Can anyone help Paddy McGannon with this question ?
They were at Bovington for trials only I believe.
TIA
Paul Middleton


Any idea where I can find info on 'S' tanks in British service particularly unit markings/info.I have found one photo but its dark. Its for a mate in the USA. normally I would take a few beers around to Gerry's for this but...
regards
Paddy

There was an article in Military modelling a few years back about the time the trumpeter kit was released...I think it was called cyclops and if taen into serive would have been used by anti-tank units of the RA

The Swedish Armour Historical Society has released a book called "Strv 103 Photo guide" and it has the following information. It appears the tanks were sent to Germany, and not Bovington.



In the autumn of 1973 the british army leased 10 Strv. 103s for trials. These took place in then West-Germany with british crews being trained inSkövde for some weeks. Above 34A CLAPHAM during a motor check. Below is COURAGEOUS.



The tanks were marked with their call signs in large yellow digits on the left hand tool-box 3A Company Commander 3B 2iC. The rest were marked 33, 33A, 33B, 34, 34A, 34B. Some tanks also had a name painted on both sides in white on black as CYCLOPS, CANADA, CAVALIER, COURAGEOUS, CLAPHAM and CYRENAICA. British registration plates were attached on the MG boxes underthe embrassures in the range 10XM01 to 10XM10.
Among the ten tanks delivered, there were three different colour schemes; olive drab, dark green and 4-colour.
Below, the image shows tanks on their way to Skövde railway station for loading.

2 more images.

This one shows the british registration plates well! Think it is "10 XM 08"



The other shows some uniforms of the day! According to the book, these pics were taken in either Germany or Skövde.



Its an excellent book, and if your mate is interested in the S-tank its well worth looking out for. Its a pictorial guide with good caption in both Swedish and English!

Hi Frank,
This is excellent stuff, very many thanks indeed. I will forward it all to Paddy.

This is just the reason we needed this forum !

Take care
Paul Middleton

Hi All

I've blundered around the Swedish Armour website but can't find details about the s-tank book. What should I ask them for?

Does anybody know about a Merkava that was trialled probabily late 80s

might have been when looking for a replacement for the Cheiften/Chally 1 I'm sure it was trialed along with the Abrams/leopard

For anybody who is interested in this book (or indeed swedish armor) check out the Swedish Armour Historical Association homepage
Click on "Försäljning" on the left column
And then "Boken om stridsvagn 103".
Hit the top British flag for English language variation of this page.
The book is available from Barbarossa Books outside Sweden.
[email protected]
[email protected]

Not me. But you could try PMing Thord Wedman, or as he is known here "The_Swede". He works with some of the military departments(?) and is involved with preservation projects, and knows quite a bit about Swedish armor, past and present.
CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO HIS PROFILE . PM him from there. If he can´t help you, Im sure he could point you in the right direction.

Thanks Frank

You're a star I'll be in touch with Russell later today. I appreciate the detailed instructions, sometimes I can't see what's right in front of me.

Best regards

Nick

No problems Nick. Glad to appear to know something #:-) :-)
All the best.

I got some information from the ever-helpful Bovington. The version I am building is Swedish 103B, number 2312, British registration 10XM01 (horizontal format plates, on front of machine gun box at front, under right hand bin at rear), named CYCLOPS on a black rectangle each side with the later, larger plastic rear stowage bins (as found in the 103C kit....) with a large ?yellow 3A painted on the left hand bin and appears, beneath the murk, to be in the dark green finish. It lacks a dozer blade, has no flotation poles or racks and has IR headlights fitted. In the photos that I have no cupola machine gun is fitted, but the mount is there. The exhaust is extended with that lovely curled pipe that is so difficuly to clean up on the kit and the tracks are as in the 103B kit but have rubber blocks in their central section. Hope this is helpful!