M-26 Pershing- 1/35 Dragon
This is the Dragon M-26 Pershing in 1/35. I used Bison decals for a vehicle of the 73rd Tank Batallion, Korea 1950. I have always liked the look of Korean War Pershings and Pattons, especially with later track, so I had to build this one.
I used an RB productions turned metal barrel but little else in aftermarket. I am waiting on a replacement 50 cal. for the roof mount. Stowage is from the spares box (spare track is from the kit).
I rescued this one from disaster when it dropped to the floor, snapping off one front idler wheel. I had a dilemma because the thick but very good rubber band track put too much strain on any plastic axle for the new idler. As a solution, I drilled a hole all the way through the hull and inserted a brass rod to remount the idler. This worked very well to keep the wheel straight under track tension.
This was my first venture using EZ- Mud for Korea as a weathering medium overall. I also pre-shaded with flat black under the various layers and tints of OD plus an oil wash. I also went for a very slight sheen to bring out the casting and in line with photos of Pershings I found on the net. Overall, I quite like the look of the grime. The kit tracks came out almost like metal tracks with a bit of graphite over the EZ mud.
I hope you like one more simple example of armor.
"Margaret" looks beautiful, nice weathering.
Thanks, Robert. She looks pretty formidable, I think. I went for the look of a well used vehicle but that meant mud could also get washed off with rain and crew use.
Very nice, very realistic.
I like the story of the USMC M-26 that led the way up to Chosin all the way to Yudam-ni, then all the way back down to Hamhung. The Pershing did well against the T-34/85 the NKs had.
Thanks, Tom. I don't know if I recall that particular story. Is it in the Zaloga Osprey Book about Pershing vs T-34? Zaloga also emphasizes that the Easy Eight Shermans also did well against the North Korean T-34/85, statistically. Have your seen the Canadian-made documentary series Greatest Tank Battles? The CGI is a bit limited but they have great stories from veterans. I liked the way they covered and recreated Korean War tank battles in one episode.
Excellent job, Colin. I love the looks of it. Very realistic weathering.
All the best!
Thanks, Spiros. Realism is what I try for. Difficult sometimes not to make it look cartoonish.
Nice work with that Korean War beast! Weathering looks good too, not too overdone.
Thanks, Reinhard. The Pershing really does look like a beast. It must have given its crews great confidence.
Colin, @coling
I was browsing the various articles on Imodeler and just stumbled across this beauty... You did a fantastic job with her. It looks very realistic. I served in Armor and as a crewman in all 4 crew positions in the M-60A1, and for a very brief time in the M-1A1's. What you have done with "Margaret" looks to be spot on. You can see where the M-60 DNA originated when you look at the M-26 (and very similar M-46).
I have watched the series Greatest Tank Battles, and I wish they would continue the episodes. It was a good show, and they often interviewed the veterans that served.
My Dad was also a tanker and he did serve in the Korean War. He had a dual MOS where he was trained as Infantry and also as a tanker. His primary Military Occupation Specialty was "Heavy Weapons, Infantry". He joked with me about just how heavy they got after carrying them around over the mountains of Korea. Dad was a crewman in the "Easy 8" Sherman, and and the Pershing's / Patton's in Korea.
Sadly I lost Dad back in 2012. In his last few weeks of life he started opening up to me and talked about some of his wartime experiences. I wrote down almost everything he told me. He mentioned serving in the 6th Medium Tank Battalion, and he was also alongside the Marines at Inchon landing, and later the Chosin Reservior. Many people don't realize that the US Army took the brunt of the initial Chinese attack at Chosin. There he was with RCT-31.
Thanks for sharing these pictures of your Pershing with us.
I definitely pressed the "liked" button.