2026ATM - Tanks in the IDF-Cromwell - First Day Cover

The Cromwell tank, a fast British vehicle from World War II, played a small but important role in the early days of the Israel Defense Forces. In 1948, as Israel was fighting in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, it had almost no armored forces. During the British withdrawal, a group of Jewish soldiers secretly took two Cromwell tanks from a British base and brought them into Israeli service. These tanks became some of the first armored vehicles used by the IDF, helping provide much-needed firepower in early battles. Although only a few were used, the Cromwells are remembered as a symbol of the ingenuity and determination that characterized Israel’s early military efforts.