M51 Isherman
(AISBX03)
includes two M51 Isherman tanks, one Tank Commander sprue & four Rare earth magnets.
The M51 Isherman was developed in direct response to the ever growing number of IS-3 and SU-100 in the arsenals of the Arab nations. It was the French that first came to the aid of the Israelis in the form of the CN-105-F1 gun. However, the high muzzle velocity created a recoil length that was far too great fit inside the Sherman turret in its standard configuration.
The Israeli solution was simple; reduce the barrel length by 1.5 meters to lower the muzzle velocity and add a muzzle brake to further reduce the amount of recoil. The modified version of the gun was designated the D1504 L/44 and was mounted inside the modified turret of a M4A1 (76)W HVSS (Horizontal Volute Suspension System) Sherman.
Powered by a Cummins 460hp diesel engine, the M51 also included modifications to steering, transmission and exhaust systems. Ammunition stowage was also adapted for the D1504 gun which was mounted in newly designed gun mantlet. Other design features included 95mm smoke dischargers fitted to the side of the turret and a new turret bustle. These modifications pushed the overall weight from the original 39 tons to 46 tons; this gave the M51 a top speed of 45kmph and an operation range of 270 kilometers.
While the first M51s were rolled out in 1962, it wasn’t until 1967 that it was first used operationally during the border skirmishes with Syrian just prior to the Six-Day war. The M51 remained in Israeli service during the forthcoming War of Attrition and into the Yom Kippur War in 1973 where it was capable of vanquishing more modern designs such as the Soviet built T-62 that were being fielded by the Syrian and Egyptian forces.
Protected Ammo
Many tanks are destroyed not by the enemy shell but by their own ammunition being hit by white-hot fragments of armour and exploding. The chances of this were minimised by providing a safe place for stowing ammunition within the vehicle such as an armoured compartment or inside a water-filled jacket.
If forced to bail out, crews of tanks with protected ammunition are far more confident when it comes to remounting their vehicle quickly.
Tanks with Protected Ammo re-roll all failed Motivation Tests to Remount Bailed Out vehicles in the Starting Step (see page 102 of the main rulebook).
Firing Smoke Ammunition
Smoke ammunition is used much like any other, except that when it hits it doesn’t explode but gives off a dense cloud of white smoke instead.
Use the normal shooting rules to determine the number of hits scored. Unlike normal shooting, the shooting player may choose which teams out of the valid targets were hit when firing smoke ammunition.
For each hit scored, place two Smoke markers 2”/5cm in diameter and 2”/5cm tall (balls of cotton wool work well), one on either side of a line running between the centre of the shooting model and the centre of the target model, to form a 4”/10cm wide screen directly in front of the selected target team. The hit has no other effect.
The M51 Isherman in Fate of a Nation
M51 Isherman
Mobility: Standard tank
Armour Front: 7
Armour Side: 4
Armour Top: 1
Co-ax MG, Hull MG, .50cal AA MG, Protected ammo.
105mm D1504 gun
Range: 32”/80cm
Rate of Fire: 2
Anti-tank: 16
Firepower: 2+
15mm, metal/resin
Battlefront Miniatures
