The first in a row of whif with a focus on Uruguay - a rather neglected country with lots of creative potential. The first one is an upgraded Sherman:


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
Uruguay, like several other countries in South America, has been a traditional customer of US military hardware. In Uruguay's case, this first example were 40 M3A1 Stuart light tanks delivered in 1944-1945. In the years following the Second World War and the Korean War, obsolete armored vehicles which were no longer deemed as required for the current situation of the US military were given as military aid to US allies, particularly in Latin America. It was in this context that Uruguay would receive 17 M24 Chaffee light tanks and 12 M4A3E8 Sherman medium tanks in 1957-1958 from American surplus stock.

Deliveries were completed on September 30th, 1958. This was part of the American Military Assistance Program (MAP), under which the US provided military equipment to aligned nations within the context of the Cold War. These tanks did not come from the mainland US but were instead delivered from US Army stocks in Japan and Korea. A considerable number of spare parts were likely delivered along with these, too, as well as in the coming years. Along with the Chaffees and Shermans, Uruguay furthermore received a single Sherman-based M74 Armored Recovery Vehicle.

By the time of the Korean War, the M4 series had evolved into its final form, often referred to as the M4A3E8, and this was the Sherman version that was also delivered to Uruguay. To the Marines in Korea, they were known as the "Old Reliables". Entering service late in the Second World War, this model featured an improved Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS) that replaced the iconic Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS) of earlier models. This suspension allowed for a wider track, improving grip and lower ground pressure on softer ground.
Propulsion was provided by the Ford GAA all-aluminum 32-valve DOHC 60-degree, 500 hp, V8 gasoline/petrol engine. This could propel the tank to a top speed of 40 – 48 km/h (25 – 30 mph). Armor on the vehicle was up to 76 mm (3 in) thick. The tank had a crew of five, consisting of a commander, driver, co-driver/bow machine gunner, gunner, and loader.


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Even though a large number of newer 90mm gun armed M26 Pershings and M46 Pattons were dispatched to the Korean Peninsula, multiple variants of the HVSS Sherman were also used in the Korean War. These included the regular M4A3(76)W HVSS, which was armed with the 76mm Tank Gun M1A1 or M1A2, the M4A3(105) HVSS, armed with the 105mm Howitzer M4, and finally, the POA-CWS-H5, a specialist version armed with both a 105mm Howitzer and a coaxial flamethrower.

The ex-American tanks were delivered to Uruguay's Batallón de Infantería Nº 13 (13th Infantry Battalion), founded in 1904, and with the arrival of the new equipment at the Durazno Arsenal in central Uruguay the regiment was aptly renamed Batallón de Infantería Blindado Nº 13 (13th Armored Infantry Battalion). The tanks formed two Compañías Blindada de Tanques (Armored Tanks Companies), formally created on 12 July 1958. In each company, two tanks formed a command section while the remaining were divided into platoons of five. Each platoon was coded with an individual color and the command tanks received colored shields as background to their tactical codes. Additionally, the command tanks received individual names, beginning with letters corresponding to their respective commanded platoons, e. g. "Ceasar" for one of the 3rd platoon's commanding M4s, which carried the tactical code "2" on a green background, the 3rd platoon's color.

The tanks were delivered in a unicolor camouflage, likely U.S. Army olive drab. They received prominent Uruguayan army roundels on the turret flanks, comprising a blue roundel in the center, circled by white and then further circled by blue again, with a red bar going through the roundel diagonally. Later, likely in the 1960s, the tanks were given a disruptive four-color scheme, comprising medium green, dark green, tan and a dark brown bordering on black.

The first months of the new tanks' service were marked by several instances of ceremonial use in foreign presidential visits to Uruguay, during which the tanks would perform a parade in the streets of Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital – often in the company of the vintage M3A1 Stuarts which were still retained in service by this point for training.

The 1960s were a decade of turmoil in Uruguay, with an economic crisis caused by struggling Uruguayan exports causing significant unrest and political uproar. This led to the rise of an armed revolutionary left-wing movement known as the Tupamaros or MLN-T (Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros, Tupamaros National Liberation Movement) which would progressively grow more violent. In 1968, the Uruguayan president, Jorge Pachero, declared a state of emergency that would see the military largely deployed in the streets. The following president, Juan María Bordaberry, would continue authoritarian policies and suspend civil liberties. In June 1973, he dissolved the Uruguayan congress and became a de facto dictator sponsored by the Uruguayan military.


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


During this time, the Tupamaros fought in an urban guerilla war against the Uruguayan military. The Uruguayan tanks, especially the compact M24s, were regularly employed in the streets as a show of force, being a very intimidating presence to potential insurgents. For this mission, a few M4s and M24s, primarily command tanks, were outfitted with locally developed hydraulic dozer blades. These were detachable, though, and the tanks should retain the installations for the rest of their career.

By mid-1972, the Tupamaros had largely been defeated, killed, captured, or forced into exile, as many other Uruguayans had been. The Uruguayan dictatorship would maintain itself all the way to 1985 however, engaging in repressive policies which, while often overshadowed by some employed by other regimes, such as Augusto Pinochet's Chile, would see many Uruguayans exiled, and many assassinations performed against political opponents, even though most of which took place outside of Uruguay's borders. The M4s and M24s would continue to regularly be used for intimidation purposes during this era, though Uruguay would also purchase more modern tanks in 1982, including twenty-two M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks from Belgium. These didn't replace the vintage WWII vehicles, though.

In 1984, elections were finally held, seeing Uruguay return to civilian rule from this point onward. Though amnesty for human rights abusers would be declared, Uruguay would move back towards being one of the more democratic and stable countries in South America in the next decades, which would culminate in a former Tupamaros, who had spent fifteen years in prison, José Mujica, being elected president in 2009.
At the same time as Uruguay was transitioning back to democracy, the M4s and M24s the country had now operated for about thirty years were becoming increasingly obsolete. The tanks' engines were worn out after 30 years of constant use and useful ammunition for the M4s 76 mm gun was not available anymore. Funds for new/more modern tanks were not available at that time, therefore, it was decided to modernize the powerplants and drivetrains of the tanks and outfit the Shermans with a modern, bigger main gun.

For this purpose, the Brazilian company Bernardini was contracted. The Bernardini S/A Industria e Comercio (Bernardini Industrial and Commerce Company), based at São Paulo, was originally a safe manufacturer which operated from 1912, but during its later years it branched out into vehicle production, too, and created several conversions and indigenous tanks for the Brazilian Army.
Bernardini outfitted the light M24s with a Saab-Scania DN11 220-230 hp engine, a Swedish industrial truck engine manufactured in Brazil. This was a commercially available engine for which parts could be very easily sourced, and it was coupled with a new GAV 762 automatic gearbox. Mounting these totally different engines called for considerable modifications, including a completely new raised engine deck with integrated coolers.
The Shermans received new Continental AOS-895-3 six-cylinder air-cooled petrol engines, which had been procured together with the Belgian M41s as part of a spares deal and directly delivered to Brazil for the conversions. This engine delivered 500 bhp (370 kW), the same as the former Ford GAA V8, but provided more torque, was lighter and more compact, and had a considerably lower fuel consumption. It was coupled with a new gearbox, an Allison CD-500-3, with 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse.

For the planned armament upgrade, the modern 90 mm Cockerill Mk. 7 gun was chosen, another item procured from Belgium. Weighing less than ¾ of a ton and with a length of 4.365 m, the 90 mm Cockerill operated at a pressure of just 310 MPa and produced a recoil stroke of only 350 to 370 mm.  Ammunition for the Cockerill gun was made by MECAR (another Belgian arms company) and included a potent Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot – Tracer (APFSDS-T) round with a muzzle velocity of 1,500 m/s, able to defeat even heavy targets. Furthermore, there were High Explosive Plastic rounds (HEP) to defeat bunkers, structures, light armor and also for indirect fire use, smoke, canister, High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT), and training rounds.

However, the plan to simply exchange the old 76 mm gun in the original M4A3 turret turned out to be impossible, so that Bernardini offered to adapt one of the company's own turret designs, a cast turret for an upgrade for the indigenous CCL X1A2 "Carcará" tank that never materialized due to low Brazilian funds, to the M4's very similar hull. The Uruguayan government agreed and the deal for the conversion of all M4s left in service was closed in late 1982. Some sources refer to this modernization as having occurred in 1983, while some others mention 1987.


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The new Bernardini turret resembled the earlier Sherman turret, but it was overall larger and featured a long, characteristic jutty as a counterweight for the bigger and longer gun. It also offered ample space for a radio set and ammunition. The turret had a maximum armor strength of 114 mm (4.5 in) at the front, instead of the former 76 mm (3 in); traverse was full 360° (manual and electric-hydraulic) at a rate of 36°/sec. The turret's higher overall weight was compensated for by the relatively light gun and the lighter engine – even though this raised the tank's center of gravity and somewhat reduced its handling quality. The commander and gunner sat in the turret on the right side, with the commander provided with a domed U.S.-style cupola. The gunner did not have a hatch and was seated forward of the commander. A loading assistant was placed on the left side of the gun, with a separate hatch that was also used to board the tank by the crew and to load ammunition. A tool storage box was normally mounted externally on the rear of the already long bustle, and smoke grenade launchers could be mounted on each side of the turret – even though this never happened, and Uruguay apparently never procured such devices. A large radio antenna was mounted to the turret roof and at the rear of the jutty, command tanks had a second antenna for a dedicated inter-tank communication radio set next to the cupola.

The 90 mm Cockerill Mk. 7 gun had a rifled L/52 barrel and was outfitted with a light T-shaped muzzle brake and a smoke ejector. The secondary armament was changed to two 7.62 mm Browning M1919 machine guns (which were able to fire 7.62×51 mm NATO standard ammunition), one coaxial with the main gun and the other in the hull. A manually operated 12.7 mm Browning M2HB machine gun was mounted in an anti-aircraft position on the turret roof, in front of the commander cupola. A total of 55 rounds for the 90 mm gun were carried, plus 4,750 rounds for the 7.62 mm machine guns and 600 rounds for the 12.7 mm gun. This ammunition was mostly stored in the hull, the turret jutty held a new ammunition-ready rack with 11 rounds.

At some point following their modernization, during the late Eighties, all Uruguayan tanks were given a new, more subdued camouflage scheme, vaguely resembling the American woodland scheme, consisting of a very dark brown/black, light brown, and dark green. The prominent roundel was removed, too, an the vehicles' tactical code  was now either retained in a dark color on the turret side or completely omitted.

The 1990s saw the 13th Armored Infantry Battalion receive a fleet of fifteen BVP-1s purchased from the Czech Republic; ten more were delivered in 1996, with a further five in 1998, plus three vehicles for spare parts in 1999. These more modern infantry fighting vehicles would be operated alongside the M4s and M24s within the battalion's fleet during the coming decades. Other purchases from the 1990s included, for example, Tiran-5Sh main battle tanks (revamped captured T-55s from Israel) and 2S1 self-propelled artillery pieces.

Uruguay retired its M4 fleet around 2012, but the light M24s soldiered on until 2019, when the last WWII type in Uruguayan service was eventually sorted out, after a long process that was delayed by a lack of an export permission for M41s as replacement from the United States for no less than six years.


Specifications:
    Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/hull machine gun operator)
    Weight: 33.7 tons combat loaded
    Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in) hull only
                  8.21 m (26 ft 10 1/2 in) overall with gun forward
    Width: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) hull only
    Height: 3,45 m (11 ft 3 3/4 in) w/o AA machine gun
    Tread: 89 in
    Ground clearance: 17 in (0.43 m)
    Fire Height: 90 in (2.29 m)
    Suspension: Horizontal volute spring
    Fuel capacity: 168 gallons 80 Octane gasoline

Armor:
    0.5 – 4.5 in (13 – 114 mm)

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 30 mph (48 km/h) in a dash
                                    26 mph (42 km/h) sustained on road
    Operational range: 120 mi (193 km) on roads
    Maximum grade: 60 percent
    Maximum trench: 7.5 feet
    Maximum vertical Wall: 24 inches
    Maximum fording depth: 36 inches
    Minimum turning circle: (diameter) 62 feet
    Power/weight: 13.5 hp/ton
    Ground pressure: Zero penetration 11.0 psi

Engine & transmission:
   Continental AOS-895-3 six-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine with 500 bhp (370 kW),
   coupled with an Allison CD-500-3 gearbox with 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse

Armament
    1× 90 mm (L/52) Cockerill Mk. 7 gun with 55 rounds
    2× 7.62 mm Browning M1919 machine guns with a total of 4,750 rounds,
         one co-axial with the main gun, another in the front glacis plate
    1× 12.7 mm Browning M2HB anti-aircraft machine gun on the commander cupola with 600 rounds


The kit and its assembly:
This whiffy M4 Sherman was inspired by two things: one was that I have so far never built a fictional M4 before, despite the type's large number in WWII and thereafter. And I had a surplus turret from a Japanese 1:72 Type 61 tank (Trumpeter kit) in the donor bank, which frequently grinned at me – but I never had a proper idea how to use it.

This changed when I combined both, and the idea of a post-WWII M4 conversion/modernization was born, inspired by the successful Israeli M50/51 upgrades. I also settled for an M4A3E8 chassis, because I wanted a relatively modern Sherman with a welded hull and the new running gear as the basis – and the choice fell on the respective Hasegawa kit (which has its fundamental scale and proportions flaws, but it was cheap and readily available). Using an alternative Trumpeter kit might have been a better choice from a detail point of view, but I think that the Hasegawa kit's weaknesses are negligible – and this here is whifworld, after all.

The next conceptual problem arose quickly, though: who'd be the operator of this tank? A natural choice was Japan's JGSDF, because they received M4A3E8s from the USA (the Hasegawa kit even provides decals for such a vehicle), and the Type 61 was its successor. But the Sherman was not very popular in Japan – it was quite big, with logistics problems (tunnel sizes, train transport), and the interior was not suited to the smaller Japanese crews. The JGSDF was quite happy to get rid of the vintage Shermans.
The IDF was another candidate, but the M50/51s were "already there". After long further research I went across Middle and South America. Chile, for instance, operated a highly modified M4A3E8 upgrade with a 60 mm high-velocity gun called "M-60". And Paraguay decided to re-activate its M3 and M4 fleet in 2014, even though only for training purposes.
I eventually settled for a small and rather exotic operator: Uruguay! I found a very good article about the M24 Chaffee's active duty in this country, which lasted from 1958 until 2019(!), and these Chaffees underwent massive conversions and upgrades during their long career – and some M4s would be a nice and plausible company. Another selling point was that the Uruguayan Army's roundel was easy to replicate, and, as a bonus, the M24s carried a very attractive camouflage early in their career.

With this concept, the build was straightforward: The M4A3E8 was basically built OOB, it went together with no trouble, even though its details appear rather clumsy and almost toylike these days. A good thing about the kit is, though, that you can paint the small road wheels separately, while the HVSS suspension can be attached to the hull. This makes painting quite easy and convenient.
Trumpeter's Type 61 turret was another matter, though, because its fit was rather dubious and called for some PSR. Furthermore, it was incomplete: some small parts of it had already been used in other projects, so that I had to improvise.
First, I had to create an adapter so that it could be combined with the Sherman hull – it was created from styrene sheet and profiles, together with a "floor" for the turret with 0.5 mm sheet. But now the turret can be mounted into the original opening, and it fits like a glove into the intended space. Even the low deflector walls that protect its base fit snuggly around it, it's a very natural combo (at least on the Hasegawa hull!).


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13, 3rd platoon; Durazno Arsenal, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13, 3rd platoon; Durazno Arsenal, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Biggest problem was the missing original commander cupola. The spare box did not yield a proper replacement, so I ordered M48/M60 cupolas from Bulgaria-based OKB Grigorovich – very crisp stuff, the set comes with four pieces and the cupolas are even made from clear resin so that the periscopes have a natural look on the model. As a lucky coincidence, the cupola's diameter perfectly matched the respective hole in the turret, so that the implant looks very natural. Because the cupola came with a separate hatch, I fixed it in an open position and added a crew figure from the Hasegawa Sherman.


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13, 3rd platoon; Durazno Arsenal, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13, 3rd platoon; Durazno Arsenal, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The dozer blade was a late addition, inspired by equipment carried by some real Uruguayan M24s. However, in this case the device was scratched from the remains of a dozer blade from a WWII Bergehetzer. Hydraulic rams to lift it and some hoses were scratched from steel wire and various bits and pieces. Improvised, but it looks the part, and it's a nice detail that fits well into the model's real world historic background.


Painting and markings:
The camouflage is based on a single-color picture I was able to find of a Uruguayan M24 wearing it.



This source provided a guesstimate basis for the four tones, and a profile drawing of the same vehicle, just from the other side. I settled upon Humbrol 63, 75, and mix of 150 with 63 and 10 with 85 for the respective tan (which appears very yellow-ish), dark green, light green and the very dark brown tone. The pattern is a free interpretation of what could be discerned on the reference material, with guesstimates for front, back and upper surfaces. As it is a retrofitted piece, the dozer shield became all dark green.

The model then received an overall washing with a highly thinned mix of black and dark brown acrylic artist paint. The vinyl tracks were painted, too, with a mix of grey, red brown and iron, all acrylic paints, too, that do not interact chemically with the soft vinyl in the long run.


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13, 3rd platoon; Durazno Arsenal, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13, 3rd platoon; Durazno Arsenal, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Markings are minimal; the Uruguayan Army roundel is an Argentinian cocarde from an Airfix Skyhawk (and a bit pale) with a separate red decal stripe placed over it – unfortunately it's a bit obscured by the handles running along the turret. The tactical code number came from an Israeli tank, and it had to be placed quite high because of the handles/rails.
Uruguayan tanks from the Eighties and earlier seem to have carried additional registration numbers, too, and I gave the Sherman the fictional code "A 247" on the glacis plate and its flanks. The nickname "Caesar" is a personal twist.

Dry-brushing with earth brown to further emphasize edges and details followed. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic vanish (Italeri) overall, and some very light extra dry-brushing with silver and light grey was done to simulate flaked paint, esp. on the dozer blade. Dirt and rust residues were added here and there. After final assembly (the vinyl tracks refused to stick to the road wheels!), the lower areas of the model were powdered with mineral pigments to simulate dust.


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 M4A3E8 'Sherman'; vehicle '2 Green/A 247' a.k.a. 'Caesar' of the 1st Compañía Blindada de Tanques, 3rd platoon; Uruguayan Army's Batallón de Blindado Nº 13; Durazno Arsenal/Central West Uruguay, 1986 (Whif/modified Hasegawa kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


All in all, this fictional Uruguayan Sherman update looks very natural and convincing. The Type 61 turret matched the M4A3E8 hull in an almost unnatural fashion, and the dozer blade adds a certain twist to the tank, even though this detail is rooted in Uruguay's tank operations history. The disruptive "tiger stripes" paint scheme is also very attractive, and together with the unusual roundels the whole thing has a very exotic look – but it's not unbelievable. 

Neat conversion, Dizzy! Well done!  

Quote from: Old Wombat on October 17, 2022, 12:42:47 AMNeat conversion, Dizzy! Well done!  

Thank you. 

 

Quote from: Old Wombat on October 17, 2022, 12:42:47 AMNeat conversion, Dizzy! Well done!  

That is a good conversion 

As you say Dizzy S America is a neglected subject area, perhaps because it's geopolitical history can get quite confusing at times ?

That's true, but I think that this region - as well as Africa in general - is rather neglected. 

More Uruguayan stuff to follow soon - aircraft , though.

Looking forward to it

Love it Dizzy..great way to take a subject as common as a Sherman and turn it into a model a long way from common   

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on October 17, 2022, 05:55:51 AMThat's true, but I think that this region - as well as Africa in general - is rather neglected. 

More Uruguayan stuff to follow soon - aircraft , though.

Concur, I have been hoping for a "South or Central America" GB and less well represented areas for years, but never seems to get enough votes over more mainstream and UK heavy content GB nominations.  Plenty of WHIF material South of the border.   

Really great build and backstory.

Oh nice one Dizzy!     

I've had exactly the same combination of bits in my head for years; just never got around to doing it. My Type-61 is the 1/76th Fujimi one though, so I was going to claim it as a very last British version of the Sherman with a shortened version of the Centurion's 84mm 20-Pounder gun (90mm in 1/76th = 85.26mm in 1/72nd).

Quote from: sandiego89 on October 17, 2022, 03:00:11 PM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on October 17, 2022, 05:55:51 AMThat's true, but I think that this region - as well as Africa in general - is rather neglected. 

More Uruguayan stuff to follow soon - aircraft , though.

Concur, I have been hoping for a "South or Central America" GB and less well represented areas for years, but never seems to get enough votes over more mainstream and UK heavy content GB nominations.  Plenty of WHIF material South of the border.   

Me too. That there are now a total of three Uruguayan "things" in the pipeline is a weird coincidence, but I followed the flow and tackled these projects that had been lingering in the back of my mind for some time. #2 has just been finished, pics pending.

Quote from: Weaver on October 17, 2022, 06:50:48 PMI've had exactly the same combination of bits in my head for years; just never got around to doing it. My Type-61 is the 1/76th Fujimi one though, so I was going to claim it as a very last British version of the Sherman with a shortened version of the Centurion's 84mm 20-Pounder gun (90mm in 1/76th = 85.26mm in 1/72nd).

That sounds very interesting (maybe in a Mickey Mouse scheme?  ), and the 1:76 turret might make the Sherman look even more Sherman-ish. The 1:72 Type 61 turret is quite large, it just fits onto the Hasegawa M4's hull like a glove - the combo looks quite massive, but believable for a 90mm gun upgrade.

Thanks a lot everyone, glad you like this exotic piece! 

Thomas it's very believable as a 90mm gun tank..we all know of the M50 and M51 so yours is 100 percent possible 
I've got a conversion in mind of a real Sherman in Israeli service ..or was and it only had one little machine gun but it's pretty neat ..they did a similar idea on a Cent as well which I've also got..

Great build ! Love the Sherman family and this one is a very nice addition to the clan. The hydraulic hoses look spot on ! Nice one.