Armor/Reference

Cromwell_Latrun_02.jpg (43428 bytes)

Cromwell at Latrun IDF Tank Museum 

September 2001

by  Gaby Lezen

 

The vehicle supposedly represents the first tank in Israeli Service (taken to the British from tank depots) There were 2 vehicles in IDF service and fought in the so called "British Company" (because their crews spoke English). The other one the "Russian company" manned by Russian speaking crews and equipped with H-35 tanks). Fought besides the other IDF "first" The Sherman "TAMAR" (also a vehicle taken from British scrapyards).

Cromwell_IDF_48 03.jpg (13659 bytes)

Cromwell_IDF_48 01.jpg (23024 bytes)

Cromwell_IDF_48 02.jpg (32138 bytes)


The vehicle in Latrun has no markings and the paint is not the one supposedly used in 1948 (British green).
Also note that:

Motor cover in rear deck seems to be a plain sheet of metal (may be a museum repairing ?)

 

Cannon doesn't seems to be the original one

 

Cannon breech and turret cannon aperture also seems to be
a museum (?) repairing.

 

Hull M.G. barrel replaced with a plain pipe, also of wrong length (?).

 

Other details seems to be OK


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