@gtdeath13 @idfpaul @Damgreg1977
Thanks a ton for all the feedback and information! I knew about the Mk.8 being used as a base for late Sho’t Meteors but I honestly haven’t seen its uncovered mantlet before, so I just assumed it was a Mk.10! 
I really appreciate all the information though!
Very unique IDF centurion variant though, I wonder how hard it’d be to make since there’s no kit for it.
A very good reference book, is the TRACKPAD book “tanks of the early IDF volume 3)
it’s not clear but they said IDF acquired 28 first Mk8 (type B barrel) , and after field trial , armor was added on front tank (now called Mk8/1)
After received first MK5 receipt, they ordered new 18 MK8
tanks arrived in 1961 and partipated to independence day parade (they were assigned to Company Zayin)
in all my references, never saw IDF MK8 with mantler cover
wee can found many nice parts here, but no MK8 conversion =
After a long while of stasis, I have returned, been in some archives, got new info and photos. Hope to post interesting stuff sooner rather than later. Right now I am re-starting my serial number project specifically on Magachs.
@LiterallyHorrigon The IDF used Mark 3, 5, 7 and 8. I also know some were captured from Egypt and Jordan, and they have serial numbers starting with 109. I do not know which marks are those but I believe Jordan was Mark 3…
Earlier or it might have been in another thread you said that Magach 6s (small turret M60s) didn’t enter IDF service until after 1973. Do you have any information on their initial service before they started their transformation into 6R and 6M etc?
Yeah, Magach 6s didn’t enter service until the fighting subsided and the war concluded. From what I know, 450-500ish were imported, sadly I have yet to find an accurate figure. They swiftly entered service in active-service brigades 401 and 14. Both of which were of the southern command and previously Magach 3 brigades. Of course there was also an element in Brigade 460, the training unit. interestingly, units like active-service brigade 211 formed on the Magach 3 and not 6, in 1975. I believe some went directly to reserve units such as Brigade 280, it is possible other units got them, but sadly I have a lot of units that I don’t know which vehicles they possesed or have very vague information on, for example Independent Armored Battalion 8511, which was a Magach IAB in Sinai, but I don’t know which type.
I found in the archives that the Magach 6R only came around in 1981, and was basically a reserves exclusive, with one exception. Magach 6 Reish Kochav (meaning star) which was an interim production variant with fittings for the Nachal Oz FCS, once they got the new FCS they became 6M. They served in Brigade 500, an active service brigade shortly.
I found in the archives a book on the 6R, it gives us (finally) a good, reliable, external identifior. An enlarged turret rear storage basket.
Regarding this, updates! I have found proof Brigade 292 used Shermans, as one of their M-51s participated in an experiment.
The entire experiment report, commander sight for M-51 Sherman, on my drive
You can actually find on many surviving M-51 Shermans preparations for the commander sight, however it seems it was never installed. Do note, not all had the preparations… It seems, that those which served in IAB 8121 and 7013 didn’t prepare for them. This may indicate which Shermans passed in Brigade 292..? Each surviving M-51 has a different degree of preparation, if anyone knows of any with the internals in good condition please notify me.
Aforementioned preparations on the M-51 in Yad La-Shiryon
Many surviving M-51s also received mountings for a 60 mm mortar, yet again, on photos from IABs this is absent, throughout IDF history IABs were always the lowest priority units, so maybe this is a side effect.
A rare photo, showing M-51 serial number 810100, the same one that’s in Fort Benning today, with the 60 mm roof mortar installed!
Additionally, in the archives, I managed to find losses documents from 1973 sadly they do not differentiate between M-50 and M-51
7 Tanks missing (probably captured)
16 Lost in combat and found
Thanks for the info. At least it gives me a start to figure out marking options for the Magach 6 I have 3/4 built. I new the 6Rs had the larger rear basket. I have a couple of reference books with pretty good pics of it. I also had figured that they were mostly used by reserve brigades. Almost all pics I have seen are basically devoid of markings and all from Lebanon in 82’
Nicely done. Keep at it.
