Can anyone ID the brigade marking on this M60A1. Pic is identified as Yom Kippur War and I have not been able to find anything from the web. IDF unit info is always scarce but being 50 years ago I doubt it would be a state secret anymore
I think anyone that would know what it is probably knows this already, but it is the marking on the front left fender that I’m talking about
Never saw that one before
I’m definitely no expert but I have a pile of pics and a lot of books on middle east wars and the IDF in particular and I’ve never seen it before either
I did hear a story once about during the 73 war that some markings were there to confuse the other sides to think we had more armor then we actually had sort of a Psy ops especially with the stuff we were taking straight off the boat and putting into the field stuff . Remember our air force had phantoms In the far east cammo of Vietnam and the US markings hastily covered over with our markings but something still had the American pilots names under The canopy till after the war
That’s an interesting possibility and it would have been a very desperate and confused situation 
I have seen this marking. I do not know the brigade but it was the one that was had its vehicles photographed during their movement to the front. Some of our Israeli members maybe know more
Great pics! I haven’t seen the ones on the paved streets before
There are some other interesting markings on these as well. The one tank seems to have Alef 1 on the left side of the glacis (might be the same tank in the wide shot) and one looks like the number 138 is on the fender under the unknown marking
Most photos, like these above, have been sensored and most of the insignia and markings cannot be distinguished or seen. I would not be suprised if the brigade marking is fictional because whilst the number plates are sensored the brigade marking is not.
There is a bunch of photos depicting similar or the same vehicles with another brigade marking that could have been taken in the same area
I was sent this link to a discussion on twitter about the location and brigade
Translation
It seems to be an M-60A1 with an elongated turret and an original commander’s turret with a MCK inside.
I’m almost certain that such tanks were only in the three battalions of the 600th Brigade and the 87th Reconnaissance Battalion (more details in the captions on the photos)
The tanks of the 600th Brigade moved on caterpillars from the Natan and Yemen Field camps to Sinai.
So here we have it
I really need to learn to read Hebrew 
Some great diorama ideas in those pics!
As I listed in another thread, during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War the Magach 6 Alef (M60A1) was in service with three major units, Brigade 600, Scout Battalion 87, and eleven tanks in Brigade 460 (they were of course in one battalion not all of it but I don’t remember which off the top of my head!)
In the photo you have posted you see the marking Chativaton (חטיבתון) of Bat. 87.
The lack of a number usually hints at a non-brigade type of unit. Such as Independent battalions. Armored Scouting Battalion 87 was organic to the division level, not a brigade and as such there is no number to signify battalion within the chativaton. Similar to IAB 181.
The other marking sent here, by Nikos Brestas (By the way hi!!! @gtdeath13 It is me Sisay! I lost access to my FB I have a lot to share with you!!!)
That which looks like a shield is of Brigade 600, the number two should represent Battalion 409 there, if I remember correctly.
That’s awesome! Thanks very much for the clarification 
No problem, also it seems I have misremembered, attached is a document detailing the… Dispersion..? Of tanks in the IDF dated 4th of October 1973, simple cross-reference and math would give us that my previous statement of eleven tanks in Brigade 460 is impossible.
Magach 6 Alef units:
111 tanks in Brigade 600
24 tanks in Battalion 87
1 tank in Battalion 606, this was a combat engineering battalion, and that there is the only Magach 6 Alef Tadach (Tank Dachpor AKA Dozer tank). I have a photo of it if you want, no markings.
That’s exactly 136 tanks, which matches the number imported in 1972.
More great pics!! Thanks
Hello, I would like to correct myself and various sources which list the initial Israeli purchase of M60A1s being of 136 units.
Upon further investigation of primary sources, including the very table which I myself have previously shared here.
It seems that I was wrong, according to IDF multi-year work plan, “Goshen B”, the IDF would import 150 M60A1s in order to push into service 147 tanks.
The original plan called for the following dispersion amongst units:
Under Division 143 of the Southern Command:
111 M60A1s in Brigade 600
25 M60A1s in Scout Battalion 87
Under Division 162 (Which was organic to the armored corps themselves basically):
11 M60A1s in Brigade 460.
That’s 147 tanks in service, with the additional three likely being used for spares or maybe training.
In practice, by October 4th 1973 the M60A1s (Magach 6, upon importation of M60s in during Operation Nickel Grass M60A1s would be redesignated Magach 6 Alef)
were dispersed as such:
111 in Brigade 600
24 in Scout Battalion 87 (yes, 24, not a typo)
11 in Brigade 460, intended for Scout Battalion 279
1 in Engineering Battalion 606, being a dozer-tank AKA “Tadach”
Regarding markings what does this mean? I am uncertain, the Scout Battalions were generally still during forming, and many lacked markings, I don’t even know of the 11 M60A1s intended for scouting battalion 279 had any markings or were used in the war!
