Asuka Model 1:35 US Medium Tank M4 Composite Sherman Late “Last Chance” • Kit No. 35-049
The box top showing off the model and the sides highlighting all of the new and retooled components featured in the box.
The American M4 Sherman is perhaps the most iconic vehicle of the Second World War. Indeed, many people throughout the world—myself included— picture the tall silhouette of a Sherman when they hear the word “tank.”
First seeing action with the British 8th Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, the M4 Sherman went on to see combat in every theatre of the war, from the harsh deserts of North Africa, the snow-covered battlefields of the Eastern Front, the dense bocage of France, and the sweltering jungles of the Pacific.
All told, the United States’ Arsenal of Democracy produced more than 50,000 M4 Sherman tanks in just three years.
ASUKA’S M4 COMPOSITE IN THE BOX
Luckily for modelers, we are provided with a variety of opportunities to model this American miracle and the one name that stands apart is Asuka Model. Asuka has consistently produced some of the most well-engineered and accurate Sherman kits of numerous variants, and this new boxing of the M4 Composite is no exception.
The variant depicted in this 2021 boxing is what is considered a “composite hull” Sherman, which features the cast front hull seen on the M4A1 joined to welded rear hull (it should be noted that the US Army did not have a separate designation for the 1,676 M4 Composites built between August 1943 and January 1944).
What sets this kit apart from Asuka’s previous M4 Composite boxing is that it features a late “high bustle” turret, shackle pins for the front tow hooks, Chrysler sand skirt mounts, a corrected rear hull plate, and markings for one tank: “Last Chance” of B Company, 762nd Tank Battalion, Saipan 1944.
Opening the box, the modeler is greeted with beautifully moulded Olive Drab sprues including a complete upper hull, one clear sprue featuring lens and periscopes, and four sections of rubber band-style T51 tracks.
While Asuka’s tracks are generally well regarded, I opted for plastic workable tracks from Panda Plastics.
Asuka also supplies the modeller with a two piece plastic barrel, and while it is definitely usable, I replaced it with a metal barrel from DEF Model, along with their resin rotor shield. As is standard with my armour builds, I also replaced the kit machine gun barrels with turned metal barrels from Master Model.
With all of that sorted out, I dove straight into the build!
Everything that goes into the beautiful Asuka bogies. The foam pads are optional in order to keep the suspension workable, otherwise the modeler could add a supplied spacer or simply glue the volute springs in place. Since this is my first Asuka Sherman, I went with the foam pads.