I am scratchbuilding a US antitank gun, the 3-inch gun M5. First, some info from Wikipedia:
"3 inch Gun M5 was an anti-tank gun developed in the United States during World War II, using a barrel of the 3-inch anti-aircraft gun T9 and elements
of the 105 mm Howitzer M2. The gun was issued exclusively to the US Army tank destroyer battalions starting in 1943. It saw combat in the Italian Campaign and
in the Northwest Europe.
While the M5 outperformed earlier anti-tank guns in the US service, its effective employment was hindered by its heavy weight and ammunition related issues.
Losses suffered by towed TD battalions in the Battle of the Bulge and the existence of more mobile, better protected alternative in form of self-propelled tank
destroyers led to gradual removal of the M5 from frontline service in 1945."
I always thought this weapon looked cool, like a deadly anteater. I have seen it in lots of pictures, but none has been produced by a manufacturer. So, if
you want it, make it yourself!
I have never done a scratchbuilt model before. When I was a kid, I built some plastic models, mostly airplanes. Reasons I selected this as my first project:
• There are no difficult to make parts here. For example, I also would like a deuce-and-a-half truck, but the cab requires more skill to reproduce than I
have. Most parts of this gun were cut out of sheet metal, so making it out of plastic sheets is only natural. The only major part I have needed to buy
pre-made so far is the Panzerwerks wheel.
• It looks interesting. There are lots of opportunities for detailing, and I thought it would be a good project to develop skills.
I began work on this project in early December, when I tracked down a book on towed US antitank guns, "US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-45" by Steven
Zaloga. I took it to Kinko's and blew up the drawing there to full size. In other words, the scale of the drawings is the same as the model. This makes
several things easier, including that I can use a ruler for measurements instead of getting confused with a scale. I then bought a sheet of 1/8" plastic
from a plastic distributor near my house, and got to work.
I waited until now to announce this project here. I was apprehensive about whether I would follow through on the project, as I have a short attention span and
can get frustrated easily. This project has been nothing but a joy, however. I am getting a big kick out of having to use my brain to figure out so many
things, and achieving a result that I am happy with. At this point, I don't think I'll be quitting any time soon.
I started by working on the axle. There is an incredible about of detail here, and I have rather a lot of work left on it. Following are the pictures I have
been taking of my progress. Enjoy!
