Hi.... from my understanding, the topcoat (OD) was the only coat , it acted as both a prime coat for metal adhesion,and was pigmented Olive Drab.

tread

That's my understanding as well - if I'm not mistaken OD was chromate tinted with black.

Also if you look at archival photos, you don't see many chipped up Shermans. Battered, dirty, stained and dusty yes. 

thanks fellas. I guess I will have to try it on a different kit...or do a white wash. Assuming they even white washed them.

Can you tell I am an aircraft guy?

There were a number of Shermans hastily whitewashed at the Bulge...

Sherman's were indeed white-washed.  Using everything from brushes, to mops and including the troops just throwing buckets of the stuff on the tank.

Shermans were mainly OD, but that was not the only color they were painted.  Many pictures exist of Shermans being painted with a sand/brown camo over the OD and a black camo over the OD.  There were even instances of the very rare white undersurface scheme used on the Shermans.

Shermans used in the Pacific also got the multicolor treatment especially those used by the Marine Corps.

Herc,

According to Steven Zaloga US tanks were generally:

Parts pre-painted before assembly

The whole tank painted after assembly

Painted again before being shipped to the UK

Painted yet again to control corrosion after getting to the UK

And perhaps a few more times as well.

He says most American vehicles would have 4-5 or more coats of paint before they hit Europe so rarely will you ever see one chipped down to the primer or bare metal. I am hardly an expert but that's what I'm told.

Zaloga recommends if you want to do it maybe giving the tank a even coat of dust and then 'chipping' that away to show the OD underneath. Or whitewash would look pretty cool too.

I agree that you probably won't see many chipped-up Sherman. I wouldn't chip up my Sherman if I built one. OK, maybe just a smidge...

I would also recommend that you try the HS method on a 1/35 tank. You'll have more surface area to work with and also the "scale size" of the chips that will come off in the HS process will be more to-scale. I could imagine that on a 1/72 model, the chips that come off may be unnaturally large, and not really make the kind of impact that the HS is capable of?

Chipping is a German thing!!! Scratches and wear would show as steel or rust.

Rounds Complete!!

Here's a terribly worn Sherman.  I don't see any red primer showing through

Thanks for all the responses. I really value your opinions as I know ya'll are the experts here.  I think I will just dirty it up and save the HS for something else in the stash.

Thanks again for saving me from myself. LOL