Centurion vs T-55: Yom Kippur War 1973: No. 21 (Duel)

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In 1943, the Directorate of Tank Design, under Sir Claude Gibb, was asked to produce a new design for a heavy cruiser tank under the General Staff designation A41. After a series of fairly mediocre designs in the A series in the past, and bearing in mind the threat posed by the German 88 mm gun, the War Office demanded a major revision of the design requirements, specifically: increased durability and reliability, the ability to withstand a direct hit from the German 88mm gun and providing greater protection against mines. Initially in September 1943 the A41 tank was to weigh no more than 40 long tons (45 short tons; 41t), the limit for existing Mark I and Mark II transport trailers and for a Bailey bridge of 80ft (24m) span. The British railway loading gauge required that the width should not exceed 10ft 8in (3.25m) and the optimum width was 10ft 3in (3.12m), [15] but, critically, for the new tank this restriction had been lifted by the War Office under pressure from the Department of Tank Design. A high top speed was not important, while agility was to be equal to that of the Comet. A high reverse speed was specified, as during the fighting in southern Italy, Allied tanks were trapped in narrow sunken roads by the German Army. The modified production gearbox had a two-speed reverse, with the higher reverse speed similar to second gear. [16] [17] Within the framework of creating Jewish territorial continuity according to Plan Dalet, the forces of Haganah, Palmach and Irgun moved to consolidate areas with Jewish populations as the British had essentially withdrawn their troops.

A fundamental aspect in the design of the T-54/55 series was its ability to negotiate rivers by means of a snorkel device with the minimum of preparation so as to maintain the momentum of the advance. The OPVT snorkels on these Polish T-55s are fitted in place of the loader’s periscope with the top half of the device folded during an approach march and then raised for an operational crossing of a river. (RAC Tank Museum)The T-54/59 sees extensive combat in South East Asia in Laos, South Vietnam, Cambodia and during the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. The Israeli tank force included a small number of Sherman and Cromwell tanks, as well as ten Hotchkiss H-39 light tanks. Egypt used Shermans, Crusaders and Matildas, as well as Light Tank Mark VI and M22 Locust light tanks. They may have used some Valentines, as well. The Syrians had Renault R35s and R39s (an improved R35). The Lebanese used Renault FTs. [ citation needed] A Hotchkiss H35 tank. Char léger modèle 1935 H modifié 39 in Latrun, West Bank The other main force facing Israel was Jordan's Arab Legion, which was considered the most effective Arab force. Armed, trained, and commanded by British officers, this 8,000–12,000 strong force was organised in four infantry/mechanised regiments supported by some 40 artillery pieces and 75 armoured cars. [27] Until January 1948, it was reinforced by the 3,000-strong Transjordan Frontier Force. [28] As many as 48 British officers served in the Arab Legion. [29] Glubb Pasha, was the commander of the Legion. The Arab Legion joined the war in May 1948, but fought only in the areas that King Abdullah wanted to secure for Jordan: the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Production of the definitive T-54 Model 1951 begins and is later widely distributed to Warsaw Pact countries. In keeping with Israeli military conventions, US spelling has been retained when referring to IDF units. For ease of comparison between types of measurements readers should refer to the following conversion chart: 1 kilometre = 0.6 mile 1 miles = 1.6km 1 metre = 3.28ft (1.09 yards) 1kg = 2.2lbs 1 tonne = 0.98 Imp tons 1 litre = 0.2 Imp gal = 0.18 US gal 1 Imp gal = 4.5 litres 1hp = 0.745kW The UN brought about a ceasefire, largely negotiated between the U.S. and Soviet Union, on October 22, but though most heavy fighting ended on October 28, the fighting never stopped until January 18, 1974. military imports of tank equipment or tanks Toggle Foreign military imports of tank equipment or tanks subsection Yoav Gelber (January 2006). Palestine, 1948: war, escape and the emergence of the Palestinian refugee problem. Sussex Academic Press. pp.98–. ISBN 978-1-84519-075-0 . Retrieved 14 April 2011.Hundreds of T-54/55 tanks have been used in the countless wars that have ravaged the continent of Africa to this day, from Angola to Sudan and from Ethiopia to Eritrea. This T-55A(M) was sold by Ukraine to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2006 and is being prepared for action on 26 October 2008 against the renegade forces of Laurent Nkunda that had captured the village of Rugari, some 40 kilometres north of the provincial capital of Goma. (Getty Images) The TSh 2-22 gunner’s sight has a magnification of X3.5 or X7 but in the final battles of the Syrian offensive the tanks were so close that range assessment was unnecessary and opposing AFVs often filled the gunner’s field of view, but only if they left the safety of the firing ramps. Roislien, Hanne Eggen (2013). "Religion and Military Conscription: The Case of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)". Armed Forces & Society. 39 (3): 213–232. doi: 10.1177/0095327X12449429. S2CID 144226866.

Israeli tank gunners were uniformly superior to their Syrian counterparts thanks in part to the superior optical sights of the Centurion as shown here as a T-55 is hit at close range viewed through the gunner’s Sight Periscopic No.30. The IDF had also a number of Magach (מגח; Ma-GAKH) tanks in Israeli service which were based on the American M48 and M60 Patton tanks. The Magach 1, 2, 3, and 5 were based upon M48 tanks; the later Magach 6 and 7 were based upon M60 tanks. These tanks had modifications included replacement of the original 90mm gun with the British 105mm L7, lowering the command turret's profile, upgraded communication suite, and replacement of the flammable and weak gasoline engine with a 750hp diesel one. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Israel had a total of 540 of the modified M48A3 (with 105mm gun) and M60A1 tanks. [59] [60] But during the war, the tanks suffered heavy losses. The location of flammable hydraulic fluid at the front of the turret was discovered to be a severe vulnerability. A large number of these Israeli tanks were destroyed or terminally hit during the war, mostly in the Sinai front against entrenched Egyptian infantry armed with AT-3 Sagger anti tank missiles. [59] After the war, the losses were replaced with new M48A5 (Magach 5) and M60 (Magach 6) which were fitted with better armor in response to the anti tank missile losses. M48 (Patton) – The M48 "Patton" first generation main battle tank (MBT) was supplied to the IDF by the United States.The Chinese produced a version of the T-54A in large numbers and it entered service with the People’s Liberation Army in 1959, giving rise to its designation of T-59. It remained in production until the early 1980s by when some 8,000 were built with many sold for export, particularly to Pakistan and latterly to Africa. Service history [ edit ] Centurions of the 8th Hussars disabled during the retreat of 29th Brigade on 25 April 1951 in the Battle of the Imjin River in Korea Korean War [ edit ] The surprise of the Yom Kippur War, and its aftermath completely changed the IDF's procedures and approach to warfare. Organizational changes were made [ by whom?] and more time was dedicated to training for conventional warfare. The armoured forces also were involved in the Lebanese Civil War, Operation Litani and later the 1982 Lebanon War, where the IDF ousted Palestinian guerilla organizations from Lebanon.