M56 Scorpion and M50 Ontos in Combat

The M56 Scorpion and M50 Ontos were light weight air-portable Anti-Tank Self-Propelled gun vehicles designed and built in the 1950s. They entered service with the US Army and the US Marines. Too late for the Korean War, both were first used in combat in 1965 and were used in roles that they were not intended … Continue reading M56 Scorpion and M50 Ontos in Combat →

US Super-Heavy Tank T28

There are a few prototype armored fighting vehicles that are as recognizable as the US Super-Heavy Tank T28. It was originally designed to assault the heavy fortified defenses expected to be encountered on the Siegfried Line along the western borders of Germany. Later it was planned to be used in the invasion of the Japanese … Continue reading US Super-Heavy Tank T28 →

Israeli Air Force 1948-49

The Israeli Air Force (IAF), born in battle out of a dire need, was founded on 28 May 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. By the beginning of 1949, the IAF had over 150 fully qualified pilots, only a fraction of them were native Israeli, flying about the same number of aircraft of … Continue reading Israeli Air Force 1948-49 →

M551 Sheridan in combat 1969-91

The M551 Sheridan Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle (AR/AAV) was a US light tank designed to be dropped by parachute, swim across rivers and was the last light tank employed by the US Army. It was armed with the technically advanced but problematic 152mm gun/launcher, which fired both conventional ammunition and the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided anti-tank … Continue reading M551 Sheridan in combat 1969-91 →

Czechoslovakia 1945 and 1968

During the 20th century, Czechoslovakia experienced two invasions by the Soviet Union. The first was in the spring of 1945 when the Soviet Union liberated Czechoslovakia from fascist Germany. The second was 23 years later in August 1968 when the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries "liberated" Czechoslovakia to stop the democratization of the … Continue reading Czechoslovakia 1945 and 1968 →