A Story of Post-war Syrian Panzers IV.

[klem]

After the end of any war, all countries are working to clear the landscape of cities and fields of the country of all military equipment, which is logical and normal.this material, from the intact abandoned to totally damaged, as it was a spoils of war, it was subject to intelligent recovery according to the choices envisaged by each country (Temporary exploitation, Industrial recycling, Destruction, legal sale, Smuggling) to fill a little or a lot of the coffers of the State Treasury.
Syria acquired German equipment and Panzer IVs from various countries, France being the first to contribute. In 1948, after the creation of Israel, France anxious to maintain relations with Israel and Syria and in order to balance the sale of weapons to one side by offering something to the other and seen that some Pz. IV were just gathering dust in its warehouses, they sold them to Syria in 1950-51, thus making a good deal.And in 1958, a second contract was signed for 15 various armored vehicles.As a result, Syria received 60 vehicles of varying suitability.In 1960, no more than 30 operational tanks were available and ready. The second contribution came from Czechoslovakia, because in May 1945, the Soviets established a staging ground for German tanks in Milovice, about 40 kilometers north of Prague. In January 1947, about 245 Pz.IV had been transferred to the Czechoslovak army and remained in service until the end of 1954, when they began to gradually replace them with the T-34.So opportunities for availability, then the Syrians in April 1955 agreed to buy 45 tanks.The agreement of the purchase included repairs, a full load of ammunition and a limited offer of spare parts. The tanks were delivered to Syria in early November 1955.The third contribution comes from Spain,About 17 Panzer IVs came from Spain in excellent condition. They were all Ausf H versions with a 75mm KwK 40 cannon, improved transmission, an electric turret, smoke grenade launchers, a cast sprocket, and more.These tanks were part of a 1943 Spanish order for 20 vehicles. In December 1965, they left for Syria in completely original and good condition (3 remained in Spanish museums).However, these vehicles did not take part in future battles.

 

[dan_inbox]

these vehicles did not take part in future battles.

Facts disagree.
They saw fighting on the Golan heights in 1967. Mainly as static pillboxes, like most of the Syrian armour then, but some not.
Like the tank in the attached 1st photo, out on a road.
or like the 2nd one KO'd and brewed up in open terrain.

 

[klem]

these vehicles did not take part in future battles.

Facts disagree.
They saw fighting on the Golan heights in 1967. Mainly as static pillboxes, like most of the Syrian armour then, but some not.
Like the tank in the attached 1st photo, out on a road.
or like the 2nd one KO'd and brewed up in open terrain.

Possible, but I believe that "these vehicles did not take part in the future battles, concerns the last batch of 17 Panzers bought from Spain.

 

[dan_inbox]

I believe that "these vehicles did not take part in the future battles, concerns the last batch of 17 Panzers bought from Spain.

What is the source for such a statement?

 

[Temistocle]

There is a long article about the syrian Panzer IVs (and Stugs) on the 2021 September issue of the itailan magazine Storia Militare:

Storia Militare 2021 issues

I can check the info and bibliography, if interested.

 

[klem]

There is a long article about the syrian Panzer IVs (and Stugs) on the 2021 September issue of the itailan magazine Storia Militare:

Storia Militare 2021 issues

I can check the info and bibliography, if interested.

Thank you dear member Témistocle, actually it was just a few paragraphs for information, not really analytical. However I would like to say that from some information I know that the panzers in 67 in the Golan were not really engaged in the front line, most of them were placed in a fixed position and others a bit behind to consolidate the infantry according to the orders given, knowing that they were more than 20 years old.what is needed is Syrian information but I will not say no to a little summary just to check and set the record straight.Gladly.

 

[Temistocle]

Some info taken from the mentioned article (Luigi Carretta, Panzer e Stug siriani, Storia Militare, September 2021, p. 4-14).

Tanks acquisitions:

In 1950, from France: about 11 Panzer IV, 9 Stug III (F and G), 5 Hummel with 150 mm gun and 6 Jagdpanzer IV with PaK39/L48. The Syrian modified some of the tanks, i.e. on the Stug III they installed a 12.7 mm Breda-Safat for AA defense (taken from Fiat G55).

From november 1955, from Czechoslovakia: 45 Pz IV (4500 GBP each), 12 Stug III (3250 GBP) + 10 non working Stug used as replacement parts. These tanks did not have the radio, on some the hull MG was missing; a 12.7 mm DShK was mounted for AA role. In some of the tanks a couple of trapezoidal metal boxes were installed on the sides (in tanks present in museums, it distinguishes an original german tank from the syrian version).

1958, another contract with Czechoslovakia (the French tanks started to became not operational): 15 not working Pz IV as replacement parts + 16 Maybach HL 120 engines.

1965, from Spain: 17 Pz IV + 6 Stug (they were used in the Six Days War in 1967).

On the Pz IV the Syrian substituted the original MG with a 12.7 mm Berezin UB as coaxial gun and a 7.62 Degtyarev DS-39 in the hull.

Operational use:

1964 War over Water on the Jordan River, against Israeli Shermans (at the beginning) and Centurions; the latter destroyed two Pz IV, the crews of the other tanks fled in panic, so the their use was discontinued.

1967, Six Day War: Pz IV and Stug III (about 20 operative and about 10 as pilloboxes) in three armored battalion on Golan heights. The Jagdpanzer IV were deployed in a mixed battalion with T-34/85 and SU-100.

Three Stug II destroyed, one captured (now at Latrun museum).

The Jagdpanzer were used as semi-static pillboxes, at least one destroyed (it is still laying on Mount Hermon in Golan); the surviving Jagdpanzers were put in a deposit after the war for many years (they were still avialable in 1991 when Syria, for the Gulf War against Iraq, declared the consistency of its arsenal. They were declared as "assets available at arsenal level").

The Pz IV were used as static pillboxes and "normal" tanks; ten Pz IV were destroyed in the battles, the last on June 10 by a Sherman M50. Four "normal" Pz IV were captured intact during the Israeli advance on Damascus: an Ausf H with KwK 40 L43 was used later as a tank school guide, then donated to the Latrun Museum. Two Ausf J were donated to the Batey ha-Osef museum in Tel Aviv and to a city park in Migdal Ha Ermek. The last one was sold to the Wehrtechnischen Studiensammlung Koblenz museum.

More or less nothing is known about the deployment of the five Hummel during the war; some Israeli sources affirm they were not operational due to mechanical problems, but other sources say they were destroyed by counter battery fire.

An Israeli unit reported the destruction of a Strumpanzer II Bison at the end of the war, but this is highly improbable (only 12 built during WW2, but at least one used by the Egyptians in 1948).

Tanks on the Golan heights now:

An Ausf J (with a D turret, long gun and shurzen) near Tel Azaizat, recently recovered and stored in an unknown location. Another J is laying near the actual Tel Kazir kibbutz. A third J is located on Mount Hermon (it is inside a military compound); another J in an unidentified position.

The remaining tanks in Syrian hands were probably demolished after the war.

So, not much about the real Pz IV activities during the 1967 war. BTW, here the bibliography of the article:

 

[klem]

Thank you, dear Témistocle, for this overview of Luigi Carretta's interesting article.

 

[Stovepipe]

Wasn't there a picture of five of the Mk IVs knocked out or abandoned at one location, in a pre 67 battle? Supposedly, a Sherman hit two of them, knocking them out and the rest of the crews jumped ship and fled.

 

[ArmchairSamurai]

Wasn't there a picture of five of the Mk IVs knocked out or abandoned at one location, in a pre 67 battle? Supposedly, a Sherman hit two of them, knocking them out and the rest of the crews jumped ship and fled.

You might be misremembering a photo of Afrika Korps Pz. IV wrecks, as opposed to photos of Arab Pz. IV wrecks taken in the Levant; given the similarity of the terrain, its easy to do. Compare the following photo, for example, taken in Tunisia...

...to this photo taken in the Golan Heights:

On an aside, I did dredge up some footage of Arab Pz. IVs on maneuveur, so I guess thats a plus.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlyIP0OYe-o

 

[Ptimms]

You might be misremembering a photo of Afrika Korps Pz. IV wrecks, as opposed to photos of Arab Pz. IV wrecks taken in the Levant; given the similarity of the terrain, its easy to do. Compare the following photo, for example, taken in Tunisia...

...to this photo taken in the Golan Heights:

On an aside, I did dredge up some footage of Arab Pz. IVs on maneuveur, so I guess thats a plus.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlyIP0OYe-o

This “Life” pic of Panzer IV’s is Italy. Near Salerno not Tunisia.

 

[ArmchairSamurai]

This “Life” pic of Panzer IV’s is Italy. Near Salerno not Tunisia.

I appreciate that. My point still stands, because while other websites I looked at claimed it to be taken in Tunisia, the fact that it is not leads me more to believe that environments can be strikingly deceptive in how similar they look to each other at certain angles, especially in older photos. When those photos are taken out of context, they can be made to have meaning they did not prior.

 

[Ptimms]

I appreciate that. My point still stands, because while other websites I looked at claimed it to be taken in Tunisia, the fact that it is not leads me more to believe that environments can be strikingly deceptive in how similar they look to each other at certain angles, especially in older photos. When those photos are taken out of context, they can be made to have meaning they did not prior.

Totally agree. The fact that are so many badly captioned internet pictures is a real problem.