"Egyptian/Syrian Main Battle Tank '67/'73" Topic

I am interested in jump starting my Arab/israeli wars of 1967/1973 collection for Fate of a Nation or even Fistful of Tows. I received a box of the new Syrian T-54 tanks from FoW/Battlefront. However, I am a little confused. There appears to be parts for both the T-54 and T-55A battle tanks.

Which one would be more accurate for use in 1967 and 1973? The main differences on the sprue seem to be the turret and the main gun.

Any help is appreciated?

BTW – the sculpting is very nice. Very little flash…

Thank you.

I am interested in jump starting my Arab/israeli wars of 1967/1973 collection for Fate of a Nation or even Fistful of Tows. I received a box of the new Syrian T-54 tanks from FoW/Battlefront. However, I am a little confused. There appears to be parts for both the T-54 and T-55A battle tanks.

Which one would be more accurate for use in 1967 and 1973? The main differences on the sprue seem to be the turret and the main gun.

Any help is appreciated?

BTW – the sculpting is very nice. Very little flash…

Thank you.

From memory, Israelis faced T55A's on the Golan Heights in ‘67. Probably both would work in ‘67, hell, probably both in ‘73 in some Arab unit or another.

On the eve of the Six-Day War, both Egypt and Syria had more T-54's in their inventories than T-55's. Egypt had 150 T-55's, of which total she lost over 50 percent (see below, underlined), and Syria had no more than 75 T-55's in 1967. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War there would have been more T-55's than T-54's on the battlefield.

Egypt: 350 T-54s were ordered in 1960 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1961 and 1966 (the vehicles were probably from Czechoslovakian production line). 150 T-55s were ordered in 1963 from the Soviet Union and delivered betwee 1964 and 1966. Egypt lost 820 vehicles in the Six-Day War including 82 T-55s. 800 T-54s were ordered in 1967 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1967 and 1972 (some of the vehicles were probably from Czechoslovakian and/or Poland production line). 550 T-55s were ordered in 1967 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1969 and 1973. 50 T-54s were ordered in 1972 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1973 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service)

Syria: 150 T-54s were ordered in 1956 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1957 and 1958. 300 T-54s were ordered in 1967 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1967 and 1972 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). 75 T-55s were ordered in 1967 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1967 and 1968. 300 T-55s were ordered in 1968 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1969 and 1972. 400 T-54s and 400 T-55s were ordered in 1973 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1973 and 1978 (T-54s and probably T-55s were previously in Soviet service).

link

To the best of my knowledge Syria would have mostly T-54Bs in 1967 (with some T-55As) and in 1973 mostly T-55As (with some T-54Bs). For modeling purposes a T-54B and a T-55A are not going to look that different. The major difference is that a T-54B may mount an AA MG on the turret but the T-55A will not. I am guessing the kit is for both as there is no reason to make a kit just for T54 and T55 when you can make it either one with just a few different pieces.

Combat wise a T-54B and a T-55A will not preform all that different. The big issue is that the T-55A has NBC protection, the T-54 does not.

Personally I would stick to the parts as in the instructions. The extra parts look to be for a later model.

Battlefront sometimes do this to save on tooling costs for future projects. For example the WW2 Crusader tank sprue contains parts for the MK1 of which it doesn't advertise , which is currently for an earlier period than they are marketing the WW2 desert game at ie post 1942.

I agree the detail is superb on these kits. If you want T55s to mix in with your units then check out the PSC T55 kit.

According to my book "Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles 1946 to The Present" by Steven Zaloga and James Loop
Quote " Although the T55 closely resembled the T54 it had been substantially remanufactured. The most distinctive external identifying feature of the T55 is the absence of the large mushroom turret vent dome in the front of the loaders hatch " Page 43 caption 34.

This is certainly true on the later types like the T55A .

I've never been quite sure what ammo was available to the 100mm guns in these wars. Certainly the APBC BR-412D and APCR BR-412P (1948) were. But the would the BK-5 HEAT be available in 1967? The Soviets only got it in 1966.
For the 1973 war was APFSDS BM-8 (1972) or improved BK-5M (1970) issued?

I do remember one incident from the war in a Centurian's turret was pierced by APDS that went in the front and out the back and left little notches around the hole where the fins were. It might have been from 115mm APFSDS though.

All my dates are Cold War dates. They may not be the actual dates which we learn after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Having looked at the parts left over from one of the sprues ,after building a T54 ,they are for a T 55AM2 .Again not advertised. I don't know why Battlefront do this.Only they will know I suppose .

Because it's the same sprues for half a dozen different kits. The East Germans used the T55AM2, but with different box art and instructions the same sprues will make Egyptian/Syrian, North Vietnamese, East German, Russian, and probably a couple others I'm missing off the top of my head.