Blue Steel

T-55 Tanks In South Lebanon

by  Moustafa El-Assad

Reviewed By  Mark Aldrich, IPMS# 39295

MSRP: $25.00 If you ever wanted an up to date book on the T54/55, Ti-67, Tiran 4/5, or SLA (South Lebanese Army) T55 based vehicles, then your wait is over. You can't ask for a better photographed book on this subject. This soft covered tome is 70 pages long, with over 95% of the photographs in full color. There are four pages of a brief history and BAM…right into the photographs. Almost all the pictures are of the quality that Middle East armor buffs have got to love. All the Tirans in this book are of the 100mm variety. That is because the Israelis would not sell/give the SLA any of the 105mm M68 armed versions. There is really no coherence in the way the photos are laid out. Basically, the first part covers the actual Tiran tanks themselves with the different modifications and paint schemes added by the SLA, then we see pictures of the first generation T-55 SLA APC, then the second generation APC, and finally a partially built model of a second generation APC. The second generation APC is really neat. They basically removed the main gun (burned out barrel) and then added an armored firing port to the front and two to the side of the T-55 hull. There were not many of these modifications completed due to the fact that the SLA was disbanded. There are more than enough photos in this book for the average modeler to complete this conversion and have a great looking vehicle. The last three pages of the book so a model kit being made into this version. It appears that it is 1/35 scale and the base kit appears to be the Tamiya, but I am not sure as no write up or explanation of this kit is given. If you are into the Middle East wars, the T-54/55, Israeli armor and conversions, or the SLA and their conversions to this vehicle then this book is for you. It can be purchased at www.blue-steel.info for $25.00, and they also take PayPal.

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