The M10 was the US Army's first genuinely effective self propelled (as opposed to towed gun) tank destroyer. There was, of course, the excellent M5 towed gun (a development of the M3 AA gun) and the M3 half track with the M1897 75mm (aka the French 75) a gun designed almost 30 years before the first tank ever rolled a track. That's not to say that the M3 TD was ineffective, it certainly was not, but it suffered heavy losses due to its poor mobility and therefore an inability to shoot and scoot. In the Kessereine Pass, 20 M3 TDs were lost against 30 tanks destroyed.
Despite the entire US Army TD doctrine being deeply flawed, the M10 was a quantum leap ahead of the beleagured M3 half track. It had genuine battlefield mobility thanks to its M4A2 chassis and automotives, and some pretty serious hitting power from the 3 inch M7 gun (a development of the M3 AA gun and the towed M5 AT gun). It could certainly defeat any enemy frontal armor until the introduction of the Tiger II using HVAP ammunition, and even that stately beast was vulnerable to a flanking attack from the M10.
It was also unique in the US Army as having the M4A2's beasty GM twin diesel powerplant (as opposed to the Continental radial or the Ford V8 which all other US Shermans had) whose ability to be run on one half of the engine helped this ambush merchant to achieve maximum sneakery, pulling like a train from idle so that the M10 could be manouvered pretty quietly into a hull down ambush position. With no need to accomodate a tall powerplant as in the original M4 design, the M10 upper hull was redesigned to present a lower and less observable profile.
The M10 was speedy and could achieve over 30mph across terrain with astonishing forward and reverse acceleration, thanks to its minimal armor and grunty diesel, and was also on the inevitable other side of the coin highly vulnerable to incoming fire, thanks to its minimal armor and open top configuration. Despite its many undeniable flaws the M10 GMC was a welcome and much needed addition to the allied armory during the Normandy breakout and provided sterling service until the war's end despite being "replaced" twice by the M18 Hellcat and the M36 Jackson.
It's worth noting that Audie Murphy won his Medal of Honor manning the M2 machine gun of a burning M10 against fierce enemy opposition.
The M10 was never given a name, being known mainly as the TD, although Chrysler did attempt to call it the Wolverine. It saw service with the US Army, the Free French, Yugoslavia (well into the 21st Century), and the Royal Artillery. Some Royal Artillery M10s were retrofitted with the Ordnance QF 17 Pdr, in which configuration it was known as the SP Achilles.
That's the broad brushstrokes history of this important vehicle. and now the model.
I shall be basically working from the Overlord boxing of the Academy M10 GMC, which uses the tried and trusted Academy M4 VVSS hull and all new parts designed by Def Model for the top bits.
This is the "early" turret version with the wedge shaped counterweights as opposed to the later duckbill type. It has the correct rear panel and engine deck for the GM 6046 diesel of the A2 upon which the M10 was based. Be still, my beating heart. A diesel Sherman. Yes please.
Sadly, the kit suffers from Academy's awful rubber band tracks. Vinyl tracks can be done really well (looks at Trumpeter's very nice Challenger 2 tracks) but these are dreadful. The M1919 MGs could do with some help, too. We have that all covered.
I'll also be replacing the Academy roadwheels with the concave "dogdish" wheels from the Zvezda M4A2, along with the Academy pressed steel "spoked" idlers and the Chrysler pattern forged steel drive sprockets, again from Academy. This would be historically correct for the early 1945 Battle of Germany vehicle which I intend to model. The Zvezda wheels have been bored out to fit the Academy suspension arms.
The kit features a full interior courtesy of Def Model, and it should be quite a lot of fun to put together.
Remember: You can never have too many Shermans.
