Israeli painting guide 1967-1973 Israeli Infantry part 1

 Israeli Painting Guide

A little side project this year is to complete another battalion of Infantry, plus vehicle crew and a unit of Frogmen.  I also want to build more support elements for my collection, artillery, mortars, anti-tank, recon elements and some armoured infantry vehicles. I thought I would post up my uniform recipe for my 20mm figures while i was at it. 

I mostly game the Yom Kippur war but can backdate a few pieces if I wanted to play six day war games.

In 1973 IDF had 8 Infantry Brigades and 3 paratroop brigades (includes reserve brigades). The IDF  armoured corps had 15 half tracked infantry battalions, so this guide focus is for that period.

IDF Infantry painting guide

Helmet

The model 1951 French Helmet was the issue helmet during the war, often covered in mesh or hessian and with the black rubber band. The Hsat harness was from British design and the same as the parachute helmet the Hsat mk II helmet, which was used in some paratroop units.

Original IDF model 1951 French Helmet with HSAT straps in my collection

Hsat MkII british paratrooper helmet

Uniform

Paratrooper

The IDF purchased a number of of French lizard uniforms in the late 60s and a number were still in use in 1973, particularly the paratroopers and the Golani brigade.

French lizard camouflage paratrooper fit out

The Lizard camouflage is reasonably simple a beige sand primary colour, the stripes are horizontal, with the brown under the dark green. A simple number of stripes

Base colour 

german camouflage beige

Brown  984 flat brown

Green Luftwaffe Camo green

i wash with a waterdered down black vallejo wash

Highlight same colours

Regular

IDF regulars wore a green uniform of local manufacture, like all green uniforms it begins green but fades with use to a olive green colour and also takes on the dust colour well

Original IDF green 1973

Original motorised jacket with fake fur collar

Webbing

IDF webbing note the UZI magazine on the bottom set of pouches. The green bottle was not issued until the eighties previous was a aluminium french model with a black lid

Boots

Black general purpose boots, the pre 1980 boot was ten lace holes

Red Paratrooper and Special forces boots, note these are the later post 80 model with the blue liner and dog tag pocket in the top of the boot.

Weapons

SMG

9mm Uzi 

Rifle 

FN D 

Rifle Grenade

FN D rifle grenade

Infantry Support Weapons

FN Mag 58 machine gun

M 1919A6 machine gun (7.62)

MG42 rechambered 7.62

Mortars

52mm mortar carried in each company

81mm Mortar

soviet 120mm mortar

French Brandt Mortar

Bazooka

The Bazooka was the Belgian made M20

hope you found the article helpful

cheers

Matt