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To: Darksheare

When the Arabs armies had received new Soviet tanks during the early 1950's, Israeli Sherman tanks were rapidly outclassed, being insufficiently armed for dealing with T-34 and T-85 tanks. This situation led to development of new improved Sherman tanks. The solution were 75mm CN 75-50 French gun with 1000 m/sec.

The prototype turret was sent to Israel in 1955, This gun was fitted in M4A4 and M4A3 tanks, first 50 M-50 tanks had VVSS and in middle 1961 there were 300 M-50 tanks ready with HVSS.

One of the best kept secrets in the Sinai Campaign (1956) was the participation of US made Sherman M-50 tanks on which the French mounted a 75mm gun. When the Sinai Campaign (1956) war broke out, Israel had 180 Shermans ready for battle of total 205 Shermans. M-50s were active combatans in the Sinai Peninsula and in the daring battle on the Roeifa Dam under the command of Moshe Brill. After many tracks and engine modifications by the IDF, they were used in the Six Day War (1967) and Yom Kippur War (1973).

When the Six Day War (1967) war broke out, Israel had 515 Shermans ready for battle of total 520 Shermans, and when the Yom Kippur War (1973) war broke out, Israel had 340 Shermans.

In 1983 Chile acquired a number of M-50s from Israel

168 posted on 02/24/2004 3:43:35 PM PST by SAMWolf (You've got to be really scummy to make Clinton look honest. - (Samwise, describing John Kerry))
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To: SAMWolf
LOL!
170 posted on 02/24/2004 3:53:43 PM PST by Darksheare ("I shall rule the world with an Iron Fist! Obey the fist!" - Invader Zim)
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