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Britain's Infantry Mk IV Churchill AVRE
Infantry Mk IV, Churchill, A22, ARVE: Aberdeen Tank Museum |
Infantry Mk IV, Churchill, A22, ARVE:  |
Infantry Mk IV, Churchill, A22, ARVE towing a trailer, and a Churchill fascine carrier behind. The man on top of the fascine is passing directions to the commander who in turns passes it on to the driver. |
Infantry Mk IV, Churchill, A22, ARVE in La Breche, Normandy on June 6, 1944. Just off of Sword Beach with the 3rd Division. |
Infantry Mk IV, Churchill, A22, ARVE
with "Goat" collapsible framework. This was used to place a demolition charge, and then the tank would back away. |
Infantry Mk IV, Churchill, A22, ARVE with Bobbin Carpet Laying device. |
Infantry Mk IV, Churchill, A22, ARVE: Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum |
Armored Vehicle Royal Engineers.12 A Petard 29cm caliber mortar was fitted to turret. Fired 40lb bomb 80 meters.1 180 available by D-Day. 1st Assault Brigade of 79th Armored Division.7 574 more were converted. Some were equipped to care fascines and CIRD for mine-clearing.
Had large rear hatch so that engineers could easily exit the vehicle during battle.11
Also used by the 25th Armored Assault Brigade in Italy.7
| Churchill AVRE | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 511, 65 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 38 tons5, 40 tons11 |
| Length w/gun | 24' 7"11, 25' 2"5 7.67 m5 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 8' 7"11, 9' 2"5 2.79 m5 |
| Width | 9' 4"11, 10' 8"5 3.25 m5 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 20"11 |
| Ground contact length | 168"11 |
| Ground pressure | 14 psi11 |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | Petard mortar5 290 mm Spigot mortar12 6.5" Mk I demolition gun11 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 7.92 mm (.312") Besa MG5 7.9 Besa MG, bow11 |
| Side arms | 2" smoke mortar11 |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 3111 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 45011 |
| Side arms | 2011 |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | |
| Hull Front, Upper | 6"@0°11 |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 3.75"@0°11 |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | 2"@0°11 |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | 6"@0°11 |
| Turret Sides | 3.5"@0°11 |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Bedford Twin-Six5 Bedford7 Bedford, horizontal opposed11 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Water11 |
| Cylinders | 2x67, 1211 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 3505,7,11 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | Constant mesh11 4 forward, 1 reverse11 |
| Steering | Epicyclic11 |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical System | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | Gasoline5,11 |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | 150 gallons11 |
| Fuel consumption road | 1/3 mpg11 |
| Fuel consumption cross country | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°11 Power and manual11 |
| Max speed | 12.7 mph11, 15 mph7, 15.5 mph5 24.9 kph5 |
| Cross country speed | |
| Road radius | 50 miles11, 120 miles5 193 km5 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | -8° to +15°11 |
| Fording depth | 3' 4"11 |
| Trench crossing | 10'11 |
| Vertical obstacle | 2' 6"11 |
| Climbing ability | 30° slope11 |
| Suspension (Type) | Vertical coil springs11 |
| Wheels each side | 22 independent bogies11 |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | Cast steel, dry pin11 |
| Length | |
| Width | 22"11 |
| Number of links | 7211 |
| Pitch | 7.9"11 |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 87.5"11 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1943-1945, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- -
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
- AFV 1: Churchill, B.I.T. Mk IV, B.T. White
- Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
- Tank Data 2, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, E. J. Hoffschmidt and W. H. Tantum IV, 1969
- The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
