Purchase these Items

Products mentioned in this Article

--None--
 

 

M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)

M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
includes five M4A3E8 Easy Eight tanks, one Tank Commander sprue, two Tank Stowage sprues, one Decal sheet & ten Rare-earth magnets.

The M4A3E8, better known as the Easy Eight, marked the pinnacle in the Sherman design. Essentially the same as the M4A3 (76mm), the Easy Eight model introduced a new track and suspension system.

This product is no longer currently available for sale...

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
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26) The Horizontal Volute Suspension System (HVSS, for short) made it much easier to replace damaged road wheels and a new wide track was developed to improve the tank’s offroad performance. Together this gave the Sherman a much improved ride and far better flotation over soft ground.
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.

The M4A3E8 Easy Eight entered service in late December 1944 during the fighting in the Ardennes and served admirably to the end of the war. It continued to serve in the US Army until 1955.

Right:
The decal sheet shown at 150%.

Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by Blake Coster

M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
The M4A3E8 Easy Eight in Flames Of War
      Armour
   
Name
Mobility
Front
Side
Top
Equipment and Notes
Weapon
Range
ROF
Anti-tank
Firepower

M4A3E8 Easy Eight Standard Tank 7 4 1 Co-ax MG, Hull MG, .50 cal AA MG,
Detroit's finest, Protected ammo, Smooth Ride,
Tank telephone, Wide tracks.
M1 76mm gun (late)
32"/80cm
2
13
3+
Stabiliser.
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26) M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
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.
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26) M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
Smooth Ride
The driving force behind the development of HVSS (Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension) was the need for wider tracks for crossing soft ground, and a smoother ride. As a result, HVSS made it much easier for gunners to use the basic stabiliser system fitted to the Sherman tank.


An M4A3E8 Easy Eight tank does not suffer the +1 penalty to its score To Hit when using the Stabilizers special rule, provided that it did not move more than 6”/15cm during the Movement Step and it did not move in, enter, or move out of Rough Terrain.
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26) M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
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.
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26) M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
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).
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26) M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
Wide Tracks
Some excellent tank designs have successfully utilised wider tracks, allowing them to cross almost any terrain.


If a vehicle with Wide Tracks becomes Bogged Down while attempting to cross Rough Terrain, roll again. On a roll of 4+ the vehicle immediately frees itself and continues moving.
The M4A3E8 Easy Eight Tanks on the Move
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
The Contents of the M4A3E8 Easy Eight Box Set
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
Description of Components
a. 5x .50 cal AA MGs.
b. 1x Hull MG sprue.
c. 5x Hatch sprues.
d.
5x 76mm gun barrels.
e. 5x Resin hulls & turrets.
f. 5x Right tracks.
g. 5x Left tracks.
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)
Description of Components
a. 1x Sherman stowage sprue #1
b. 1x
Sherman stowage sprue #2
c. 1x Tank commander sprue.
d. 10x Rare-earth magnets.
M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26) Description of Components
1x US tank decal sheet with Stars and tank serial numbers.

Assembling The M4A3E8
Follow the diagram to the right to correctly assemble the M4A3E8 Easy Eight tank.

For modelling variation, use the components for the stowage sprue to help individualise each tank and really make them stand-out on the battlefield.

Learn how to use the Sherman stowage here...

Use the figure of your choice from the tank commander sprue to identify the platoon command tank. Finally, make use of the rare-earth magnets to secure the turrets to the hulls.

Read Chris’ guide to using rare-earth magnets with you Flames Of War miniatures here…

Right: The assembly diagram for the M4A3E8.

M4A3E8 Easy Eight (UBX26)


Last Updated On Monday, February 25, 2019 by Luke at Battlefront