Epic Loot: Part Two A Guide to Painting the Sherman and Tank Destroyer Stowage with James Brown There are an impressive number of Sherman variants available to the Flames Of War player. These included the M4A3E8 Easy Eight, the M4A3E2 Jumbo and the M4A3 (Late) just to name a few. Read Epic Loot: Part One - A Guide to Using the Sherman and Tank Destroyer Stowage here...

Learn more about the M4A3E2 Jumbo here...	Learn more about the M4A3E8 Easy Eight 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...

Learn more about the M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer here...	Learn more about the M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer here...

With the introduction of these new vehicles, the box sets include stowage sprues so you can personalise each vehicle to really make them stand out on the battlefield. In this article we provide a suggested colour guide for when it comes to painting the stowage included in the new Sherman and Tank Destroyer box sets.

Examples of Painted Sherman and Tank Destroyer Stowage Sprues

The Sherman Stowage Sprues

James' Stowage Colour Guide Sandbags Military Khaki (FWP327) or Comrade Khaki (FWP326). Tarpaulins and Canvas Tarpaulins look good in a colour which is different enough from the main vehicle colour (Brown Violet – 887) to stand out slightly, but which is still fairly drab and military. Military Khaki (FWP327) works well and is also a good colour choice for ropes, straps and tie-downs. Some alternatives are Tankovy Green (FWP341), Comrade Khaki (FWP326) and Tommy Green (FWP345). Bedrolls & Sleeping Bags Tankovy Green (FWP341), Sherman Drab (FWP321), or Military Khaki (FWP327). Canvas Field Bags Military Khaki (FWP327). Duffel Bags Tankovy Green (FWP341).

The M10 Stowage Sprues

Helmets Brown Violet (887). Carefully paint the thin leather chinstrap Devil Red (FWP381) or Battlefield brown (FWP324). 10-in-1 Ration (Corrugated cardboard cartoons, secured with a flat steel strap.) Paint these Sicily Yellow (FWP362). You can add a suggestion of printed box markings, if you have a fine detail brush and a steady hand. Logs & Wooden Boxes Motherland Earth (FWP383), Battledress Brown (FWP325) or whatever other brown colour looks good to you. There is no one correct colour for wooden objects, as wood can look very different depending on the conditions. Spare Road Wheels Simply paint these just as you would if they were attached to the vehicle: Sherman Drab (FWP321) for the hub and Black (FWP300) for the rubber tyre. Spare Track Remember that most of the centre part of the links of Sherman track was embedded in solid black rubber. Paint the edges Dark Gunmetal (FWP480).

Signal Panels these were double-sided coloured panels, attached to vehicles for air recognition. One side was white, and the other was either fluorescent (yes, actually fluorescent – perhaps surprisingly, dayglo pigments were first developed in the 1930s)  cerise (pink) or yellow. Alternative colours are fluorescent orange (usually used by airborne troops, but sometimes attached to tanks) or bright blue (intended for support vehicles like transport trucks, rather than fighting vehicles). Fluorescent paints are available, but if you don’t want to buy a paint colour which you might never get to use again, then a thin coat of Artillery Red (FWP380) or Cavalry Yellow (FWP361) over a base coat of solid White (FWP301) will give a reasonably convincing approximation of fluorescent colour. The panels had a very thin brown border, which you may prefer to leave off if you don’t feel like painting fine detail. ~ James. Left: The M18 stowage sprue.