Barcode: 0 89195 87507 5
Case Pack: 48 pieces per master carton
Box Size: 6.4" x 10.2" x 1.9"

Features:

• Authentic Churchill Mk.IV rendered w/full detail
• Slide-molded turret for Churchill Mk.IV
• Well-defined hatches can be assembled open/closed
• 75mm hun barrel can be adjusted at two different angles
• Bolts and rivets delicately represented on hull bottom
• One piece slide-molded lower hull
• Inlet louvers molded w/detailed patter
• Intricate tools molded modeled on vehicle
• Sharply detailed one-piece fenders and hull-top
• Idler and sprockets wheels are authentic-looking and easy assembly
• Idler and sprockets wheels are authentic-looking and easy assembly
• One-piece boguies produced for produced for easy assembly
• One-piece DS tracks

The Churchill infantry tank is a distinctive design with its extremely long chassis and wraparound tracks. Named after the British Minister of Defence, the Churchill tank was very well armored. The Mk.IV was the most numerous variant. As a field expedient, the Mk.IV was improved with an armament better than the original 6 pdr gun, and this was done by fitting the mantlet and 75mm gun (from Sherman tanks that could not be repaired) onto the Churchill's cast turret. The first NA 75 conversions were done in North Africa, where many Shermans had been disabled by mines. (Incidentally, the name 'NA 75' refers to 'North Africa' and the caliber of the gun.) The field conversion required cutting away the front of the original turret to fit the new mantlet. Approximately 200 NA 75 tanks were converted from March-June 1944, and they saw action in North Africa and Italy.

A while ago, Dragon Armor Pro issued a 1/72 scale kit of the Churchill Mk.IV, but like the original, that model has now been converted into an NA 75! Dragon's kit features many new components such as the appropriate Sherman mantlet and gun barrel. The Churchill Mk.IV NA 75 is beautifully detailed, and it assembles quickly and easily into an accurate model thanks to time-saving elements like one-piece DS tracks and single-piece bogies. For modelers wishing to build up their British tank brigades, this item is invaluable as it represents a special variant that was widely used in combat.

Reviews:

Churchill Mk.IV NA 75
Manufacturer: Dragon Models
Scale: 1/72
Material: Styrene, vinyl
Serial Number: 7507
Price: TBA

Dragon:

The Churchill infantry tank is a distinctive design with its extremely long chassis and wraparound tracks. Named after the British Minister of Defence, the Churchill tank was very well armoured. The Mk.IV was the most numerous variant. As a field expedient, the Mk.IV was improved with an armament better than the original 6 pdr gun, and this was done by fitting the mantlet and 75mm gun (from Sherman tanks that could not be repaired) onto the Churchill’s cast turret. The first NA 75 conversions were done in North Africa, where many Shermans had been disabled by mines. (Incidentally, the name ‘NA 75’ refers to ‘North Africa’ and the calibre of the gun.) The field conversion required cutting away the front of the original turret to fit the new mantlet. Approximately 200 NA 75 tanks were converted from March-June 1944, and they saw action in North Africa and Italy.

Kit Contents

I always get the feeling when I open these small scale kits, that there has to be something missing. There isn't though. It's all here...just less than you'd expect. Especially if you're mainly a larger scale modeller. What we're presented within this box, is one large sprue of grey styrene, and one small one, a separate lower and upper hull, two runs of tan-coloured vinyl tracks and the instruction leaflet.

Just a small point...how come we get full-colour, glossy instructions with Dragon 1/72nd scale kits and not with 1/35th scale ones? I feel all sort of left out....

Assembly for this one shouldn't take more than a couple of hours....dependent on how zealous you are when it comes to cleaning up seams etc. Mind you....there's not a lot of them either. The moulding on these is superb. No flash...and none on the tracks either. Assembly begins by building the turret. This is provided as a slide-moulded shell, which is provided with a separate floor, and then the gun and mantlet etc., fitted to the front. Probably as you would expect at this scale, there's no internal detail whatsoever, such as breech assembly. The two crew hatches on the turret roof are supplied as separate parts though, so at least we're given the option of modelling them opened. There's even a tiny British antennae base. Not strictly accurate or even true-to-scale, but very nice nonetheless.

The drive sprockets are supplied in two halves, whilst the small roadwheels you'll be glad to know, are supplied in runs, with two joined together to make each sides complete run of them. The instruction note that the tracks can be either cut to length or stretched slightly to achieve the correct tension, and since they're made from Dragon's DS-100 vinyl, they can of course be cemented with ordinary styrene cement. With a few small detail additions the model is complete!

There are three marking schemes illustrated on the back of the instructions, each of which is green and each of which looks very similar. Decals are provided of course.See below for full details.

Conclusion

I always marvel at the detail Dragon manages to pack into these things. There's also an economy of parts in their engineering as well, that makes construction a breeze.Marvellous then.

-Vinnie Branigan-

Kit Review:

Dragon Models Limited 1/72 scale Armor Pro Series

Kit No. 7507; Churchill Mk. IV NA 75;

77parts (75 in grey styrene, 2 DS Plastic track runs);

pre-order price US$19.95 via Dragon USA Online

Advantages: new kit of a popular conversion of the Churchill; simple but effective design of complex suspension solves many problems

Disadvantages: nothing major noted other than no etched brass, which will disappoint some

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: for all British and Commonwealth armour fans

When the US supplied M3 Grant and M4 Sherman tanks arrived in North Africa, it showed up the one major shortcoming of the British 6-pdr tank gun in that it could not provide effect high explosive fire support. As a result, field shops soon took it upon themselves to salvage 120 M3 guns from the Sherman and install them in the then new Churchill Mark IV tanks. This was the first use of the 75mm in British built tanks, and later saw the boring out of the 6-pdr to 75mm caliber to handle the same rounds.

DML has now released a kit of this variant in 1/72 scale. This particular Churchill kit swaps out the turret sprue of the welded Mark III for a cast version and all of the additional elements needed for the Mark IV NA 75 variant. Oddly, while it provides the complete M3 75mm gun installation with mantlet and mantlet cover, it also provides a late production 6-pdr barrel and the British built 75mm gun barrel as well as a normal M3 barrel. All are slide molded.

The kit is rather brilliantly designed with a slide molded hull pan that even includes see-through vents at the rear. The entire lower suspension runs on both sides consist of but two parts, but still capture the right look of the spring bogie assemblies and rimmed wheels. Separate drivers and idlers complete the suspension.

Unlike the Mark III turret the Mark IV uses a shell and base arrangement. An antenna base is provided (A9) but no antenna recommendations are included for it. The hatches may be posed open and the cupola may be posed rotated. No interior is provided other than both the hull and turret Besa machine guns being complete, but this version does not use the turret Besa.

This is one of the later DML DS Plastic track kits where DML indicates the proper length for the tracks is 205mm and advises stretching or cutting them to fit. The ones on the kit measured 208mm so may need trimming to fit.

Three finishing options are listed: C Squadron, North Irish Horse, Italy 1944 (T number, red circle, white 4, “Castlerobin IV”); Unidentified Unit, Italy 1944 (T number, red triangle, white 3); and Unidentified Unit, Italy 1944 (red triangle, white 2). A sheet of Cartograf decals is provided. However, I admit to being no expert on British and Canadian markings.

Overall, the model itself is a gem and should be popular with Commonwealth armour fans.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

-Cookie Sewell -