(Whoops - I originally posted this in the wrong place. Still getting used to the forum architecture. Sorry!)

Hi, new guy here with a question-

I've been Googling for hours, and I've come up blank. I've got an old pea-green Forces of Valor Sherman tank that I'd like to re-paint as an Israeli M-3 (that's with the standard short 75mm gun). I know that Olive Drab would be the correct color, and I believe that in 1948 it wouldn't have had any markings. Is that correct?

But I'd like it a little jazzier than that. I believe they saw some service in 1956. Would they have received any markings then? I've seen M-50 and M-51's with nifty Hebrew markings and chevrons, and transfers are available from Verlinden. Would any of these be appropriate? Thanks.

In the IDF, Shermans with the short 75mm gun were known as M-3's. Those with the 76mm gun were known as M-1's. My Google searches were for "markings paint sherman israel".

Pics from that time period show a vehicle registration number in white on a black background on the hull sides towards the front of the tank. I haven't seen any pics of 75mm M3 type gun Shermans in the '56 War some M1 Shermans had a large white "X" on the turret sides as an i.d. marking.

You may want to join the IDF Forum to get what you really want.

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

Roger that!

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

Hi there,
AFAIK, the 75mm gunned Shermans (with M3 gun) were reffered to as M4 Sherman by the Israelis. Then were the 76mm M1, 75mm M50 and 105mm M51.

In the 1956 campaign Israelis had some M4's, M1's, and early M50's with the VVSS suspension. Markings were only registration numbers on the hull sides with blue (st. Andrews?) cross with white outline on the engine deck for air recognition.
You may check the M50 I did about a year ago as it has the 1956 markings painted on:
http://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/1144

HTH
Greg

Thanks, Greg and Chris. It appears IDF tank markings were pretty simple in '56. I've found an immediate post-war pic of an M-1 with more elaborate markings, but nothing with an M-3/M-4 (Greg, you could go insane trying to reconcile sources concerning Israeli armor nomenclature - and we won't even talk about the whole Super Sherman/Isherman thing! )

Sorry, I'm unfamiliar with any "Merlin."

(EDIT: It appears that M-4 was the IDF designation for the Sherman with the 105mm howitzer)

It is true that the Israelis used the gun as the basis for naming the tanks - the older M3 gunned Shermans were simply just called Shermans by the IDF tankers. The M1 and M1A1 76 s were called M1s though.

As far as markings the y did use a white X on the turret sides and turret roof as well. This came relatively late and then after the 56 conflict they adopted the large Hebrew Alpha. with Numbers around 1959. As virtually everyone used Shermans in the region it was critical to aviod friendly fire incidents.
Chris

For the '56 Sinai campaign Israeli Shermans of all varieties (M3 75m, M1 76mm, and M50) were showing the standard registration code on a black background. There was usually a bridge disc on the trans cover with white numerals on a blue circle bordered in red. As an aerial recognition feature there was a St. Andrew's cross (blue with white border) placed on the engine deck. This was oriented to look like an "X" when viewed from above, and was symmetrical--again think "X", not like the Scottish flag proper which is rectangular. Color for the tanks was probably quite variable but some form of olive drab. Chances are most equipment was still whatever color it wore when Israel got it, subject to fading, etc. The M50's were probably a brownish shade of OD and freshly painted, as they arrived from France in secret just days before the war began.