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Canadian Cruiser Ram Mk. II

jknaus

Administrator
Will start this kit this weekend when I get back from AMPS.

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Have a good ref for it also.

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This is one I have wanted to do forever and although they have been put out in resin those have been rough kits. There are a couple of small problems with this kit but I need some better pics in order to decide what to do about them.
James
 
Okay so a bit of background. As Britain and the Commonwealth lost so many tanks at the start of the war they asked Canada to build more. The Canadian Pacific Railways shops in Montreal were chosen to build Valentines and eventually put out 1400 odd, most of which went to Russia. The Valentine is an infantry tank and we wanted Cruisers. The U.S. offered the M3 Lee/Grant but it was unsatisfactory for what was required. In order to save some time the chassis was used and a cast hull added. This sported a turret with a 2 pounder main gun. Next came the Mk II with the 6 pounder gun and it proved more powerful than the 75mm gun of the M3s. Unfortunately it wasnt available till later in the war. Both had a small turret with a machine gun on the left front. Later Mk IIs had this removed. By the time they were available in 1941 the Commonwealth had standardized with the M4 Sherman. So the Rams were used mainly in training in Britain and Canada. Some did see action though as Gun Position Officers vehicles for the Artillery Regiments or as forward Observation Posts for the SPG regiments. A number had their turrets removed and were used as Ram Kangeroos able to carry 11 troops or as many as would fit. Some were used as Artillery Prime Movers and ammo carriers. Some were converted to Badgers equipped with Flame Throwers. In 1945 those still in the Netherlands were given to the Royal Netherlands army. As many were warn out Britain gave more to them and those were retrofitted with 75mm guns. Finally the most succesful conversion was to the 25 pounder Sextant SPG.

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Ram Mk I

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Kangeroos

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The kit looks pretty simple except the track but should be easy according to early build blogs I have read. It comes with markings for:
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“A” Squadron, Grey and Simcoe Foresters, 2nd Army Tank Brigade in Britain and still sports the shipping info on the rear quarter.
and
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Lord Strathcona’s Horse of the Canadian 5th Armored Division also in Britain. Thats the one I'll do as I have friends from that unit.
There is some thought that the design might have influenced the design of the M4 and if you look at the prototype I can see it.

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So hopefully Sunday I can start this as I'm off to AMPs tomorrow very early.
James

PS Pictures are from various sources from a google search and for discussion only.
 
So far today. Hull top and bottom dry fitted so far. Pepper pot filters have been ordered.

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Pepper pot peckers?? what?

:popcorn
:rotf
The kit comes with square air filters. The early Mk II had pepper pot exhausts and then fishtail exhausts with round filters. Ordered both from Tiger Model Design. My mistake, it would be a really early Mk II with the pepper pot exhaust. Luckily I ordered the other air filters though.
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The kit has the square filters like these.
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Well this is getting frustrating. The more I look into details the more I find this kit is a bunch of different versions all combined into one. Right now I either try and backdate it to an early Mk II or try major reconstructive surgery to make it into a later Mk II that the decal markings will work with. Was hopng for a fairly quick easy build.
 
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