M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

2017 Light Tanks Group Build. Campaign runs from 10/02/17 - to 30/06/17. Campaign medals awarded for models completed within those dates.
Post Reply
User avatar
Philipp Gross
Site Admin/Founder
Posts: 5122
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
Location: Frankfurt
Contact:

M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Philipp Gross »

Here's my entry for the GB, AFV Club's M24 in the French version for Indochina.

As you may know the whole Vietnam business started right after WW2 when the Vietnamese independence movement wasn't exactly happy with the reestablishment of French colonial rule. The conflict culminated in the bloody siege at Dien Bien Phu in early 1954, which led to a French withdrawal and the partition of Vietnam...which led straight into another well-known war with a western power.

Anyhow, the kit:
Image

It's still fairly new, has good details, a one piece hull and a metal barrel. And since I got my hands on a "first edition" specimen, it also comes with a resin figure to man the turret roof machine gun. Not sure what the brass tubes are for, they certainly aren't shells ;)
Image

The kit has four options, two French at unknown locations, one at Dien Bien Phu and one in use by South Vietnam. I'll be doing this one, named Auerstaedt IV.
Image

There's also a nice A4 sized print of the boxart included. Very nice, I wish more would do that :D
Image

With all the other stuff still on the bench I can't say how fast I'll have this one finished. I might be able to glue a few bits and pieces together from time to time :mrgreen:

Philipp
Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

User avatar
Olivier Carneau
Senior Site Contributor.....
Senior Site Contributor.....
Posts: 1178
Joined: 24 Jul 2014, 09:40
Location: Corrèze, Southern France
Contact:

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Olivier Carneau »

Likely the brass tubes are suspension covers.
Auerstadt was one of the 12 tanks involved in the battle at Dien Bien Phu. It was destroyed and remained on spot. It is still in place there.
As an additional information, at the time no aircraft were powerful enough to airlift the tanks so they were disassembled into three loads, airlifted to Dien Bien Phu and finally re-assembled there, certainly with no intent to bring them back.

Philipp, if you need more info about DBP Chaffees, have a look at this French site http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/inde ... view&id=90
This is a direct link to the Chaffee page. A lot of Indochina period pictures are present. Your Auerstadt is this one :

Image

Enjoy your build!
Olivier
http://olivier.carneau.free.fr

Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

User avatar
Philipp Gross
Site Admin/Founder
Posts: 5122
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
Location: Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Philipp Gross »

Thanks for the photo and link Olivier :)

Chars-Francais is definitely a good resource, I've been going through the photos there for a while. I'd love to model La Hire from Algeria, but I don't think anyone has ever made a decal sheet for French M24s.

Concerning my current build, I was mistaken about the name. Happens when you do stuff late at night... :? "My" tank is named "Austerlitz IV" and didn't serve at Dien Bien Phu, but since Auerstaedt is there as well I might yet change my mind... ;)

Philipp

PS: Can everyone see the photos in my first post? I've been experimenting with a new hosting service.
Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

User avatar
Steve Kubik
Posts: 365
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 19:13
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Steve Kubik »

Philipp Gross wrote:Thanks for the photo and link Olivier :)

Chars-Francais is definitely a good resource, I've been going through the photos there for a while. I'd love to model La Hire from Algeria, but I don't think anyone has ever made a decal sheet for French M24s.

Concerning my current build, I was mistaken about the name. Happens when you do stuff late at night... :? "My" tank is named "Austerlitz IV" and didn't serve at Dien Bien Phu, but since Auerstaedt is there as well I might yet change my mind... ;)

Philipp

PS: Can everyone see the photos in my first post? I've been experimenting with a new hosting service.

Yes, I see them.
Steve Kubik

User avatar
Vincent Power
Senior Site Contributor.....
Senior Site Contributor.....
Posts: 2634
Joined: 31 Jul 2014, 23:49
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Vincent Power »

Yes, I can see them too Philipp. :) Should be a great project.

Vincent
Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

User avatar
Philipp Gross
Site Admin/Founder
Posts: 5122
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
Location: Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Philipp Gross »

Thanks for the feedback :)

I finally made a start on this one, the running gear is rather complicated...typical for US tanks of the era.

Image

In theory it could be made workable, but it will save you some grey hairs not to bother. I haven't glued the shock absorbers (four on each side!) in place yet until all the torsion bars are level.

Philipp
Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

User avatar
Steve Kubik
Posts: 365
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 19:13
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Steve Kubik »

Good start. I'm interested in getting one of these, so I'll be following closely. The Chaffee is one of my favorite tanks.
Steve Kubik

User avatar
Philipp Gross
Site Admin/Founder
Posts: 5122
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
Location: Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Philipp Gross »

Thank you Steve! So far the kit looks good and goes together reasonably well. There are a few horribly small parts on the sprues that might be difficult to clean up. Rumour has it the Bronco Chaffees are excessively overengineered and far more difficult to build.

The current state of affairs:
Image

Each wheel consists of six parts. There are no polycaps but they hold in place quite good. There are two patterns of tires included, I've used what seems to be the more common version.

I found two photos of Auerstaedt, it seems the colourful camo scheme was applied after it already had been in service for a while. Not sure yet if I'll want to do this scheme, maybe just olive drab. Or maybe a different tank altogether ;)
Image

Philipp
Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

User avatar
Vincent Power
Senior Site Contributor.....
Senior Site Contributor.....
Posts: 2634
Joined: 31 Jul 2014, 23:49
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Vincent Power »

Brass for the shock absorbers is a nice touch. Looking good Philipp. :)

Vincent
Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

User avatar
Philipp Gross
Site Admin/Founder
Posts: 5122
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
Location: Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: M24 Chaffee, French Indochina 1954

Post by Philipp Gross »

Thanks Vincent :) It certainly helps to avoid mould lines and to keep the whole thing moveable, in theory at least. Thankfully the instructions don't insist on it and tell you to glue everything instead.... :roll:

By the way, the tires aren't glued, they snap into position (and stay there) with little effort. Should make painting a lot easier.

It seems the photo I posted doesn't show up, that's fixed now.

Philipp
Completed Campaigns:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

Post Reply