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Posted on 05/16/2005 9:47:32 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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in Israeli Service  The American M4 Sherman tank has seen battle with the IDF in four major conflicts, from War of Independence (1948) to Yom Kippur War (1973), more than any other tank. It had also been modified and more sub-variants of it were produced more than any other tank in IDF service - from a main battle tank to engineer vehicle, self propelled gun and anti-radar missle launcher.  After the end of the second world war, thousands of M-4 Sherman tanks were taken out of service by the Allied armies. That made those tanks almost the only ones available to the young state of Israel - with it's economic struggles and the embargo on weapon sells to it by most countries.  The first Sherman tanks were bought during the 1948 War of Independence, from an Italian junkyard where they were awaiting their selling for scrap. The IDF eventually bought 35 of these, but only 14 were operational by the end of the war. Since these tanks had sabotaged guns, some were regunned with the Krup 75mm field gun.  During the early '50s, more M4 were purchased from various sources, and the Sherman became the standard tank in the Israeli armored units. In collaboration with France, the tanks were regunned with the M50 75mm gun (M-50) and, later, with a 105mm gun (M-51). Some "Super Sherman" tanks, armed with a 76.2mm (M-1) gun were also purchased.  The Sherman saw action in the 1956 "Kadesh" operation in Sinai, against the Egyptian army (who employed it's own version of the M-4, returreted with AMX-13 turret). In Six Day War (1967), Sherman brigades were still the mainstay of the Israeli armored forces, though more modern MBT's were in service at the time. In the Yom Kippur War (1973), Sherman tanks fought, as always, in the front lines. Fighting against Syrian and Egyptian T-55 and T-62 MBT's with a WW2 vintage weapon, the Sherman crewmen made true the motto of the IDF's armor corps: "Man is the steel".  No other vehicle in IDF use was modified and had so many variants based upon as the Sherman. Besides it's use as a tank, there were engineer variants, mine plowers, rescue vehicles, gun practice moving targets, self propelled guns, mortars and MLRs, ambulance and many more. The M-50/155 Howizter is another conversion of the M-4 Sherman. The M-50 155mm is an Israeli indeginious self propelled gun - a French 155mm howitzer was fitted on a Sherman chassis. The medium Sherman tank is one of the many models built by the US Industry during WWII The M4s of which 49,000 were built from 1942-1945, were the tanks that finally managed to defeat the Nazi armour in combat in Europe and North Africa, and also against the Japanese Army in the Far East.  A 30 M4A1 tanks fitted with a 105mm Howitzer were purchased by the IDF from surplus warlike stores of the Allied Forces in Italy. The Americans had drilled a bore in the barrel in order to damage their combat fitness. The tanks Howitzers were repaired by the IDF in enough time to take part in the War of Independence (1948) when only 3 M4a1 tanks where ready in the end of the war, this tanks participated in battles in the Negev and the Northern Sinai Peninsula. After the war in 1950's there were around two companies of this tanks. Israel purchase 40 M4A4 tanks with M4A1 engine from French.  M4A4 tank in Sinai Campaign (1956) When the Sinai Campaign (1956) war broke out, Israel had 180 Shermans ready for battle of total 205 Shermans, during the Sinai Campaign (1956) war Israel captured M4A3 tanks from Egyptians. The M4A1's cast upper hull gave it distinctive rounded edges. This makes it the easiest of Sherman tanks to identify. Other identifying features of M4A1, which it shares with M4, are the rear of the tank and engine access panels. There are twin engine access doors in the rear hull and air cleaners at the top corners of these doors. M4A1 had twin square muffler tailpipes at the top of the rear hull above the air cleaners, a steel-covered air intake behind the turret, and solid engine access doors in the rear deck behind the turret. The main gun in the first M4A1s built was the 75mm M2, which was shorter than the M3.  M4A1 Sherman tanks The M4A3s were fitted with the heavy-duty suspension bogies and single-piece final drive and differential housing. The rear armor of the M4A3 reached below the sponson line, as on M4A2, but M4A3's rear deck engine grill doors ran from sponson to sponson. M4A3 also lacked the row of bolts that were embedded into M4A2's rear plate.  As the French policy towards Israel underwent a maior change, France agreed in 1950's to provide Israel with around 250 Sherman's (Supershermans). These were mainly M4A1 tanks, with 76.2mm M1 guns, and HVSS. The tanks were transferred to Israel in a clandestine operation lasting for several weeks, this tanks arrived directly to beaches in Israel in 1953-1954. They arrived just in time to participate in the Sinai Campaign (1956). When the Sinai Campaign (1956) war broke out, Israel had 180 Shermans ready for battle of total 205 Shermans.   M4A1 & M1 A: VVSS B: Old turret C: 75mm M3 gun M-1 A: T32 turret B: With commander's cupola and 76.2mm M1 gun C: With cast hull D: VVSS 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 Kepts 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.  When the M-50 designed to defeat T-34 and T-85 tanks with the CN 75-50 gun, with appearance of T-54 and T-55 the new Arab tanks Israeli needed again new gun and as on M-50 Israel used French gun, the new 105mm CN 105 F1 gun. This gun was a 56 calibre and 6m long, firing a HEAT round with a 1000 m/sec. However, this gun could definitely not be installed in a Sherman turret, as this offered not enough recoil space. Israel then came up with a solution of their own: By shortening the gun to a 44 calibre gun (about 1.4 meters shorter) and accepting a lower muzzle velocity of around 800 m/sec. this odification, called the CN 105 D1 gun, could indeed be crammed into a T 23 turret.  This gun was fitted in M4A1 tanks with HVSS, 180 M-51 tanks were ready in late 1960's. The M-51 Sherman tank developed with French-Israeli collaboration of the basis of the US Sherman tank, mounted a long 105 mm gun. The tank also had installed a US diesel engine and wide track and suspension. The tank participated in combat during the Six Day War (1967). In the famous battle in the Dotan Valley, as well as in the 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 the mid to late 70s, Israel had supplied over 150 M-51 Sherman tanks to the Chilean army.   M-50 & M-51 A: Old turret B: With counterweight C: 75mm CN 75-50 French gun D: HVSS M-51 A: 105mm CN 105 D1 gun B: T32 turret C: With commander's cupola, counterweight D: HVSS M-60 is an Israeli modification of the M-50 and M-51 variant of the Sherman main battle tanks. In this version, the French gun is replaced by a 60mm HVMS gun, for use as a heavy support vehicle, and the engine is replaced with a variant of the same engine used in the Stingray tank.  Israeli HVMS (Hyper Velocity Medium Suppor) 60mm gun (as on M113 HVMS APC) was fitted in Sherman tanks that Israeli supplied to Chilean army. The HVMS gun was a small 60mm gun that provided high velocity kinetic energy projectiles to penetrate unheard of amounts of armour at considerable ranges.  Chile acquired from Israel 50 units of M-51 in the 1970s and 1980s, with a total of 50 units. These tanks arrived at Chile with 75mm gun (the same one installed in the AMX-13) that replaced later in 1980s by the new 60mm HVMS gun of hypervelocity. The trajectory of the projectile is so tense that it does not require of systems of fire control falsified, the substitution by a new motor, these tanks with the new 60mm HVMS gun were the answer to the T-55 Peruvian in the almost happened situation.  In 1983 Chile acquired a number of M-50s from Israel as well. By mid 1984, they had arrived without their 75 mm guns. The M-50s were fitted with a 60mm HVMS gun by the Chilean national arms industry at Fuerte Arteaga. This modification was developed by NIMDA Co. Ltd. of Tel Aviv, Israel. Although as many as 50 to 65 M-50s were acquired, 48 are now on strength. They have a prominent engine exhaust on the rear deck.  Piraña 6x6 The Chilean army in planning on replacing its old tanks by adding the Leopard 1, acquired from Holland, and retiring the M-51 and mounting their 60mm HVMS gun on the Piraña 6x6.
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Morning Mayor.
Morning GailA.
No Les Schwab in your area? ;-(
During a 1987 deployment, STARK was struck by two missiles fired by Iraqi aircraft. The fires that resulted claimed 37 lives, and only the heroic action of the crew saved the ship. Today the only remaining sign of this tragic event is the memorial engraving mounted in the midships' passageway, which lists the names of the lost shipmates.
Morning Cannoneer No. 4.
Keep that kevlar on, we want you back hoome.
Morning PE.
Wow! That's an eye-opener! I'm afraid to hit the "hugh size" link.
Morning tanker Feather
Still ROFLOL!!
Hint:
It's the same image.
Whoa! Beautiful shot of the Nimitz, what a great flag-o-gram. If I click on the 'hugh' size will my computer blow up?
Nice shirt. :-)
Good morning Mayor. Thanks for the update you posted the other day.
Good morning Aeronaut.
Good morning Gail. Enjoy your day off.
((Hugs)) EGC.
Oh how nice to set aside a day for peasants. Extra rations?
Hope you all have plenty of good drinking water.
Good morning tanker feather.
It has the same effect as FORMAT C:\.
I just got back from a dentist appointment. The hygenist said I have a few areas in the upper left part of my mouth that need working on.
Wether's nice here today. forecast high upper 70's. Rain forecast for tommorow.
free dixie,sw
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