Weekend modelling

Due to work, weather and mood, weekend progress has been slow. Still working on some 20mm 2pdr portees being scratch-built from some Matchbox LRDG trucks = wrong kind of Chevrolet but close enough for me. I bought some assorted bits from eBay a while back - enough for 2 jeeps and 4 trucks (almost) with a few bits missing from one model. The seller had separated them from the sprue so I had to sort all the small parts into bags and try to work out what went where from the instructions = which weren't clear themselves, All the MGs had been taken but if I do one or two as LRDG I have metal weapons I can use.

This week, saw me revisit the Arab-Israeli war with some additions for the Jordanians.

From various sources, the US supplied Jordan with M47, M48 and M48A1 "Pattons". The M47s ended up supporting the infantry brigades while the M48s ended up in the two armoured brigades. While they received M48A1, I have never seen much photographic evidence. An internet search so far has only thrown up a M48A1 returned to the US from Jordan. While trawling eBay, I found an Israeli book on 1967 which I believe is a history of the Barak brigade; one of the photos shows what maybe an M48A1 in Jordanian camo - I have ordered said book as many of the photos were new to me.

So, having been contemplating unit strengths, I realised that while I have been building Israeli, Egyptian and Syrian armies on a scale of 1:30 for tanks, I had not applied this to the Jordanians. Each armoured brigade had two tank battalions and HQ with a total of 88-90 tanks. Each was therefore due an extra model.

Unusually, the Gods smiled on me and without much effort I was able to locate models and parts needed. I even had enough bits and oil drums to construct the auxiliary fuel tank used to increase range. After a bit of work, with only minimal swearing for the fiddly tasks, two new models have left the factory floor.

I have decided they will probably be command tanks for the brigade with  staff stand in M113 and Landrover.

And to any bloggers out there who may have noticed an absence of comments from me, this is due to Google preventing me from commenting using my tablet. In trying to sign in I somehow created an unwanted gmail account (or rather Google unhelpfully did) which I cannot access and so cannot sign in on the tablet, only the laptop. It means posts and comments on lots of blogs will be less frequent - some blogs I can comment as anonymous, which allow you to enter your name, but others (presumably due to permissions for comments) which don't allow any way to comment. The joys of technology......

"I looked over Jordan and what did I see.......Sweet Chariot."

As related in previous blog posts I have slowly been working on the Jordanian army of 1967. This post is by way of a progress report as to where I'm up to.

M48

The M48s had the jetisonable fuel tanks tweaked so they no longer pointed downwards. Here's the real thing:

I was helped by some modelling sites which helpfully show details the above site didn't. Alas the folding "shield" has a couple of different patterns; I chose one from a blueprint. Unfortunately the pictures of Jordanian M48s are unclear, however I suspect they were solid rather than with a "V" cut out. Anyway, here' my M48s showing various stages and just awaiting final stowage.

I then turned to the M47s

Getting the turret brackets to stick involved lots of super glue and swearing - as Eric suggested on the VWC a better name for a blog! Once fixed everything got some liquid Green Stuff, including the M48s.

Then I turned to the last tank used by Jordan; the Centurion. Jordan used Mk3 and Mk5 with the original British gun. In an attempt to differentiate from the IDF Sho't I made them all Mk3 with 20pdr . Progress from disassembly to finish.

 Finally, thwarted in attempts to purchase resin Trident M52 SPH, I have added bits to my bodge jobs.

 Most of above just need a bit of extra stowage (covers a multitude of sins!) and in some cases MGs (M47 and Centurion have cradle / bracket M48s are fitted.

To do - M113s, M42 Dusters, Long Toms and tractors, 25 pdrs and infantry. I also have a \Hunter and a "what-if" Widow Maker in 1:100