Dragon 1/72 M4A3 (105mm) w/deep wading kit

The M4 Sherman was the workhorse of the U.S. Army tank fleet during WWII, even though it was the British who were the first to use the Sherman tank in combat. The USA had employed the earlier M4 and M4A1 variants in North Africa and the Mediterranean before the M4A3 began to take over as the dominant tank in the U.S. Army. The M4A3 had a welded hull and was powered by a 500hp Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine. Thanks in part to its 105mm gun, it  was the preferred variant in American service.

In order to survive the surf from landing ship to beach, a set of large snorkels were attached to the engine intake and exhaust. The rest of the various hatches and openings were also sealed to keep out water. This made up the Deep Wading Kit that was soon removed once the tank was in the clear.

Dragon's 1/72 M4A3 is no stranger to 1/72 Sherman fans. Probably the best detailed Sherman line on the market, this one has the large intake and exhaust snorkels made of etched brass. This thin material duplicates the sheet metal used for these items.

The rest of the tank is typical of Dragon's line of 1/72 tanks. An inspection of the sprues shows them to be practically flawless. They are packaged separately so there is no sprue rub or parts missing from trees. As you would imagine, there are parts that are not used on this variant as the Sherman went through a number of detail changes through its life-span. Dragon's excellent DS tracks are part of this package as well. If you have never used them you are very much in for a treat as you can paint and glue them just like standard styrene plastic.  

Instructions are Dragon's nicely done color versions with Gunze and Model Master paint references. There are markings for two nearly identical tanks in overall Olive Drab. One is from the 7th Armored Division while the other is from the 3rd Armored Division. The small decal sheet is well printed and should work just fine.  

Always nice to see a  new Sherman kit and the inclusion of the deep wading option is one that shouldn't be missed.