Academy 1/35 scale M7 Priest tank

Kit: No. 13210
Scale: 1/35
Manufacturer: Academy, from Model Rectifier Corp., 732-225-2100,
www.modelrectifier.com.com
Price: $40
Comments: Injection-molded, 402 parts, vinyl tracks, decals, paint masks
Pros: Long-awaited subject; clear diagrams; good fit; paint masks work well
Cons: Tracks are a link long on each side, difficult to correct
Issue Published: March 2008

The M7 was the mobile artillery weapon of the U.S. Army's World War II tank divisions. Mounting the M2 howitzer on the M3 medium tank created a potent weapon. British troops nicknamed it Priest for its pulpit-like M2 machine-gun mount.

Until now, the only other M7 model available was the 30-year-old Italeri kit. Academy's new release represents the first version of the Priest.

The kit is well-molded with no flash. Accessories include a few gas cans and several extra machine guns. No figures are provided.

I started with the suspension. The kit uses the suspension parts and lower hull of Academy's M3 Lee. The suspension had been criticized for the inaccurate height of the bogie units but, to Academy's credit, that's been corrected. And there's a bonus: front bogie parts for a second variation with reinforcing strips. The bogies built up with no problems.

The kit's M2 howitzer looks the part, but it's marred by numerous ejector-pin marks. It's a bit complex, so sort out the parts and confirm their placement. The instructions place the breech operating handle at the back of the breech. This is wrong; the handle should be forward.

The upper hull, a construction of various flat plates, went together well, although the vertical parts have some ejector marks on the interior faces.

The engine deck lacks two vents and covers that were prominent on initial M7s.

There are several issues with the interior detail. Some of the fittings are more appropriate for later models of the M7. The ammo racks lack the interior compartment detail for separating rounds. The kit provides spare track links for the front storage boxes. The factory configuration had track cleats in the boxes but, from film clips and pictures I've seen, they contained a variety of items, including track links. If you're interested, cleats can be found in Academy's M10 and M36 kits.

I posed the driver's visor open, adding a locking brace made from styrene rod.

The tracks, one-piece vinyl moldings, are too long, a bit stiff, and they can't be glued - they must be heat-joined. I corrected the length, removing one link per track, and made pins from paper clips to hold the track ends together while I heat-sealed them. I would recommend replacing this annoyance with aftermarket items.
I painted my M7 various olive shades of Tamiya acrylic paint. Decals are given for three vehicles: U.S. Army, British Army, and Free French. The decals went on well over a gloss undercoat.

My primary reference was Tankograd Publishing's excellent U.S. WWII 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 & M7B1 Priest (Technical Manual Series No. 6007). Reviewing the photos, it becomes apparent that the kit has features of both early and late versions of the M7.

I finished my model in 18 hours, and it was an easy build. My only major complaint was the tracks. The average modeler will enjoy the kit, and the advanced modeler can overcome the detail issues.