The ubiquitous Sherman tank needs little introduction here but the special version Sherman deep wading tank with waterproofed hulls and the deep fording kit consisting of air intake and exhaust stacks that allowed them to come ashore through shallow water are much less well known. The Fifth Army Invasion Training Center (5AITC) came up with the idea of waterproofing the tank and fitting it with a trunk to provide air to the engine and crew and another to allow exhaust to exit. This permitted the tank to wade ashore in water to a depth of the top of the turret. Training was conducted by the 2nd Armored Division in the spring of 1943, and the deep wading tanks were used during Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, in July 1943. Three US tank battalions were equipped with deep wading tanks for the D-Day landings, the 741st and 743rd Tank Battalions at Omaha Beach and the 70th Tank Battalion at Utah Beach.

While photography of these little gems is a challenge for our equipment and limited skills, check out the well proportioned model including the 75mm cannon in the sponson on the right front hull; the turret with a 37mm cannon, detailed chassis and even a tiny machine gun!

Although the surfaces are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers), the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene.

NOTE: While we currently maintain limited inventories of most items, some items may be "printed on demand", which usually requires 10-15 business days from order to shipment.