In my researching for the 2 Shots I am working on I found mention of an after market turret with reoriented loader's hatches. The "normal" covers are oriented at an angle from the centerline (Like a carrier's angle deck), with the outboard edge parallel to the right edge of the turret, while the after market one is oriented along the central, fore/ aft axis. I can't find any photo references to support the aftermarket one. Someone's flight of fancy? Odd factory trial that landed in Israeli stocks? Israeli mod when the turrets were rebuilt for the Gimel and Dalet models?

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In my researching for the 2 Shots I am working on I found mention of an after market turret with reoriented loader's hatches. The "normal" covers are oriented at an angle from the centerline (Like a carrier's angle deck), with the outboard edge parallel to the right edge of the turret, while the after market one is oriented along the central, fore/ aft axis. I can't find any photo references to support the aftermarket one. Someone's flight of fancy? Odd factory trial that landed in Israeli stocks? Israeli mod when the turrets were rebuilt for the Gimel and Dalet models?

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The difference is what Mark of Centurion it is. On the Centurion 3's the loaders hatch was lined up with the cupola, on the Mark 5's it was lined up with the edge of the turret top armor. Both turrets types were used by the IDF as they used several versions of the Centurions.

Actually the only difference between a 3 and a 5 was the type of co-ax MG (Besa on the 3, .30 Browning on the 5). The realignment of the loader's hatch was, I believe, contemporaneous with the omission of the turret rear hatch and was to make it easier to remove the 20pdr breech ring so that the gun and mantlet could be extracted from the front. The hatch position change is not diagnostic of the original mark, just an evolution during the production run (like the trackguard bins, loader's periscope location etc.).