Let there be light!

More progress on mostly IDF armour for the Six Day War.

Added some scratchbuilt French Xenon searchlights to selected vehicles. Most commonly photographed on M50 and M51 Shermans, then AMX-13s with correspondingly few photos of them mounted on Centurions and M48s. This frequency is reflected in the models.

Also added some more details to the Egyptian Sherman with AMX-13 turret and a smaller and cruder AMX-13 from a French toy mounted on a Roskopf chassis of a Bundeswehr Rakette. The latter is destined for the Syrians. Granovsky identifies they had around 25 on the Golan and there is a well known picture of one either knocked out or abandoned which is frequently misidentified as Israeli. It is being inspected by Israelis and passed by Shermans (one of which has broken down or been hit). A close up of the photo just reveals Arab writing on the turret, common on Syrian vehicles in the Six Day War.

A possible sub-title is "for the want of a shoe". Adding some searchlights and kit, I discovered some of the distinctive Israeli coiled netting seen on vehicles which I had made from leftover Milliput and Green Stuff. As I had just made some for the AMX-13s, these initially appeared to be surplus to requirements.

I realised however, that I had still to make 3x 76mm Super Sherman and that a couple of the Centurions were missing one each which was the exact number of extras I had.

I therefore started digging out the bits needed. I found the Sherman and M40SPGs (for HVSS tracks) and was overjoyed to find I had three muzzle breaks (thought only had two). Spent a long time looking for suitable gun barrels and mantlets, before settling on surplus Achilles 76mm which I realised could have the mantlet cut and filed down to shape. What I needed was some of the anti-tank obstacles from Roco; the "Dragon's Teeth" are very useful for adding to Sherman to change the turret shape around which Milliput can be applied. I have used them on my M50 and M51 conversions. I was certain I had an unopened packet for just such a task......

Despite searching through numerous boxes I was unable to find them or any surplus bits from previous conversions......sadly a common occurrence! Parts have been put in a takeaway container for when they turn up!

POSTSCRIPT

Just after writing this post I starter tidying away. There right in front of me is a box of "useful stuff" where I also keep the plastic cement. Tidying this up, what did I find slightly tucked away but the packet of anti-tank obstacles.......oh **********! ☺