flail tank

These vehicles, such as the Sherman flail tank, proved essential on D-Day.

Around twenty-five took part in the battle as mine-clearing, Matilda Scorpion mine flail tanks.

One unexpected effect was that the noise, dust and terrifying appearance of an approaching flail tank caused several Axis infantry units to surrender without resistance.

In some sectors, up to 50% of the flail tanks, AVREs and armoured bulldozers had been knocked out, with high casualties among the crews.

The Sherman Crab was a mine flail tank designed to clear a safe path through a mine-field by deliberately detonating mines in front of the vehicle.

The other two would hang back on the flanks and give fire support, but were ready to move forward to replace one of the flailing tanks if it was disabled.

The Kangaroos advanced behind a creeping barrage along lanes cut through the minefields and anti-tank ditch by flail tanks and bridgelaying tanks.

For example, the Scorpion flail tank (a modified Matilda tank) had already been used during the North African campaign to clear paths through German minefields.

But the British had brave and effective mine-clearing task forces, flail tanks (the Scorpions) and Valentine tanks, and incredibly heavy artillery barrages to move behind.

"A" platoon of the 6th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers were redirected to clear the minefields facing "D" Company, given that the flail tanks had yet to land.

Botha (from 1 SA Infantry Brigade), a battery of anti-tank guns and a troop each of light anti-aircraft guns and Scorpion anti-mine flail tanks.

The assault was costly for the specialised armour, however, with the 79th Armoured Division losing 34 Crab anti-mine flail tanks, two command tanks and 6 AVRE vehicles.

On their left the 1st Bn Dorset Regiment had better luck, and with the help of flail tanks of the Westminster Dragoons began to clear beach exits and move inland.

For this operation 144 RAC had under command the Sherman Crab flail tanks of C Sqn Lothians and Border Horse and tanks to lay scissors bridges.

Gueritz's immediate task was to solve the problem of vehicles becoming stuck in the soft sand, and to start getting men through the exits being cleared through the minefields and barbed wire by flail tanks.

At 06:00, before dawn, on 18 November, giant searchlights ("canal defence lights") of the 357th Searchlight Battery, Royal Artillery provided hazy indirect light for the mine-clearing flail tanks supporting the infantry.

During the evening of August 7, 1944, the attacking forces formed up in six columns, each only four vehicles wide, of tanks, Kangaroo APCs, half tracks, self-propelled anti-tank guns and Mine flail tanks.

'As soon as the leading troops showed themselves on the forward slopes of the Caumont ridge they ran into heavy defensive fire, and seven of the Churchills and two flail tanks were put out of action by mines'.

All three regiments of the 30th Armoured Brigade were re-equipped with Sherman Crab Flail Tanks - M4 Sherman tanks modified by attaching a large jib, covered in chains, to the front of the vehicle.

The tanks picked their way through lanes cut through the minefields by flail tanks and went on to assist the infantry in mopping up machine gun positions and (with some Churchill Crocodile flamethrowers under command) to clear buildings.

They saw the beaches shrouded in smoke, medics working among the wounded, flail tanks detonating mines, burning tanks and vehicles littering the shore line, and sand shooting up from occasional shell bursts, but nowhere was there the slaughter they had expected.

The North Shores' attack on Noires Mottes was supported by flail tanks from the 79th Armoured Division and gunfire from the 10th Armoured Regiment on the approach through minefields and by Crocodiles to reduce fortifications.

Amongst the exhibits are British Valentine, Japanese type 95 HA-GO and Tyand-97 Chi- Ha, Sherman Crab flail tank, M-47 Patton Centurion Mark ll, German Panzer and pride of India Vijayanta.

A number of experimental flail tanks were produced, including the Valentine Scorpion, based on the Valentine tank and several designs based on the M4 Sherman - the Sherman Mark IV and Mark V Scorpions and the "Sherman Lobster".

The 9th Brigade, with armoured support from the 1st Hussars (6th Armoured Regiment) and flail tanks, "Crocodile" flame-throwing tanks and AVREs from the 79th Armoured Division, was deployed to Cap Gris Nez to take the three remaining heavy batteries.