henry's Firefly during the defense of Norrey-en-Bessin on 9 June against an attack by the 3rd Company of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment of the 12th SS Panzer Division. Determined to capture the town in preparation for a larger offensive to drive the British and Canadians back into the sea, Kurt Meyer ordered an attack by 12 Panthers of the 3rd Company and infantry to attack Norrey and drive the Canadians out of the town. The attack got under way at 1300 hours with the Panthers racing to the town at full speed only stopping to fire their guns, they quickly outran their infantry support which was forced to the ground by Allied artillery fire. Within 1,000 m (1,100 yd) of the town, nine Shermans of the 1st Hussars opened fire into the advancing Panthers' flanks. Lt. Henry's gunner, Trooper A. Chapman, waited until the Panthers "lined up like ducks in a row" and quickly knocked out five with just six rounds. The attack was repulsed with the loss of seven of the 12 Panthers.

A similar example occurred on 14 June, during Operation Perch. Sgt. Harris of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards, along with three standard Shermans, set up defensive positions along with the infantry after successfully driving out the Germans in the village of Lingèvres, near Tilly-sur-Seulles. Looking through his binoculars, Sgt. Harris spotted two Panthers advancing from the east. He opened fire at a range of 800 metres (870 yd), knocking out the lead Panther with his first shot, and the second Panther with his second. Relocating to a new position on the other side of the town, he spotted another three Panthers approaching from the west. From his well-concealed flanking position, he and his gunner, Trooper Mackillop, eliminated all three with just three rounds. Harris and his gunner had knocked out five Panthers with as many rounds, demonstrating the potency of the Firefly, especially when firing from a defensive position on advancing enemy tanks.

In perhaps their most famous action, Fireflies from A Squadron, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, 33rd Armoured Brigade, A Squadron, the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, and B Squadron, The 144th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps, 33rd Armoured Brigade, ambushed a group of four Tiger tanks from the 3rd Company and HQ Company, 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion supported by several Panzer IV tanks and StuG IV assault guns. Tanks of the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry and elements of the 51st (Highland) Division reached the French village of Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil on the morning of 8 August 1944 during Operation Totalize. While B Squadron stayed around the village, A and C Squadrons moved further south into a wood called Delle de la Roque. C Squadron positioned themselves on the east side of the woods and the understrength A Squadron in the southern portion with No. 3 Troop on the western edge of the wood. From this position, they overlooked a large open section of ground and were able to watch as German tanks advanced up Route nationale 158 from the town of Cintheaux. Under strict orders from the troop commander, they held their fire until the German tanks were well within range. Ekins, the gunner of Sergeant Gordon's Sherman Firefly (Velikye Luki - A Squadrons tanks were named after towns in the Soviet Union) had yet to fire his gun in action. With the Tiger tanks in range, the order was given to fire. What followed was an almost 12 minute battle that saw Ekins destroying all three Tigers that No. 3 Troop could see; there were actually seven Tiger tanks in the area heading north along with some other tanks and self-propelled guns. A short time later, the main German counterattack was made in the direction of C Squadron. A Squadron (less Sgt Gordon who had been wounded and had already bailed out of the Firefly) moved over to support them and in the resulting combat, Ekins destroyed a Panzer IV before his tank was hit and the crew were forced to bail out. One of the Tigers Ekins is credited with knocking out was that of Michael Wittmann, though there is still some controversy over whether Ekins really killed Wittman, as Sherman Fireflies of the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment also fired at the Tigers from a closer range of 150 m (160 yd).




The decals I'll be using are for East Riding (my county! ) Yeomanry.
Here's some unit history of the period.

1st East Riding Yeomanry
In March 1940, after training at Tidworth, the 1st Regiment joined the BEF in France as part of 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade, initially the Corps Cavalry to 3 Corps. However, in May the Regiment passed under the command of 48th (South Midland) Division, 44th (Home Counties) Division, Macforce, and finally back to 48th (South Midland) Division. The Regiment was first involved in fighting near Ath, south of Brussels, and then over the next fortnight fought seven rearguard actions before being finally surrounded at Cassel on the night of 29/30 May in the company of 145th Brigade. As rearguard to the Brigade’s breakout, the F echelon was fatally exposed. The remnants of 1ERY (7 officers and 230 men) returned to Tidworth, where the Regiment was brought up to strength by drafts from the 2nd Regiment, before moving onto Bovington to rejoin 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade.

They next deployed to Essex for anti-invasion duties, where it was equipped with Beavettes. When new material became available in Spring 1942, the Regiment reequipped with Covenanter tanks and Honeys, and formed 27th Armoured Brigade, together with the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards (replaced by the Staffordshire Yeomanry, in January 1944) and the 13th/18th Royal Hussars. In April 1943, the Regiment again reequipped, this time with Sherman Duplex Drive tanks.

The training all came to fruition on 6 June 1944, when the Regiment landed on D Day supporting 9th Infantry Brigade in 3rd Division, and for the following fifty days they took part in the bridgehead battles. During this period they also supported 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division.

Because of casualties, 27th Armoured Brigade was broken up on 29 July, and on 16 August the Regiment joined 33rd Armoured Brigade, taking over the petrol MK1 & II Shermans of 148 Regt RAC. The Regiment was now attached to 51st (Highland) Division, for the final Falaise Pocket Battles, the advance to the River Seine, its crossing and the taking of St Valery-en-Caux; after which the Regiment transferred to 49th (West Riding) Division for the Battle of Le Havre.

In October, the Regiment supported 53rd (Welsh) Division, in the Netherlands fighting around 's-Hertogenbosch and the later crossing of the Maas. However, during the winter of 1944, it was hurried away to reinforce the pressure being put on the German "Bulge", and then in January returned to 79th Armoured Division, and re-equipped with Buffalo, to carry the troops of 15th (Scottish) Division, on the assault crossing of the Rhine 15 March. For the last weeks of the war, the Regiment reconverted to Shermans, coming under the command of the Canadian Army clearing the Netherlands. After the war the Regiment was stationed at Laboe (Kiel Estuary) until being placed in ‘suspended animation’ on 7 March 1946.

Brigadier Carver (later Field Marshal Lord Carver) considered The East Riding Yeomanry to be one of the best, if not the best, armoured regiment that he had come across.

East Riding Yeomanry badge


ERY Sherman. (Not a firefly though!) you can see tanks 26 & 25 in the back right, so I'm going to imagine that tank 24 (the tank I'm modelling) is in front of them!


I hope you paid attention, there's a test at the end, lol!

[Willem]

Well yesterday you'd not even put it to paint! Forget the division... make it an armoured corps! Nice bit of history too mate.

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Wait.. w...wha..... What happened?
One moment I was watching the box and admiring sprues of what seems to me a great kit and a great entry,
Blinked my eyes, and the model is put together? It even got his shoes on and is painted!
Think I'm losing my mind now. ... Isn't there any kind of speed limit for building models?

Nah. . Just kidding mate, nice little kit you have there, awesome
Keep it up Chief!

[chief5437]

You crack me up Frans!

[chief5437]

Hey you guys!

Decals are on and sealed. Added a dark green wash.



And tried a little chipping around hatches. Not too much though, didn't want to go ott!
Sorry for crap pic.



Next up a used some 'buff'ish oil to make some dusty streaks.





Then a light mist of Tamiya buff on the lower hull and upper parts of suspension.



Using various brown pigments/pastel dust, I added some fresh mud to the undersides and running gear.





To give the impression of oil/fuel spills I started with some dark brown streaks, sealed that in, then used brown/black pigments, oil wash, and gloss oil wash. My first time trying this, a bit fiddly on 1/48, but a bit more practice is in order!





Then it was just a case of graphite pencil on the tracks, and worn metal spots, and we're done!



To be honest, it looks effing sh!t in this pic, it does (I hope) look better in daylight!!

As I don't really have space for dios at the mo, (need to cull the herd I think!) I'm just going to make a temporary base for this, just to show it trundling through a muddy field. Then I'll give it to my nephew to play with. Ha!

Anyway, thanks for looking, I'll post pics in the reveal section, then I can get back to work on the Panther GB!

[UKguyInUSA]

She looks awesome to me, Chief!

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Jup! To me too!

[rodrant]

Looks very good Chief !

[Nige201980]

Amazing quick stunning work mate.