Mine plow
Encyclopedia
A mine plow is a tank
-mounted device designed to clear a lane through a minefield, allowing other vehicles to follow. Buried land mine
s are plowed up and pushed outside the tank's track path or tipped over. Since anti-tank mines rely on a concentrated explosion to destroy a tank, they are useless when turned upside-down; as the tank runs over the mine, it will expend its blast down instead of upwards, causing insignificant damage, if any.
Towards the end of the First World War, the French mounted a plow on their Renault FT-17
tank. The first recorded combat use is by the British 79th Armoured Division
, using a "Bullshorn" plow on a Churchill tank
on Sword Beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy (this was one of Hobart's Funnies
). The "Bullshorn" was just one of various designs of plow that were tested and used by the British.
The mine plow is still in use by many Combat Engineer units. The Royal Engineers
have deployed the TROJAN
to Afghanistan
where it is usually fitted with a plow on the front, which enables it to clear mines, either detonating them on contact, or pushing them out of the way to clear a safe channel for following vehicles.
Other similar devices are mine roller
s and mine flail
s.
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
-mounted device designed to clear a lane through a minefield, allowing other vehicles to follow. Buried land mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s are plowed up and pushed outside the tank's track path or tipped over. Since anti-tank mines rely on a concentrated explosion to destroy a tank, they are useless when turned upside-down; as the tank runs over the mine, it will expend its blast down instead of upwards, causing insignificant damage, if any.
Towards the end of the First World War, the French mounted a plow on their Renault FT-17
Renault FT-17
The Renault FT, frequently referred to in post-WWI literature as the "FT-17" or "FT17" , was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history...
tank. The first recorded combat use is by the British 79th Armoured Division
79th Armoured Division
The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army armoured formation created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June 1944...
, using a "Bullshorn" plow on a Churchill tank
Churchill tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...
on Sword Beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy (this was one of Hobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom's 79th Armoured Division or by specialists from the Royal Engineers. They were designed in light of problems that more standard tanks experienced during the Dieppe Raid, so that the new...
). The "Bullshorn" was just one of various designs of plow that were tested and used by the British.
The mine plow is still in use by many Combat Engineer units. The Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
have deployed the TROJAN
Trojan (vehicle)
The Trojan armoured fighting vehicle can breach minefields and be used for many other tasks. It is currently in use with the Royal Engineers of the British Army.-Design:It is based on a Challenger 2 tank chassis, but lacks the main armament...
to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
where it is usually fitted with a plow on the front, which enables it to clear mines, either detonating them on contact, or pushing them out of the way to clear a safe channel for following vehicles.
Other similar devices are mine roller
Mine roller
A mine roller or mine trawl is a demining device mounted on a tank or armoured personnel carrier, designed to detonate anti-tank mines. It allows engineers to clear a lane through a minefield which is protected by enemy fire....
s and mine flail
Mine flail
A mine flail is a vehicle-mounted device that makes a safe path through a mine-field by deliberately detonating land mines in front of the vehicle that carries it. They were first used by the British during World War II....
s.