IDF036-1 ‘Syrian Army T-55A ‘Main Battle Tank

The T-55 was a relatively simple and robust tank that did not require a high level of training or education in its tank crews.

Many thousands of these vehicles were exported by the Soviets and found their way into the armour inventories of many ‘third-world countries’ including Syria.

Once in Syrian hands, the original Soviet-applied olive drab paint scheme was over-sprayed with patches of sand and grey camouflage paint before, in some cases, having Arabic slogans and tank numbers painted on the turret.

IDF036-1 is numbered ‘435’ in Arab numerals along with the hand-painted exhortation, “Death To Israel”.

The model itself also includes a Syrian Army tank commander figure.

For some time now collectors of K&C’s ‘Israeli Defence Force’ range of figures and vehicles have been asking for some serious armoured opposition to go up against our IDF ‘Centurions’ and ‘Super Shermans’.

Well, here they are... in a pair of Syrian Army T55s that attempted to recapture the Golan Heights in the desperate, dark days of October 1973.

As most collectors know the October Arab-Israeli War of 1973 erupted on the 6 October 1973 when Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise two-front assault on Israel in the occupied Sinai Peninsula in the south and the Israeli-held Golan Heights in the north.

For the sake of this release we are focusing on the battles that took place on the Golan Heights where 5 Syrian Armoured divisions with more than 1500 tanks, mostly the modern Soviet-built T55As, assaulted two Israeli understrength armoured brigades with just 180 tanks and a few thousand infantry and artillery as support.

Let battle commence...