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Crab: A modified Sherman tank equipped with a mine flail, a rotating cylinder of weighted chains that exploded mines in the path of the tank. DD tank (from "Duplex Drive"): An amphibious version of the Sherman created by fitting M4A1 and M4A4 with a large watertight canvas housing. This increased displacement and so the tank was able to float ...
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 design was first used during the North African Campaign in 1942.
The Crab weighed 32 tons [7] - around two tons more than a normal Sherman. Sherman Crab under test. The flail has been lowered to work in a dip in the ground. Great attention was paid to marking the cleared path through the mine field. Crabs carried a pair of bins filled with powdered chalk that slowly trickled out to mark the edges of the safe ...
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Crab: A modified Sherman tank equipped with a mine flail, a rotating cylinder of weighted chains that exploded mines in the path of the tank. Armored bulldozer: A conventional Caterpillar D7 bulldozer fitted with armour to protect the driver and the engine. Their job was to clear the invasion beaches of obstacles and to make roads accessible by ...
In addition, the assault teams included a number of Sherman 'Crabs' from 30th Armoured Brigade - these were Sherman tanks, with a full-width, heavy duty, rotary chain flail mounted in front, which destroyed any mines in its path, thus clearing the lanes up the beach.
In preparation for the invasion of Europe by Allied forces in 1944, an amphibious "swimming" version of the Sherman was used. Extensive work on creating mine-clearance devices to be attached to Shermans in some fashion was also conducted up until the end of the Second World War, such as the Sherman Crab mine-flail tank.
By the time of the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 all three units of the 30th Armoured Brigade were operating the Sherman Crab flail tank, designed to clear paths through minefields and other obstructions. [5] However in common with other 79th Division units they rarely found themselves operating together.