The ZU-23-2 (2A13) mounts two 2A14 23 mm auto-cannons on a small trailer which can be converted into a stationary mount for firing the guns. In this mode the axles and wheels are rotated to a horizontal position on the chasis. The auto-cannon can be prepared for firing from the march position in 30 seconds and in emergency can be fired from the traveling position. The weapon is aimed and fired manually, with the help of the ZAP-23 optical-mechanical sight which uses manually entered target data to provide limited automatic aiming. It also has a straight-tube T-3 telescopic sight for use against ground targets such as infantry as well as unarmored or lightly armored vehicles. The shells are fed by a conveyor belt from two ammunition boxes. These boxes are attached to the side of the twin auto-cannon and each carries 50 rounds. The fumes created by firing the weapon are partially removed through the side openings in the barrels.In the Soviet Union, some 140,000 units were produced. The ZU-23 has also been produced under license by Bulgaria, Poland, Egypt and the People's Republic of China.Development of this weapon into a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) led to the ZSU-23 radar guided mobile AA vehicle. Above is a photo of a Syrian gun emplacement on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War. Below is a You-tube video of a ZU-23-2 in live fire practice with the Greek army.
The Model: Trumpeter 1/35th scale ZU-23-2 Anti Aircraft gun. If you like lots of little fiddly parts in a model then this one is for you. I always wanted to build a ZU-23-2 and Trumpeter Models finally released their version last year. Other manufacturers have made attempts but this is the definitive version. Be aware that this model is quite detailed and has MANY small parts. There are some photo-etched parts included but not enough in my opinion for some of the finer details of the sighting mechanism. I was having some trouble following the drawings at times and finally went to "Google" to get some detailed photos. I should have started with those photos as They helped immensely in clarifying the position of the numerous small bits of unrecognizable plastic. The next one I build (Yes, I bought two) will be easier because of the photo references I gathered. I was amazed at what Trumpeter Models has been able to reproduce in plastic as some of the railings and other parts are so very thin and delicate the biggest problem is cutting them off the sprues without breaking. Here is the model before painting to show some of the photo-etch parts and complicated assembly.
Here ia a photo of the actual sighting mechanism which I used towards the end to assemble this little jewel.
Here is the model after paint. I did it in a simple Russian green scheme as the Syrians did not always camouflage these guns before fielding them. My Little Bronco Gaz-69 now has a load in tow. I can already picture a future diorama scene in my mind.
The Gaz-69 (M) 4 x 4 utility truck is a 1950s era Russian manufactured vehicle which appeared in every war-zone of the Middle-East and Asia throughout the last 50 years. This little work-horse was the Soviet equivalent of the American "Jeep" during the cold war years. Client countries including most of the Arabs which received Soviet arms during this time period were equipped with various versions of this very useful vehicle. The base model truck was used for troop transport, communications and armed reconnaisance. One version of the GAZ-69 was modified to launch AT-1 "Snapper" Anti-tank rockets in a quadruple missile assembly on the rear of the vehicle. Referred to sometimes as the "baby carriage" for it's peculiar resemblance ,this version appeared with Egyptian forces in the Sinai desert during the 1967 Six-Day war. The Israelis captured some of them in 67 and integrated these into their own reconnaissance forces. At least a few were seen in Israeli war-paint during the Yom Kippur war. This post will display one particular GAZ-69 radio truck that I had the opportunity to check out on the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. I built it bare without the radio masts, but may continue working on it in future to bring it up to photo accuracy. The two photos below were unfortunately the only ones that I snapped that day but it shows to good effect the camouflage scheme and colors and also my friend Etan, when he was very young. We are both now in our late fifties and he was glad to hear from me (after so many years), to tell him I was publishing his photo.
The following photos show other Syrian GAZ-69 vehicles of the same type during the 1973 war.
The Model: Bronco GAZ-69 (M) in 1/35th scale. This little gem of a model is very delicate and complete. It comes with a full engine compartment (with engine of course) undercarriage & chassis assembly.
The photo-etch is minute and requires a surgeons touch to manipulate into position.
The following photos show off the model, after assembly and paint and to the best of my ability (at the time) weathering. I built this model to eventually appear in a multi-vehicle diorama so expect to see it again some time soon.
The British manufactured and Israeli modified Centurion "Shot" ("whip" in Hebrew) tank served with the IDF during the latter half of the 20th century as a main battle tank and later it was modified for service as an armored troop carrier. During the Six Day and the Yom Kippur Wars, it was considered the Israeli army's most effective tank fighting on very different terrain conditions on Israel's Northern and Southern front.
At 14:00hrs on October 6th, 1973, a massive Syrian artillery barrage fired the opening shots of the Yom Kippur war. Shortly afterward, the Israeli 74th Tank Battalion of the 188th "Barak" Armored Brigade faced a combined Syrian armored force of hundreds of T-54,T-55 and T-62 tanks. Intuitively, the Israeli commander Lt.Col. Yair Nafshi had moved his battalion's position 1.5 km forward from its previous defensive position. His unilateral decision saved his men and machines from the Syrian's devastating artillery barrage. Equipped with 36 modified Centurion SHOT tanks they fought the Syrians continuously for 3 days until reinforcements could arrive to support them. After 4 days of fighting, the 74th tank battalion was reduced to only 5 operational tanks but they had effectively stalled the Syrian spearhead allowing the Israelis to counter-thrust into Syria. Israeli guns were now positioned to shell the suburbs of Damascus. The battle cost the Israelis a terrible price: 102 officers and enlisted soldiers had been killed defending their positions on the Southern Golan.
Centurions were vulnerable to Soviet made weapons such as the RPG and "Sagger" A/T guided missiles which the Egyptians used in large numbers after crossing the Bar-Lev fortifications into the Western Sinai Desert. It's estimated that the Israeli armed forces lost up to 40% of their southern armored groups during the first two days of the war. This highlighted the necessity for infantry support to armored groups culminating in the development of the "Merkava" tank being equipped with rear troop bays.
The following photos show Centurion tanks in IDF service during the Yom Kippur War. The color photos below were taken by me during the first days of the war and show the reserve forces moving up to the battlefield. I was standing in front of "Kibbutz Amiad" in the Upper Galilee of Israel. The urgency of that moment is conveyed in these pictures as these tanks are travelling up to the Golan Heights on their own tracks on a main highway.
THE MODEL
The "AFV Club" 1/35th Centurion, SHOT-Kal 1973 with a resin turret for a MK-V from "Lionmarc". I waited years for an accurate Centurion tank and it has finally arrived. The turret was the only item I replaced because I had heard that there were some issues with the alignment of the loaders hatch and also a lack of a mantlet cover for the main gun. The resin turret was a perfect drop fit and is a beautiful rendition. See the photos below:
I made the expanding cover around the barrel with epoxy and a kitchen knife. The IR "Luna-2" spotlight was from a T-62 kit and replicates an Israeli field modification allowing the tank crew to use night vision. Israeli Centurions were not equipped with night vision at the beginning of the war and these IR projectors were scavenged from Syrian tanks as quickly as possible. The stowage (tarps and bedrolls) on the turret and hull were also made from "Apoxie" putty. I love this stuff and as I've gained experience working with it, my attempts are getting better.
I added crew figures from my parts box and modified each with "Hornet" Heads 1970s US tank helmets, and some epoxy for their hooded jackets.
So here is the final product. The Yellow sheet across the turret was used to allow for quick identification by Israeli aircraft providing close air support.
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