Hi all, a time when life has taken its time back, now maybe I can finish my Abrams, but I have a question about the T-55 and I apologize for my ignorance, I was looking at the color profile of the T- 55 number 512 which took part in the Danube operation, and this drawing shows the vehicle with the anti-radiation kit, but looking at the Tamiya kit this shows the presence of the AA gun, while the profile shows it without the machine gun, in your opinion it is a mistake or the layout of the gunner’s hatch was different, I cannot understand how the servant’s hatch was hinged since the alternatives offered by the Tamiya kit are very precise, what do you think?
Thanks for watching
The Tamiya kit is a T-55A. It can be built with or without the anti radiation cladding and options for the hatches as well. Good luck.
Yes indeed, but I wanted to eventually understand if there could be the anti-radiation kit without the A.A. mg, because in the Tamiya kit, if I put the complete set as it appears in the posted profile (and not just the hatch) the A.A. mg would have to be added, or was there also the configuration without m.g.? if so thare are some pics?
Thanks
Originally the 55 did not have a AAMG and it was added later.
I’d look for pics of Operation Danube and see if 55s had the MG at that time.
As luck would have it the two items I would go to to try and help with your question, the kit and Zaloga’s Osprey book, are both packed away in preparation for some wonderful basement sewer work. If memory serves both the version with the flush loaders hatch ( no machine gun ) and the version with the MG mount were retrofitted with the anti-rad covers so the profile would seem legitimate.
many of them were T-54s and had the mg, the T-55s seen in the pictures did not have them, like the one in the profile, but I find the presence of the anti-radiation set without the mg very strange, since I have never seen one with that configuration, usually hey had the mg like in the tamiya instruction
here the complete anti-radiation set with mg
and here the only hatch
it would be interesting, but I don’t know how it should be since such a combination with the pieces in the Tamiya kit would not be possible
The anti radiation cladding came later than Operation Danube. I want to say that the stuff was introduced in the late 70’s when the US was talking about fielding the “neutron bomb” in Europe. The T-55s in use at that time had the early circular flush loaders hatch and no AA MG. The same goes for T-62s. The T-54s used during that operation did have AA MGs. I built a “Prague Spring/Operation Danube” 1/35 T-55 a few years ago and literally poured over hundreds of photos looking at all the details to get my build correct.
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Those reference photos are incredible.
I downloaded and saved a lot photos from that operation for reference.
You would be correct, I have loads of photos from the operation, I too have found that T 55s had the flush loaders hatch and that T 54s had the AA MG. No anti radiation lining was fitted either as that is a much later addition.
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In principle I agree, but for example if you read the second line of the instruction booklet of the Tamiya kit, it reports that it was introduced in the early 1960s, I also found a photo during my research on the events of spring in Prague where you can see vehicles equipped in this way, there were no captions, it was an “unnamed” photo but as a period it gave me that.
At this point I can only think that Star decals has made a mistake
As far as I recall, the development of the anti-radiation lining started in 1961 and was initially installed to the T-55A’s between late 1962 and -more likely- 1963
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Honestly I don’t know what nationality the vehicles in the posted photo are, the subtle numbering was present in both Czechoslovakian and Russian vehicles, at least looking at the tamiya profiles, the white dot after the number made me think of Czech tanks, but how long I have read the Czech units were sent to the borders with NATO, but I am not particularly informed about it
On the above photo, I don’t see any of the tanks wearing the white invasion ID markings. That is the only one that would make me question the dating of the photo to the Operation Danube.
In fact for what i’ve read Czech units did not partecipate at the occupation, they were sended at the border
It was an invasion of Czechoslovakia by surrounding Warsaw Pact nations. The Czech military was ordered to stand down by the government and stay in their camps so as to avoid casualties.
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ok, something escapes us, even Bison decals give the T-55A with the anti-radiation covers, there are two cases, or one of the two has copied the other (I mean bison and star decals) making both mistakes or this elusive T-55 number 512 really existed
