Israeli Military Vehicle Model Gallery

Armoured vehicles used by the IDF during the War of Independence 1948-49

Model by Fabio Turchetto

The pictures of the IDF Cromwell are just arrived from the photo-shop. About the model: I started from the Tamiya 1.35 scale. The interior is totally scratchbuilt; the driving and machine-gunner compartment took several month of work. Theturret's interior was copied from the sketches of the HMSO book about the Cromwell. The engine, radiator and gearbox where scratchbuilt as well, after I found pictures of the Meteor engine in the Internet. The model was super detailed with photoetched parts from Eduard. Accurate Armour produces a resin engine for about 35 pounds, but scratchbuilding is not so difficult. The model is painted in a faded Humbrol 75 bronze green; after the first coat it received several overspray of yellowish green in a random way. Undercarriage was sprayed with several coats of sand colors. Weathering was done with pastels. Note I use the drybrushing techniques only for minor details, because the highlighting details give more a pictorial than a realistic aspect. Photos of the real tank came from your book (Israeli Army)(457 is the same tank here shown) and from some Hebrew books plus Internet historical sources. There is a preserved Cromwell at Latrun in Israel (type "F" hull -driver's side escape hatch) All the pictures I've seen shows the 75mm gun, for both the tanks used by Israeli forces. There is no evidence for an 6pdr-armed tank. This model shows the tank 457 of the 82-armoured brigade - 8th tank battalion as used in 1948-1949. The "blonde" soldier is the British volunteer, who helped the Jews. The jacket comes from USA surplus. The tanks where stolen in spring 1948 from a British depot in Haifa. The vehicles served with the 4/7th Dragoon Guards, and NOT with the 3rd King's Own Hussars, as reported in some books. I found this information after an extensive research in regimental archives.

  Models by Robert Klaus

The IDF built quite a few turreted armoured cars based on the M3A1 white scout car.  The front up the vehicle up to the visor was generally unmodified.  A fully enclosed superstructure covering from the bonnet to the rear was constructed out of steel plate of various thickness as well as laminated "sandwich" armour on some parts.  The turret mounted either a 7.62mm BESA or 7.92mm Czechoslovakian copy of the MG34 of World War 2.   Some white scout cars later mounted French 37mm guns taken from Hotchkiss tanks.

The White scout car above is a basic gun vehicle whilst the one below was used more as a command vehicle with its more "spacious" interior.

Robert is a prolific builder and here is his next project.   Note the stages of construction.

A sandwich armoured truck built on a QL Bedford.   Sandwich armour was a lamination of two sheets of steel around up to 4 inches (100mm) of ply wood.  The thickness varied depending on the area of the vehicle requiring protection.  This model is based on the QL Bedford 6 pounder portee sold by various companies over the last 10 years.

More of Robert's conversions this time of the early Soviet truck to one that may have been used by the IDF to re-supply Jerusalem along the Burma Road in 1947-48.

Model by John Myszka

This is a model of "Bambi" an improvised armoured car used during the Israeli War of Independence in 1948.  The vehicle is based on a standard WC54 Dodge weapons carrier and armed with one MG34 machine gun in  a turret.   The vehicle had a crew of two, possibly three and was used in offensive rather than defensive operations during the period.

The model is based on an Italeri weapons carrier and is basically scratchbuilt superstructure and turret.  This model was based on only two photos at the time.  Now more information is available and there are some inaccuracies.

This model was described in Finescale Modeller October 1999 edition complete with scale plans.

Model by Fabio Turchetto

The Hotchkiss H-39: 1/35 scale Ironside (ex Heller Kit), metal tracks are Modelkasten, photoetched parts are from On-the-Mark-Models. Scratchbuilt parts: exhaust cover and tube, additional commander's visor, various strap holders, main gun and protection, driver's front visor with rain protection.  White dry transfer numbers, hand painted white stripes.  Painted in a faded French artillery green color as it could appear in1948.  Photos on S.Zaloga Battle of the Mid East and+ Born in Battle special issue and some Hebrew books. Notice that in these pictures the tank behind this shows a modified German commander's cupola  Tank No.421

Note that the first two photos of the Hotchkiss are of the same vehicle but that the angle of the shot shows the same tank as different colours

Check out the detail shot.  The rust on the exhaust muffler is very good.  Fabio's technique is as follows:

• Paint the muffle in rust colour
• cover various areas with water soluble glue
• paint the top colour
• remove the glue which leaves a deeper rust colour (effectively the undercoat)

A great effect.