WWII Churchill tank converted into mine clearer

[Jon]

The Churchill A22 was a WWII British heavy tank. In the 1950s, 42 Churchills were modified for use as mine-clearing flail tanks. They were powered by a Rolls-Royce M120 Meteor V12 engine mounted within the armored flail box on the front of the tank.

The lone surviving specimen was restored to its former glory in 2008. Pics and video below.



There are many ways to clear mines, among them the use of three types of vehicles: mine plows, mine rollers, and, like the Churchill, mine flails.



Mine flails work by beating the ground with flails attached to chains, which are in turn attached to a large rapidly rotating drum. The flails beat the ground, simulating the pressure of personnel or vehicles that were originally intended to trigger the mines. The mines are usually either detonated, and explode against the heavy plating of the tank, or they are destroyed by the force of the flails.




The flails start moving around 3:50:

More:
Churchill Toad goes to Jacques Littlefield Collection


Previously:
International Harvester automatic towed mine planter
video of WWII German military helmets repurposed into colanders
Airplane fuel tanks turned into Vietnamese boats

[Jon]

Done in modern times with an M58 MICLIC.

[ranald]

That sure got the job done, pretty quick
!