Some tanks get their names from committees; this one was named by the enemy. When Coalition forces in the 1991 Gulf War encountered Iraqi T-55s bristling with crude appliqué armour blocks — a variant with no official designation anywhere in Iraqi records — they simply called it the Enigma, and the name stuck. Tamiya's 1/35 kit captures this improvised brute in full: the blocky armour arrays that transformed the T-55's familiar lines, the counterweight blocks trailing on long arms behind the turret, and the unmistakable silhouette of one of the strangest armour subjects of the modern era.

The Improvised Up-Armoured T-55

Iraq was one of the world's major T-54/55 operators, and by the late 1980s the design was thoroughly outdated. The Enigma conversion answered with brute-force protection: large armour blocks bolted across the glacis, hull sides, mudguards and around the turret front and sides, with the forward-left turret block hinged so the driver could still get in and out. Four more blocks on rear-mounted arms counterbalanced the added turret weight. The workmanship was rough — no two blocks were quite the same size — and these tanks reportedly served as command vehicles in regular Iraqi armour units, with several captured during the conflict.

Accurately Reproduced Armour Arrays

Tamiya's tooling gives the armour suite proper depth: the turret blocks are moulded with their mounting frames as separate parts, while the upper hull integrates the frames into the main moulding to keep the parts count sensible and assembly straightforward. The cast texture of the turret and the engine deck grilles — which differed from Soviet-standard T-55s — are faithfully rendered. Tracks are the easy-to-fit belt type.

Crew Figure Included

An Iraqi tank crewman figure is included to bring the finished model to life — a detail worth noting, as aftermarket Iraqi crew figures are scarce.

Needed to Complete

• Plastic model cement
• Paints (Tamiya colour callouts in the instructions)
• Basic modelling tools

Specifications

Brand: Tamiya
Part Number: 35324
Scale: 1/35
Series: Military Miniature Series No. 324
Subject: Iraqi T-55 Enigma, 1991 Gulf War
Completed Length: 259mm
Completed Width: 109mm
Tracks: Belt type
Figures: 1 Iraqi tank crewman
Kit Type: Plastic assembly kit
Skill Level: Intermediate — paint and cement required