An Alternative History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Part 1

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An Alternative History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps

Part I

 

After World War II ended the RAAC (Royal Australian Armoured Corps) found itself with a armoured force equipped with obsolescent vehicles. Matilda Iis, M3 Lees/Grants and a small number of oddball vehicles. This situation lasted until 1950 when the RAAC decided that the best vehicle for its armoured regiment was the British Centurion. They ordered 50 of the vehicles, Mk IIIs from the UK. However, the Korean war intervened and all the vehicles were diverted with the Australian agreement to initially Hong Kong and then to Korea to fight there with the British.

 

The Australian Armoured Corps was by 1953 becoming desperate for new vehicles to replace its fleet of aging ones. They turned to the US. The US Army was quite willing to give them M4 Shermans but the Australians wanted something more modern. They sent a party of senior officers to look at what the US had to offer. They decided on the new M48 but the US Army was busily re-equipping with this vehicle and was unwilling to let any go to Australia. Instead, they offered the M47. The Australians accepted them immediately and ordered 100 vehicles. The RAAC finally had its modern tank.

 

Shipped to Melbourne, the vehicles were shipped north to Puckapunyal, the base of 1 Armoured Regiment. They were accepted with some glee. They performed the job required of them admirably. Primarily used to support infantry, occasionally they were allowed free reign on exercise and acted as a complete armoured regiment should, rampaging across the countryside.

 

 

 

 

 

The Kit

 

The kit is a 1/35 Academy M47. It is actually a reboxed Italier kit. The vehicle was painted with a hairy stick using Vallejo acrylic paints. The decals are courtesy of Kit Spackmen.