Cookie Sewell did an article several years ago about converting a Sherman to a Kelly's Heroes version. I've always wanted to do that tank and with Jaguar's Oddball and crew, it gave me the incentive to build it. If I can find a way to post the article I will, but basically it comes down to the following: The Shemans were wet-storage 75mm M4A3's, with 47 degree glacis plate, late cate transmission housing, and late style driver's hatches. The turret was fitted with the M34A1 mantlet, commander's vision cupola, and oval loaders hatch. In Cookie's article, he recommended the Tamiya hull with optional turret found in DML's Hybrid Firefly, but I think that maybe the Tamiya Turret can be used also. Other modifications needed are: Gun Barrel: 76mm M1A2 (threaded for but not fitted with muzzle brake. Jordi Rubio makes this barrel. Turret: 3 spare track links on the right turret side and a single spare track link on the left turret side as wall as the loudspeaker. Turret Machine Gun: this is the Air Cooled .50 with ammo stacked in the amunition tray without ammo box. This .50 cal gun was mostly found on aircraft andLRDG/SAS vehicles instaed of the normal .50 M2HB gun. There's only 2 company's I found that have this gun. One is Arms Pack SAS jeep armament, which I was lucky to find as it's out of production and Verlindens SAS Jeep conversion set. Hull: The vehicle had the extended fenders at the front and rear for sandshields that were not fitted. the mounting brackets on the rear hull plate for spare track links are missing and an extra radio antenna is fitted to the hull, just behind and to the right of the assistant driver's hatch Tracks: Standard metal cheveron without extended end connectors (T54E1 track) available from DML Running Gear: wheels and idler are the solid spoked type and the volutes feature the upswept return roller mountings. The Drive Sprocket is the solid type.

Thanks for that most informative rundown Swampfox!!! Hmmm...now do I really want to spend that $$$ on Jaguars Oddball crew??!!...of course.

Hey Swamp, Can I cut and paste your post to the sherman page?

Last time I checked, Bridgetown Hobbies in Portland, OR, had a set of the Oddball Tank Crew in the figures case. I thought about buying them, but the $$$ are steep and my guess is they're still there. Dial 503-234-1881 to check. The guys that I want are Kelly & the Entrepreneurs, the companion set that has Kelly, Oddball, and Big Joe in the street as they do the OK Corral thing and approach the Tiger. Yes, Oddball's right hand is hanging akimbo just off the holster, and the .45 is cocked just so in it for a fast draw...just like the movie. Greg

You're welcome to do that if you want, but I'm gonna try and see about submitting the full article on the site. There were some things I left out, namely the info on markings. At one I was also looking at doing a Kelly's Heroes Tiger conversion. I was foolish to think I could possibly mate the old Tamiya tiger I to an old Tamiya T-34, but looking at pics of the tank I see that it's not that easy. The Kelly's Heroes Tiger has the Turret sitting way too far forward, since it is based on the T-34. To make the tiger, you have to scratchbuild the entire tiger upper hull onto a T-34 lower hull.

Just an addition to the kit mix--I think Cookie's article referred to the discontinued Tamiya 35122 Sherman kit. The newer 35250 kit has a turret with the oval loader's hatch, just as the DML Firefly Hybrid. I think the Tamiya turret is probably better dimensionally. The new Tamiya Sherman also offers the commander's vision cupola; I'm not sure about the older kit since I don't have one. The sprocket is fine from the kit, but the idlers and roadwheels lack detail on the reverse side. I'd swipe those from an Academy kit if you've got one; or get replacements from somebody like Accurate Armour. Greg

The original Tamiya M4A3 did have an oval loader's hatch; however it is molded in the closed position. Also the commander's cupola of the old M4A3 has the option of the split hatch or the vision block cupola.

Ah....The new one also offers both cupolas, but the loader's hatch is separate and can be posed open. Nice, that; the fellow wearing the fez would fit well in there. Got to build me one of these M4A3E4 Oddball Shermans someday. After the Jumbo, three different Fireflies, an Achilles, an M51 Isherman, an M12 GMC, an M50 Super Sherman, an M32, a Dragon Wagon The USMC M4A2 with the just purchased tankette on top....Geez, guys, I've spent a helluva lotta $$$ since starting armor again last Thanksgiving. This doesn't even touch the resin hulls, turrets, accessories, metal barrels, figures. I've got it bad! Greg

I was just looking through the pics on the link listed for the Kelly's Heroes Sherman and and also my dvd of the movie,comparing them to my previous post on Cookie's article on converting a Sherman. Well, Typical of Hollywood and thier lack of concern for continuity, I found some interesting discrepencies. Comparing the pics to the article I found the following: 1.Cookie state the Commander's Machine gun should be the air-cooled .50 cal as were fitted on A/C, not the .50 M2HB. But in the movie there are some scenes, when they're coming out of the tunnel attacking the German Installation that Oddball's tank goes from having the machine gun that Cookie stated to the typical M2HB and then back again. http://www.salt6.addr.com/Kelly/PDVD_033.jpg http://www.salt6.addr.com/Kelly/PDVD_043.jpg 2.also when Oddball is showing his Sherman's to Kelly, his tank has the loudspeaker mounted on the "Left" side of the turret, while later on we see it mounted on the "Right" side of the turret as stated in the article. http://www.salt6.addr.com/Kelly/PDVD_002.jpg http://www.salt6.addr.com/Kelly/PDVD_044.jpg Of Course these are minor points but depending on what scene you may want to depict from the movie would dictate how the Sherman should look. Another point on my part is the color of the tanks, if they are supposed to be Olive Drab, they are a very faded Olive Drab, in keeping with Oddball's comment about making thier tanks look like they're in need of a well deserved R&R.