The AMX-13 is a French light tank that was produced from 1952 to 1987. It is also the first tank Singapore had. The tank was bought by Israel in 1969, four years after independence in 1965, to strengthen the army. The tank was upgraded to the AMX-13 SM1 in 1988, saw service until 2008 and was eventually replaced by the German Leopard 2SG. Singapore had the largest fleet of AMX-13s, which is incredibly impressive for a small island nation.
The weight of this tank is 13.7 tons without cargo. The maximum speed is 60 km/h.
This is my pen, ink and watercolor sketch of the tank. The tools used are Uniball Air, Da Vinci Casaneo pocket watercolor brush, Daniel Smith watercolor and a custom made sketchbook with Arches watercolor paper.
I haven't done city sketches in a long time and it was fun sketching this on a hot day.
The tank is on display in front of the National Museum of Singapore as part of the exhibition Dislocations: Memory & Meaning of the Fall of Singapore, 1942, which runs from 29 January to 29 May 2022. The exhibition marks the 80th anniversary of the British surrender to the Imperial Japanese Army in Singapore on February 15, 1942. Admission is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents.
Learn about WWII and Singapore at Changi Chapel and Museum and Bukit Chandu Reflections.
