Yad La-Shiryon
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| The Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum at Latrun | |
|---|---|
 A Mandate era Tegart fort serves as the main building of Yad La-Shiryon. | |
  Location of museum | |
| Established | 1982 |
| Location | Latrun, Israel |
| Type | Military Museum |
| Website | www.yadlashiryon.com |
Coordinates: 31°50′17″N 34°58′50″E / 31.838056°N 34.980417°E / 31.838056; 34.980417
Yad La-Shiryon (officially: The Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum at Latrun, Hebrew: יד לשריון) is Israel's official memorial site for fallen soldiers from the armored corps, as well as one of the most diverse tank museums in the world. The cornerstone for Yad La-Shiryon was laid on December 14, 1982. The site was created through the initiative of veteran officers of the armored corps in cooperation with the armored corps.
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Memorial Site
The main building, a mandate era Tegart fortress houses an archive of the fallen, a library, and a synagogue. The tower of the fortress has been converted into a "Tower of Tears" by Israeli artist Danny Karavan. The inside of the tower is covered by steel taken from a tank and water circulating from a pool underneath the installation trickles down the walls.[1]
The Wall of Names, erected outside, displays the names of all the fallen soldiers from the Armored Corps, beginning with the War of Independence (1948) and up to this very day.
The Tank on the Tower
The most famous sight at Yad La-Shiryon is most likely that of a tank on top of a tower, which serves as the Museum's logo. In 1979, by decision of late Major General (Ret.) Moshe Peled, the tank was hoisted on top of a tower on the site, which was originally used as a water tower. The tank that was chosen is an American M4 Sherman tank, one of the first tanks that fought in the service of the IDF. Since the water tower was only designed to support 25 tons and the aforementioned tank weighed 34 tons, both the engine and transmission gears had to be removed.
In a famous April Fools' Day prank, one of the soldiers serving at the site called the site's manager early in the morning and told him that the tower had collapsed. The manager rushed over only to find the tank in place and the tower intact.[citation needed]
Tank Collection
Yad La-shiryon is famous worldwide for its unique and diverse collection of tanks and armored vehicles. There are over a hundred different vehicles in the collection, including Israeli made tanks, enemy tanks seized in combat, and vehicles purchased specifically for the collection.
Some of the tanks and military vehicles included are:
Israeli
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- Merkava mark I, II, III and IV
- "Timsach" (Gillois amphibious tank-carrier)
American
- Diamond T truck
- M3 Grant
- M901 ITV
- several variations of the M4 Sherman, including:
- Ambutank (Sherman Medical Evacuation Tank)
- Eyal observation post vehicle
- M4 Dozer
- M4A4 with FL-10 Turret (Egyptian variant)
- M50 and M51 Super Sherman (Israeli Variant)
- MAR-290
- Several variations of the Patton tank including:
- Several variations of Magach - improved Israeli versions of the M48 and the M60
- Several variations of US halftracks
- Willys MB jeep
British
- Several variations of Centurion tank, including:
- Light Tank Mk VI (Vickers)
- Scammell Contractor
French
German
Soviet
- Improvised medevac version of BTR-50
- Improvised recovery version of BTR-152
- Several variations of BRDM-2
- Recovery version of ISU-152
- ISU-152 with gun removed, labeled as command vehicle
- T-34/100 or T-100 tank destroyer
- Several variations of T-54/T-55 tanks, including:
- Tiran-4 - upgraded T-54
- Tiran-5 - upgraded T-55
- T-62 (Israeli Tiran 6)
Allied Forces Monument
A monument was constructed as a tribute to the Allies of World War II, led by the United States, Great Britain and The Soviet Union. The monument is composed of a rock pile, on top of which the three main battle tanks that served in the armies of the Allied Forces on different fronts: the Soviet T-34, a British Cromwell and the American Sherman. The monument is surrounded by the flags of 19 countries and organizations that actively participated in the struggle, including the flag of the Jewish Brigade, which fought within the ranks of the British army.
Museum of Armored Corps History
The museum includes several exhibits dedicated to the history of armored combat in general, including:
- Model room with dozens of tanks
- Full scale models of:
- An armored knight
- Leonardo Da Vinci's design of the first tank
- Stamp collection, featuring tanks and other armored vehicles
Other Features
The site also has a large amphitheater where various ceremonies and performances take place, as it is one of the largest amphitheaters in the country and centrally located. There is also a birdwatching facility equipped with a radar to track migratory birds.
See also
- Bovington Tank Museum - United Kingdom Tank Museum
- Deutsches Panzermuseum — German Tank Museum
- Kubinka Tank Museum - Russian Tank Museum
- Musée des Blindés - French Tank Museum
- Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor - United States Tank Museum
External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yad_la-Shiryon_Museum |
- Yad Lashiryon (Armoured Corps) Museum at ilMuseums.com
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