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M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)

M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
includes five M4A3 (late) Sherman tanks (with 105mm option), one Tank Commander sprue, two Tank Stowage sprues, one Air Extractor sprue, one Hull MG sprue, five Plastic Sherman sprues, one Decal sheet & ten Rare-earth magnets.

The M4A3 was developed as a replacement model for the M4 and M4A1. There are two major features that you can use to identify an M4A3 Sherman tank.

Check out the M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon in the online store here...

The Battle of the Bulge
In December 1944 the German forces were supposed to be on the back foot, so their desperate push in the Ardennes took the Allies by surprise. Desperate defence by the American and British Commonwealth forces gradually turned to counterattack as they fought to erase the 'Bulge'.

Learn more about The Battle of the Bulge here...

Allied Forces on the German border, September 1944 – February 1945
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
While the M4A3 improved the breed, some things still needed to be addressed. One of the critical flaws was the fact that the tank’s ammo tended to catch on fire with practically every hit. To fix this, designers added ‘wet’ stowage ammo racks. They also added another hatch on the top of the turret to help the crew get out faster.

The front end of the M4A3 also underwent some changes. The drivers’ hatches were made larger, prompting the front armour plate to be tilted at a steeper angle. Extra armour protection was also added. The M4A3 (late) model first saw action as replacement vehicles from September 1944 and served to the end of the war.
The M4A3 (late) Sherman had additional armour plates added over vulnerable areas to provide enhanced protection for the crew, whilst still retaining the additional horsepower and speed that the M4A3 was known for. The M4A3 series represented the pinnacle of the wartime development of the Sherman.

The 105mm assault gun variant was developed to lend serious firepower to the fight. Their role was to use their high-calibre shells to knock out enemy infantry and gun positions.

The assault gun was based on both the older M4 and the late M4A3 chassis and are similar to those models in appearance.

Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by Blake Coster

Right: The M4A3 (late) 105mm Sherman.

M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
The M4A3 (Late) Sherman in Flames Of War
      Armour
   
Name Mobility
Front
Side
Top
Equipment and Notes
Weapon
Range
ROF
Anti-tank
Firepower
 
M4A3 Sherman (late)
Standard Tank
7
4
1
Co-ax MG, Hull MG, .50 cal AA MG, Detroit's Finest, Protected ammo, Tank telephone.
M3 75mm gun
32"/80cm
2
10
3+
Smoke, Stabiliser
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Stabilisers
A stabiliser is a device fitted to the tank’s gun that keeps it level when the tank is moving. US tanks are the first in the world to be equipped with gyrostabilisers as standard. With the assistance of the gyrostabiliser, the gunner can stay on target while the tank is moving.


A moving tank fitted with a Stabiliser can fire its main gun at its full ROF, but adds a penalty of +1 to the score needed to hit.

Before shooting, a tank can choose not to use its Stabiliser and fire at the normal rate if that would give it a better chance.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Detroit’s Finest
The Ford V8 engine improved the performance of the M4A3 series of tanks. Its power gave them a good top speed, while its robustness and reliability allowed them to take advantage of this without worrying about breaking down.


Tanks that use the Detroit’s Finest special rule have a Movement Distance of 14”/35cm on Roads or Cross-country Terrain.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Tank Telephones
By the end of 1944, most Sherman tanks working with infantry had been fitted with field telephones on the rear to allow the infantry to point out targets to the tanks.


If a Tank team with Tank Telephone and an adjacent Infantry team did not move in the Movement Step, and the Infantry team is not Pinned Down, the Infantry team can use the Eyes and Ears rule (see page 195 of the rulebook) to Reveal one Gone to Ground enemy team to that Tank team as if the Infantry team was a Recce team. If other tanks in the platoon fire, they must either have their own Infantry team pointing out the target or continue to treat the target as Gone to Ground.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Protected Ammo
Many tanks are destroyed not by the enemy shell but by their own ammunition being hit by white-hot fragments of armour and exploding. The chances of this were minimised by providing a safe place for stowing ammunition within the vehicle such as an armoured compartment or inside a water-filled jacket.


If forced to bail out, crews of tanks with protected ammunition are far more confident when it comes to remounting their vehicle quickly.

Tanks with Protected Ammo re-roll all failed Motivation Tests to Remount Bailed Out vehicles in the Starting Step (see page 102 of the main rulebook).
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Smoke
Sometimes your weapons won’t destroy the enemy quickly enough to prevent them from wreaking havoc on your own troops first. One way to protect your troops in the meanwhile is to fire smoke at the enemy to temporarily impair their vision.

Only weapons listed as having the Smoke attribute in their Arsenal may fire smoke. Some weapons can also fire Smoke Bombardments (see page 136 of the main rulebook).
The M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon on the Move
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
The Contents of the M4A3 (Late) Sherman Platoon Box Set
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Description of Components
a. 1x Sherman stowage sprue #1.
b.
1x Sherman stowage sprue #2.
c. 1x US decal sheet.
d. 5x Plastic Sherman sprue.
e. 1x Hull MG sprue.
f. 1x Tank commander sprue.
g. 5x M4A3 (Late) resin hull & turrets.
h. 5x 105mm gun barrels
i. 1x Air extractor sprue. 
j. 10x Rare-earth magnets.

The Plastic Sherman Sprue
The parts of the plastic Sherman sprue that are used when assembling the M4A3 (Late) Sherman are highlighted in green.


Right: The highlighted parts of the plastic Sherman sprue used in the construction the M4A3 (Late) Sherman.

M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
The Sherman Stowage
Learn how to use the Sherman Stowage Sprues here... Learn how to paint the Sherman Stowage Sprues here...
Sherman Stowage Sprue #1 Sherman Stowage Sprue #2
Battlefront TV
Basic Decal Guide

Blake demonstrates the basics of applying decals.

Below: The decal sheet shown at 150%.
M4A3 (76mm) Sherman Platoon (UBX27)
Assembling The M4A3 (Late) Sherman

Step 1. Begin assembly by attaching the tracks to the hull of the M4A3 (Late) Sherman.

Note:
Each track has a number of lugs on the back that corresponds with the recesses in the hull to aid in correct orientation.
Below: The correct alignment for the left-hand side track. Below: The correct alignment for the right-hand side track. Below: The left-hand side track attached to the hull.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Below: The right-hand side track attached to the hull. Optional Step 2. To add the hull MG, snip off the ball mount from the metal MG using a pair of hobby cutters.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Step 3. Attach the hull MG to the hull. Step 4. Next, add the 75mm main gun. Step 5. Attach the commander's hatch to the top of the turret.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Step 6. Then the loader's hatch.
Step 7. Next, add the .50 cal AA MG. Step 8. With the .50 cal AA MG in place, the M4A3 (late) Sherman is now ready for painting.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Adding a Tank Commander
Step 1. Attach the commander's hatch to the turret in the open position.
Step 2. Add the tank commander figure of your choice.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Assembling the M4A3 (late) 105mm Sherman
Step 1. Replace the 75mm gun with the 105mm gun.
Step 2. Add the extra air extractor to the rear of the turret.
Step 3. With the 105mm gun and extra air extractor in place, the M4A3 (late) 105mm Sherman is now ready for painting.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
 The M4A3 (late) 105mm Sherman in Flames Of War
      Armour
   
Name
Mobility
Front
Side
Top
Equipment and Notes
Weapon
Range
ROF
Anti-tank
Firepower
 
M4A3 (105mm) Sherman Standard Tank
7
4
1
Co-ax MG, Hull MG, .50 cal AA MG, Detroit's finest, Protected ammo.
M4 (105mm) howitzer 24"/60cm
1
9
2+
Breakthrough gun, Slow traverse, Smoke.
Firing bombardment
48"/120cm
-
4
4+
 
Breakthrough Gun
Some weapons such as the M4 (105mm) howitzer are just so powerful that there is no chance of surviving a hit from them. These heavy guns are often mounted in tanks and self-propelled guns designed to break through enemy defensive lines.

Infantry teams, Gun teams, and Unarmoured vehicles automatically fail their Saves when hit by a Breakthrough Gun or a Bunker Buster. This does not apply to Artillery Bombardments.

Adding Rare-earth Magnets
Evan has created a recess for a rare earth magnet in the hull of the M4A3 Sherman (late).

Read Chris' guide to Rare Earth Magnets here for more tips and tricks...

Below: The magnet recess complete with magnet. Below: Simply glue a rare earth magent to the bottom of the turret and you have a safe and secure way of attaching the turret to the hull.
M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28) M4A3 (late) Sherman Platoon (UBX28)
Slow Traverse
Most tanks were either fitted with power traverse or had turrets that were light enough to be quickly swung by hand. Some designs suffered from heavy turrets lacking power traverse.

Tanks with slow traverse add +1 to the score required to hit when shooting any turret-mounted weapon except an AA MG at targets that are entirely behind a line drawn across the front of the tank’s turret before they rotate their turret to face the target.


Last Updated On Tuesday, August 30, 2016 by James at Battlefront