I'm building a dio with a M4A3E8 "Easy 8" Sherman in Korea in 50-51.

Question: There were organic tank companies assigned to each Army infantry regiment, in my case to the 7th Inf Regt, 3rd Inf Div. What's the correct bumper markings for one of these organic Shermans?

Hi Steve,

From a little research and my time in the army, I'd say the bumper markings would be as follows:

3-7I-Co[x]-[vehicle number]

This is read as 3rd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry regiment, company (like A, B, C, etc), and then the assigned vehicle number. So an example of a complete bumper marking would be 3-7I-E-25. This numbering would be painted on the bumper in a left-to-right fashion, facing the vehicle. Hence, the "3-7I" would be on the vehicle's right-hand bumper, with "E-25" on the vehicle's left-hand bumper.

I found most of the above on the website www.lonesentry.com/panzer/jeep-markings.html, and it uses an Army regulation from 1942 as its source.

Hope this helps!

Tim

And now for the variations.

It was optional to put the "I" for infantry after the division number for an infantry division so it could be 3- 7-I. Also the tanks assigned to the companies could have come from a divisional or regimental motor pool and be considered organic to the regimental combat team not the company so you could have: 3-7-I, TK-48, with the TK meaning tank. It may have been the practice to do this in regimental combat teams where the tank was a regimental asset, not an infantry company vehicle.

Third ID Sherman of 1951 shows 3-65-I, TK-21. Looking at other vehicles in Third ID, it may have been the practice not to have the "I" after the division number.

So I would go with 3-7-I, TK- two digit number. It would be optional to have the tanks numbered sequentially or platoon/vehicle number. So you could have tanks 1-17 or first platoon being 11-15, second 21-25 etc with company command tanks being 66 and 67?

The comma indicates the break in the code for the fender. Driver's right was parent unit: Army, corps or division and regiment/battalion, Driver's left was vehicle number.

Like 4077 MASH is I -4077 MASH, TRK-10 for First (I) corps, 4077 mobile Army Surgical hospital, truck 10.

Tim,

Thank you.... sir! I appreciate your research, and your info.

Steve

Steve,

Thank you sir! I appreciate your research and the info you've provided.

I'm planning on building a dio with an "Easy 8" from the 7th Inf Regiment's (3rd ID) organic tank company. If I'm not mistaken the "Cottonbalers" were part of "Task Force Dog) from the 3rd ID that was part of the covering force for the marines and 7th ID's retreat from Chosin to Hungnam.

My college roomate's dad was in that tank company and I thought he'd appreciate me honoring his dad.

Thanks again!

Steve

No problem, Steve, it was a fun little research project! I hope, as your build progresses, you can post some photos. And, I think it's great you're building this tank to honor your roommate's dad.