PT-76 Soviet Amphibious Light tank

The PT-76 was a Soviet designed amphibious reconnaissance tank. Introduced in the 1950s, it was originally the standard reconnaissance tank for Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces. It was widely exported, including to North Vietnam.

Armed with a 76mm D-56T rifled tank gun and a coaxial 7.62mm SGMT machine gun.

There is a PT-76 at the IWM Duxford, just outside the Land Warfare hall.

It certainly looks like it is in working order.

Goliath Tracked Mine

At Salute I bought the Rubicon SDKFZ-2 Kettenkrad which came with a Goliath mine on a trailer. At Colours, I bought the deployed Goliath Tracked Mine.

The Goliath Tracked Mine was a wire controlled remote mine.

Here are the sprue and the instruction sheet.

This is an example at the IWM Duxford.

Considering its diminutive size, it tool me a long time to paint.

The hull is Citadel Zandri Dust, the tracks are a wet mix of Vallejo Black and Black Grey together with Army Painter Chaotic Red.

I thought it looked a bit plain, so I added some Balkenkreus on the side and rear.

Comets at IWM Duxford

There are two A34 Comet Tanks at IWM Duxford. Both of them show Post War modifications.

Loyd Carrier

Loyd Carrier in the Land Warfare hall at Duxford.

Loyd Carrier based post War Self Propelled Gun at the Brussels museum

British Airborne equipment

There are two major limitations on airborne assaults: your forces if deployed by parachute can be scattered wildly and they have limited heavy weapon capability.

One way of concentrating your forces is to use gliders (that adds a new vulnerability as gliders are delicate things and provide limited protection from anti-aircraft fire). The other is the development of vehicles that can either be air-dropped or glider landed in support of your forces.

The British Light Tank Mark VII Tetrach was a light tank designed as part of the losing battle of light tank design that was then used as a glider borne tank.

Normally armed with a two pound anti-tank gun (a weapon that had shown shortcomings during the early North African campaign and was obsolete by 1943) it was not a particularly useful vehicle but at least gave the impression that you were supported by a tank.

This is the Tetrach at the Tank Museum.

A requirement for a glider delivered tank was passed from the British to the Americans, the M22 Locust was the result. Armed with a 37mm gun, it had poor anti-tank capability, initial unreliability and did not really bring much to the battle.

The Welbike was a motorbike designed to fit inside the standard air-drop containers, hence the compact design with spindly seat and handlebars.

I think this is an airborne howitzer.

Airborne jeep.

I think this is an airborne anti-tank gun.

World War Two gliders were extremely lightweight, and there was no protection for the passengers or crew. The Medical Research Council designed a set of armour comprising three 1mm thick manganese steel plates. These provided some protection to the chest, lower belly and lower back.

The plates were in canvas carriers and had felt padding. Weighing just over one kilogram, they were unpopular.

Shown over a Glider Pilot battledress blouse, they were normally worn under the Denison smock.

On display at Duxford.

IS-2M tank at IWM Duxford

Cromwell Tanks - Bovington and Duxford

Cromwell Tank at the Tank Museum.

A Cromwell Tank at Duxford.

M5 Combat Vehicle Stuart Gun Tractor (Stuart VI)

One vehicle I noted at Duxford was an M5 Stuart Gun Tractor.

Based on the M5 Stuart tank with the whole turret and supporting deck removed.

Unfortunately I could not see into the crew area.

This vehicle was used to tow the 17 Pounder anti-tank gun by British forces.

Not to be confused with the US M5 High Speed Tractor, which is a completely different vehicle.

Frankenengine

This is the Chrysler A57 multibank engine assembly of the Sherman V (M4A4).

It comprises five 4.1 litre six cylinder engine blocks around a common shaft.

The example above is at the IWM Duxford.

Besides Wikipedia, there is an article on it here.

Grizzling... The M4A1 Grizzly

Previously I mentioned the T34 in "Dress up" at the IWM Duxford, there was another two vehicles there that were not as they seemed.

Canada started licensed production of Sherman tanks (as the M4A1 Grizzly), based on the M4A1 pattern (cast hull and Continental Radial Engine), however from their experience with the Ram, there were some minor modifications: the armour was thicker (some examples) and sloped more and the track used was lighter and simpler and did not use scarce rubber. The track required a different 17 tooth drive sprocket (the M4 used a 13 tooth sprocket).

They built 188. As US production of the M4 series was thought to be sufficient, production was then turned over to the Sexton Mk 2.

After the Second World War a number of Grizzly tanks were sold to Portugal. They remained in service until the 'eighties. It is this late survival which has led to their appearance in museums, as the other marks of Sherman were either lost or scrapped.

So, if you see an M4A1 Sherman, it might be a Canadian in disguise.

So, going back to IWM Duxford, here are some pictures of the example that was there in November 2015.

 This is a doubly dodgy paint job, Akilla was a welded hull tank (see surviving photographs) .

 General Steel logo on the glacis

The IWM Duxford Land Warfare hall is not convenient for photography as the exhibits are close together and poorly lit.

 Probably not an original style box.

The D-Day museum at Southsea (near Portsmouth) has an M4A1 outside.

References:
Wikipedia
Sherman Minutia page