This
auction is for the 1/35 British Army CENTURION Mk III Tank by ACADEMY-MINICRAFT.
Reissue of NICHIMO/TAMIYA kit.
The
Centurion was the primary British main battle tank of the post-Second World War
period. Introduced in 1945, it is widely considered to be one of the most
successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s, and
seeing combat in the front lines into the 1980s. The chassis was also adapted
for several other roles, and these have remained in service to this day.
Development
of the Centurion began in 1943 with manufacture beginning in January 1945. Six
prototypes arrived in Belgium less than a month after the war in Europe ended
in May 1945. It first entered combat with the British Army in the Korean War in
1950, in support of the UN forces. The Centurion later served in the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, where it fought against US-supplied M47 and M48
Patton tanks and it served with the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in Vietnam.
Israel’s
IDF used Centurions in the 1967 Six-Day War, 1973 Yom Kippur War, and during
the 1978 and 1982 invasions of Lebanon. Centurions modified as armored
personnel carriers were used in Gaza, the West Bank and on the Lebanese border.
The Royal Jordanian Land Force used Centurions, first in 1970 to fend off a
Syrian incursion within its borders during the Black September events and later
in the Golan Heights in 1973. South Africa deployed its Centurions in Angola
during the South African Border War.
It
became one of the most widely used tank designs, equipping armies around the
world, with some still in service until the 1990s. As recently as the 2006
Israel–Lebanon conflict the Israel Defense Forces employed heavily modified
Centurions as armored personnel carriers and combat engineering vehicles. The
South African National Defence Force still employs over 200 Centurions, which
were modernized in the 1980s and 2000s as the Olifant (elephant).
Between
1946 and 1962, 4,423 Centurions were produced, consisting of 13 basic marks and
numerous variants. In British Army use it was replaced by the Chieftain.
Centurion
Mk 3
Fitted
with 20pdr, 2 stowage positions for track links on glacis.
Production
of the Mk 3 began in 1948. The Mk 3 was so much more powerful than the Mk 1 and
Mk 2, that the earlier designs were removed from service as soon as new Mk 3s
arrived, and the older tanks were then either converted into the Centurion armored
recovery vehicle (ARV) Mark 1 for use by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers or upgraded to Mk 3 standards. Improvements introduced with the Mk 3
included a more powerful version of the engine and a new gun sight and gun stabilizer.
KOREAN
WAR
On
14 November 1950, the British Army's 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, equipped
with three squadrons of Centurion Mk 3 tanks, landed in Pusan. The first
recorded Centurion kill occurred in Busan against a North Korean captured
Cromwell tank. Operating in sub-zero temperatures, the 8th Hussars learnt the rigors
of winter warfare: their tanks had to be parked on straw to prevent the steel
tracks from freezing to the ground. Engines had to be started every half hour,
with each gear being engaged in turn to prevent them from being frozen into
place. During the Battle of the Imjin River, Centurions won lasting fame when
they covered the withdrawal of the 29th Brigade, with the loss of five tanks,
most later recovered and repaired. In 1953, Centurions of the 1st Royal Tank
Regiment were also involved in the Second Battle of the Hook where they played
a significant role in repelling Chinese attacks. In a tribute to the 8th
Hussars, General John O'Daniel, commanding the US 1st Corps, stated: "In
their Centurions, the 8th Hussars have evolved a new type of tank warfare. They
taught us that anywhere a tank can go, is tank country: even the tops of
mountains."
Nuclear
tests
The
Atomic Tank at Robertson Barracks
An
Australian Army Mk 3 Centurion Type K, Army Registration Number 169041, was
involved in a small nuclear test at Emu Field in Australia in 1953 as part of
Operation Totem1. Built as number 39/190 at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Barnbow
in 1951 it was assigned the British Army number 06 BA 16 and supplied to the
Australian Commonwealth Government under Contract 2843 in 1952.
It
was placed less than 500 yards (460 m) from the 9.1 kt blast with its turret
facing the epicentre, left with the engine running and a full ammunition
load.[84] Examination after detonation found that it had been pushed away from
the blast point by about 5 feet (1.5 m), pushed slightly left and that its
engine had stopped working, but only because it had run out of fuel. Antennae
were missing, lights and periscopes were heavily sandblasted, the cloth mantlet
cover was incinerated, and the armoured side plates had been blown off and
carried up to 200 yards (180 m) from the tank. It could still be driven from
the site. Had the tank been manned, the crew would most likely have been killed
by the shock wave.
169041,
subsequently nicknamed The Atomic Tank, was used in the Vietnam War. In May
1969, during a firefight, 169041 (call sign 24C) was hit by a rocket-propelled
grenade (RPG). The turret crew were all wounded by fragmentation as the RPG
hollow charge jet entered the lower left side of the fighting compartment,
travelled diagonally across the floor and lodged in the rear right corner.
Trooper Carter was evacuated, while the others remained on duty and the tank
remained battleworthy.
The Atomic Tank is now located at Robertson Barracks in Palmerston, Northern Territory. Although other tanks were subjected to nuclear tests, 169041 is the only one known to have withstood a blast and to go on for another 23 years of service, including 15 months on operational deployment in a war zone.
Seen in GIRLS UND PANZER and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
This item
has been DISCONTINUED and is RARE.
CONDITION:
Item: Vintage-NEW *Complete* Some larger
pieces are off the sprue, otherwise original bagging
Box: GOOD
Mine is a non-smoking home, but I cannot
guarantee that these items have not been in a smoking home.
This household is PANDEMIC-CONSCIOUS and we
will not knowingly pass along anything contaminated. All fabric or plush items are clean and will
be packed considerately as well as carefully.
SHIPPING SPEED: With USPS I will endeavor to hand it off the
next delivery day. With FedEx and UPS
which demand a special trip, I hand off, twice per week: usually Monday and Thursday
or Tuesday and Friday. And, once I hand
it off, I have no control over the speed.
If it seems late, contact me and, if necessary, I’ll file a trace on it. If you’re mad at THEIR speed, please don’t
take it out on my feedback: again, I have no control over them.
FREE SHIPPING, anything
shipping less than PRIORITY, or anything less than the full price, uses the
most economical postage and packaging.
SEE MY OTHER AUCTIONS FOR OTHER ITEMS!!!
I will combine my items to save on shipping, if
possible! Due to the work
required to fit into new boxes (20 minutes) and a history of bad faith
requests, I cannot give out quotes prior to purchase – just know that I will
endeavor to get you a good deal, as my feedback attests.
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shipments outside of the US, please check with me for Shipping and Handling
charges.
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