French Jeeps in Suez- Yes I know it's obscure...

[Killingholme]

Hi all

Accidentally bought the FRENCH Bison decals sheet for Suez afvs- I meant to purchase the UK vehicles sheet. Whoops.

However, the french vehicles are really cool- especially the little Parachute regiment jeep. I can build it using the Tamiya kit almost OOB.

I have found some cool photos of the real jeeps here.

http://www.ecpad.fr/lors-de-lexpedition-de-suez-le-2e-rpc-effectue-une-reconnaissance-en-jeep-sur-une-plage-pres-de-port-said#2

Couple of questions specifically about this picture:

1) What make/type of tyre is that at the front?

2) The jeep also has a rather cool MG mount. I think the gun is a Fusil Militaire 7.5mm light machine gun. I confirm- and ask whether anyone has made one in 1/35 scale aftermarket?

3) these jeeps all seem to have two long whip aerials. What radios would they have carried? I'm assuming some American sets?

cheers,

Will

Edited March 22, 2014 by Killingholme

[Malcolm Shaw]

The gun is the FM24/29, and is mounted on a swivelling mount.

The British Airborne troops fitted what ever type of tyre they could get their hands on in Egypt in the early 50`s, so I would imagine that the French did too.

You will find one of these guns in the Italeri Commando Car kit.

[Killingholme]

Cheers for the advice, that will get me going.

Will

[Malcolm Shaw]

There is a web-site that might help, ANDY`S FRENCH MILITARY JEEP SITE.

http://www.m201.com

[Killingholme]

Brilliant!! I owe you one for finding that!

It resolves all the questions I had about radio fit and even the tyre brand (Dunlop Track Grip- fitted to Hotchkiss refurbed French jeeps) . Even raises a few points I hadn't thought about- 12 volt electrics and radio trays, etc,

Will

Edited March 27, 2014 by Killingholme

[Malcolm Shaw]

I used it to build my version of a French Jeep in the Suez Campaign.

[Kingsman]

French Jeeps were built by Hotckiss as the M201 VLTT (Vehicule Liaison Toutes Terrains) right through to the 70s. In 1956 they probably still had some US ones. Your pic looks like a Hotckiss as the bonnet has a slight rise in the centre and the grille doesn't have the little top corner cut-outs above the lights. These are the usual clues. The only guns you will find in the Italeri "Commando" kit are Vickers K guns. French SAS patrols dropped or landed into France before and after D Day had jeeps mounting these, so it is plausible they may have kept them. But I'd be surprised if they were still using a 0.303" weapon in 1956 as they rapidly went back to 7.5mm after WW2. Indeed they kept their 7.5mm LMG all through WW2 in preference to BAR and Bren.

[AV O]

I think the gun is a Fusil Militaire 7.5mm light machine gun. I confirm- and ask whether anyone has made one in 1/35 scale aftermarket?

Hi, FM Stands for Fusil Mitrailleur ((Machine Gun). (PM, as in PM MAT 49 stands for Pistolet mitrailleur).

As for the acromym that usually stands with Arms names with the number (MAS 39, 56, etc... :

MAT stands for Manufacture d'Armes de TULLE (Town in the center of France, head city of The CREUSE department).

MAS stands for Manufacture d'Armes de SAINT -ÉTIENNE.

FAMAS stands for Fusil d'Assault (Assault Gun) made in Saint-Étienne.

Cheers.

AV O

Edited June 4, 2014 by AV O