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.

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.

LRDG Chevrolet

A while back I went to the Imperial War Museum in London. Amongst the items on display was a recently recovered LRDG Chevrolet. Unfortunately I only took one photograph of the interior.

I will have to revisit the IWM.

IS-2M tank at IWM Duxford