Tank Destroyer M10 "L'Audacieux" - Part.05

Working on front and back hull

Tank Destroyer M10 "L'Audacieux" - Part.04

Last shot before closing :

Tank Destroyer M10 "L'Audacieux" - Part.03

Interior paint starting :

Tank Destroyer M10 "L'Audacieux" - Part.02

The interior is now almost finished. Still the seats to work and 2 fire extinguishers to add (still must be scratched before!).
Panels has already been a little smeared with pigments and natural earth because it will be difficult to do it afterwards.
Next step, painting the interior.

Tank Destroyer M10 "L'Audacieux"

Hi

New project (The RSO will continue but more slowly) with a franch Tank Destroyer named "L'audacieux".

It is an M10, registration number 420091, from RBFM, the First Platoon of the Third Squadron (With "Le Terrible", "Le Fantasque" and "Le Malin").

The crew was composed as follows, in french :
Chef de char : Second Maitre mecanicien Mèté
Tireur : Louis SCHUSTER
Chargeur : Gaëtan SORRENTINO
Conducteur : Louis QUEINNEC
Radio : Jules DOOM

This tank caught my eye because there are photos where it is bristling with german MG. One at the front (MG42) with a shield recovered on a Sd.Kfz 251 and 2 MG34 on the sides. With the 12.7 at the rear, it was a good firepower.

Photos from french forum about 2eme DB : http://2db.forumactif.com/

It took me several months of contact and research to determine when all of this equipment was used.
The first photos of the Audacieux in Paris show that nothing had been mounted on it.
Then the shield and the MG42 appear on a photo taken in the fighting in Lorraine.
Then during Royan's fights, the MG42 is visible but this time, no longer the shield.

Finally, probably taken after the Royan fights, he is back again equipped with the shield and this time MG34.
Which is surprising because why such firepower since the war was over (little or no combat for the RBFM after the reduction of Royan's pocket).

I thought to use for that a TD M10 from Extratech that I had in stock but unfortunately some details are not over the current level. So I'm going to cannibalize a Sherman Heller for everything that's running gear. As such I must say that the Sherman Heller does not have to be ashamed in front of the Sherman Dragon, it is really superb.

So, the workshop :
TD M10 Extratech, hull and turret.
Sherman Heller, running gear
RB model gun
Grousers from T&T
And full interior scratch.

First work, Sherman Heller and Extratech hull adjustment :

Complete overhaul of the cylinder head which as you will see on the right is cr** ... no, I prefer to say nothing .....

RSO Pack.40 - Part.02

While doing research to push a little more detail, I came across plans for this RSO.
I hadn't noticed in the historical photos that the cabin was actually at an angle !

To redo the cabin, I relied on the parts of Ace's kit. Except it is false because they represented a right cabin.
So I had to use a blade on my mini-drill and improper handling made me lose a finger!

In addition, when I looked more closely at the tracks, I realized that the work was titanic. I therefore decided to use Panzer I tracks in OKB resin. Easier to set up it did not remove all the problems of adjustment at the level of the sprockets.

I wonder if this model is not cursed work !?
I think I'm going to take a little break to prevent myself from throwing it on the ground.

7,5cm Pak.40 auf gep. Selbstfahrlafette RSO

This is my new project, a RSO with Pak.40. It's the ace model with scratch.

First, scratch and details for the cabin driver.

And first paintjob :