Self Propelled Guns in IDF service – by Guri Roth
Though today the tank appears to be the undisputed king of the land battle, the gun has a no lesser importance and definitely longer part in the military history.
During the early years of the IDF, the artillery force was consisted of a large mix of guns and mortars, having been obtained from every possible source. The main obstacle was transporting these assets to the front areas, which had been by a towing vehicle, and some times upon the back of a mule…
Comprehending the importance of high maneuverable artillery had been conceived only after the end of fights in 1956.
It had been the dunes of the Sinai desert, which had brought upon this comprehension, since the guns remained stuck and workless, while the tanks were speeding towards the Suez Canal.
The seeds of transitioning into a mobile force had begun in the beginning of 1956, with the arrival of the 155 m"m, French AMX guns.
Although only one battery took part in the war, it had been the single unit capable of keeping pace with the armored units.
During the following years a great emphasis was put into purchasing and training with new mobile assets.
A big effort was integrating the 155 m"m Howitzer gun with the Sherman tank chassis.
The technical solution had been implemented by moving the engine to the front of the vehicle, thus creating volume for a rear fighter's compartment, in which the gun had been mounted.
In a special operation, 120 guns had been bought from NATO warehouses, shipped to Israel and mounted to the armored chassis.
These vehicles had entered IDF service during the early 1960s, along with new US 107 m"m Prist systems.
During this period, the force had developed and trained in various new tactics.
Upon starting the Six Days war, on June 5, 1967, substantial part of the artillery systems was mobile' consisting of M7, AMX and converted M50 SPGs, although 25 pounders and towed 155 m"m guns took important part in the fighting.
The IDF has entered the fighting highly prepared, performing in high speed together with the armored units, and fulfilling all missions.
A significant example was the conquering of the large, Russian style, Egyptian stronghold of Umm-Kataf, in the Sinai Desert.
Within 25 minutes from receiving the initial order, in a highly accurate and concentrated fire, some 7000 shells had destroyed the site in a huge fire blast.
This event had since been a study case in the artillery schools along the world.
During the late 60s, the IDF together with Soltam Company had been engaged in the development of the indigenous 155 m"m L33 gun.
The main design emphases were developing a 20 k"m range gun, sustained and prolonged activity under opposing artillery fire and creation of an enlarged fighting compartment, capable of housing seven crew members and 60 shells.
The gun was mounted on a 15" longer Sherman HVSS chassis.
The system had been introduced into IDF service in 1971.
In parallel, extensive purchasing had been done, especially of US systems, in face of then French embargo of military sales.
New 175 m"m M-107, 203 m"m M-100 and 155 m"m M-109 had been purchased.
It had been the M-109 which had created the real "revolution", with it secure closed fighting compartment and 360 degrees moveable turret.
Its engineering would make it the most dominant weapon of the Israeli artillery in the 21st century.
At the beginning of the 1973 war, the IDF had been caught unprepared, and the regular units had to carry the burden during the early initial days of fighting.
The artillery units had been engaged in high scale fighting, extremely out numbered, and under heavy counter-battery enemy fire.
Yet the IDF artillery had been able to support the IDF ground and air forces throughout the heroic fighting during these initial days of the war.
By the end of the war, in a daring mission, an M-107 battery, escorted with minimal defense, had proceeded behind enemy lines, through Syrian commando units to a location 40 k "m away from the Syrian capital, Damascus.
It had performed effective fire on the military airfield of the capita, under heavy enemy fire, resulting in the abandonment of the air field.
This mission of "Israeli artillery in the outskirts of Damascus" had created a significant contribution to the Israeli public moral in the face of the heavy fighting of this war.
Altogether, some 350,000 shells had been fired during the war.
The lessons learnt after the war had led to most significant enhancement of the Israeli artillery in all times.
New, longer barreled, M-109 systems had been purchased, and the existing units had been upgraded to the latest standard.
In many incidents along the Lebanese border, and especially during the "Peace for Galilee" operation in 1982, the artillery units had been engaged with the forward IDF units, fighting Palestinian and Syrian units, destroying enemy armor, artillery and surface to air missile batteries.
The success had been reflected by the chief of the IDF, saying that during the war "no one moved without the artillery".
During the late 80s, many US M-109A1 and M-109A2 units had been purchased and the IDF also took part in the AHIP American project.
The termination of this project, due to a severe fatal accident, resulted in a massive upgrade process of all M-109 units, emphasized of a new GPS based fire control system, external APU and many other improvements, resulting in having each self propelled system being able to function as an autonomous, completely self contained units any where in the field.
Existing kits summery:
AMX SPG: no kit is available, though the AMX-13 Heller model may serve as a base for a conversion.
M-7 Priest SPG: the single existing kit is Italeri's 1:35th kit #206.
M-50 SPG: Heller L782 kit of the towed version.
AEF Design kit KC-101.
L-33 SPG: AEF Design kit KC-102.
M-107 SPG: Italeri kit 248
AEF Design conversion kit KI-911.
M-110 SPG: Italeri kit 291 of the late, longer barreled M-110A2.
Verlinden Productions conversion kit 243.
M-109 SPG: Italeri kit 246 of the short and long barrel versions.
AEF Design conversion kit KI-901.
AFV CLUB conversion kit 35S23.
AEF Design conversion kit KI-902.
AEF Design conversion kit KI-904.
Goffy Models kits 3508 & 3509.
Warriors kits 35-1003, 35-1009 & WAMW011.
CMK kit 101.
Royal Model kit 101.
It is important not to confuse with the M-109A6 Paladin kit 372, not compatible for the Israeli versions.
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A-4 Skyhawk in Israeli Air Force Service – Part 1, by Avshi Sagi
Almost 40 years had past since the wheels of the first "Ayit" (A-4 in IAF service) touched the dock of the Kishon harbor in Haifa, and subsequently the runways of Ramat-david air base.
Today, after having been serving for 38 years, after having gone through a "RADA" Company avionics upgrade, the Ayit carries the burden of training the future IAF pilots, serving with the "Flying Tigers" squadron.
On March 18, 1966, a contract for the supply of 48 new A-4F had been signed.
As a defensive system, many capabilities had been omitted while break chute, arresting hook and a new UHF antenna had been added, resulting in the unique A-4H Israeli model.
On December 29, 1967, the first four Ayit (03, 05, 07 & 09) had arrived by ship.
On January 1st, 1968, Ayit 03, piloted by Captain Ohad Shadmi, the commanding officer of the "Valley" sqn., had performed the maiden flight over the Israeli sky.
Six months later, the "Flying Tigers" receives its first four A/Cs, immediately relocating to Hatzor air base, until finally relocating to its permanent base, at Hatzerim, on June 17, 1969.
By the end of 1968, all 48 A/C had been supplied to the "Valley" and "Flying tigers" sqn.
On February 26, 1968, the Johnson government agrees the selling of additional 52 Ayit, including 10 TA-4H.
The initial A/C began arriving on March 1969, supplementing the "Flying Tigers" sqn, and forming the base to the newly formed, the "Flying Dragon" sqn, at Tel- Nof air base.
During this period, the IDF is engaged in the "War of Attrition", and the Ayit was put immediately into action.
By signing the cease fire agreement, on August 7, 1970, seven Ayit had been lost to enemy AA fire.
On May 12, 1970, the Ayit achieves its first kills.
During an attack mission in southern Lebanon, Ayit 03 downs a Syrian MIG-17 with a volley of Zuni rockets, and subsequently, another Mig-17 with its 20 m"m guns.
This Ayit was later shot down during the 1973 war over the Suez Canal.
During 1969, the US government had authorized the selling of 60 surplus US Navy A-4Es, including precision guidance capabilities and upgraded avionics.
In 1971, two additional Ayit sqn. had been formed.
These had been the "Knights of the North" sqn, at Ramat-david air base, transitioning from the French Vautour A/C, and the "Flying wing" sqn, at Tel-nof air base, transitioning from the French Mystere IV A/C.
During 1971, the Nixon government had authorized the selling of 117 new A-4N A/C.
Based on the A-4M, and equipped with 30 m"m guns, the first A-4N, # 322, had been handed to the "Flying Dragon" sqn. on June 8 1972.
Subsequently and in anticipation for the new N models, the IAF had decided on upgrading the existing Ayit fleet to the N standard.
On the first prototype, A-4H #59 of the "Flying Dragon" sqn., an up rated J-52-P408 engine had been installed, together with newly developed Israeli avionics.
The success of this modification had led to the decision to include the avionics modifications in all future A-4N and to upgrade the entire Ayit fleet to this standard.
Some of the old H models had been transferred to a newly formed "Advanced Fighter" sqn., within the IAF flying academy.
By October 1973, on the eve of the "Yom Kippur" war, the IAF had 162 Ayit A/C, in six sqn., in three bases, most of the E and H models having been upgrade to the N standard, while the initial A-4N had begun arriving to the "Flying Dragon" sqn.
All along this time, since the end of the "War of Attrition", the Egyptian and Syrian armies had been deeply engaged in preparations for the next war.
Many surface to air missiles, especially SA-2, SA-3 and the new mobile SA-6 were put into service, positioned in newly formed sites, much closer to the borders with Israel.
Large quantities of SA-7 shoulder fired missiles had also been acquired.
A large aerial battle near the coast of Latakiya, Syria, on September 1973, in which 12 Syrian Migs were shot down (and a single Israeli Mirage), had contributed to the blindness and ill preparation of the Israeli side, in face of the war about to start very soon.
Eventually, the war broke out on October 6, 1973, at 13:55.
The Israeli doctrine had consisted on a surprise, pre emptive, aerial attack on the Syrian and Egyptian surface to air missile butteries arrays.
Named "Tagar", the attack was to be consisted of a wave after wave strikes, assuming a time period of half a day required for the destruction of the Egyptian array along the Suez Canal, and a full day for the destruction of the whole Egyptian array.
Since the political authorization for this attack had been grunted, the IAF had to confront the the combined Egyptian and Syrian surface and air attacks.
The IAF had been confronted with an intolerable situation, required to perform without having gained the necessary air superiority and under the fear and uncertainty of confronting the surface to air missiles.
The collapse of all known flying tactics in face of the multiple hits from AA artillery and shoulder missiles, and the requirement that the IAF shall demonstrate the same success as in the 1967 war, necessitated the IAF to develop ad-hock tactics, in order to stop, in any price, the huge armored and infantry waves of the enemies.
The Ayit sqns had been tasked with this mission and along the time, new tactics, like the TOSS attack, defense formation flying and avoidance of flying in heavy configurations, in term of fuel and armament.
Under the pressure of the heavy loss of A/Cs, the then Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, had requested immediate American assistance.
Eventually E and F Ayit models, all from US navy squadrons, had been hastily flown to Israel.
Painted in American colors, it had been quickly repainted and sent to reinforce the front line squadrons.
30 of these Ayit had been flown directly to Israel, including aerial refueling along the flight, and had been able to take part in the fighting along the two front lines.
The rest, having been sent by ships, had taken part in the last accord of the war in the Syrian front, including the attack on Mt. Hermon.
The cease fire agreement had been signed on October 24, 1973, after 18 days of fighting. About 50 Ayit had been lost during the war.
The Ayit had heroically carried the burden of fighting, while paying dire price due to loss of airplanes and crews.
On the nest issue of Kne Mida – the Ayit after the "Yom Kippur" war, plus many technical data, and kits survey.
This article also contains two pages of E and H models, color profiles.
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