Flail Tanks

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Brian O'Donoghue

Mine ploughs simply push the offending item out of the way for disposal at a later date, of course you can always use explosive hose! Lots of fun but not in built up areas!

One of the shortcomings of mine ploughs is that most of the mines are simply pushed out of the path of the vehicle into berms where they lay, unexploded. The mine plough creates a safe path through the mine field for the attacking force but leaves the vast majority of the mines untouched, waiting for some careless local to stumble onto. When I was in the Golan Heights, a Syrian shepherd stumbled onto an anti-personnel mine in the AOS and blew his foot off. The AusBatt Engineers went in to rescue him...a very slow and labourious process while he was screaming in pain...while we Canadians provided security and Medical personnel. Unexploded mines in unmarked minefields are a huge problem around the world and attempts are ongoing to provide both high and low tech solutions to countries with little or no funds for de-mining. A mine detector that doesn't need batteries has been trialed in Africa, the sweeping motion of the detector head generates power from a rotating assembly within to power the unit, although, of course it has two major shortcomings in that it doesn't detect non-metallic mines and fatigue soon sets in from the force to keep the unit generating sufficient power. Another recent invention is the Berm Processing Assembly which is a towed piece of kit that shakes unexploded mines from the berms left by mine ploughs and deposits them on the ground for later disposal.

CHIMO! Derek.

[Gunner]

At staff college many eons ago, flail tanks were called up to clear refugees from a critical route. It was a map exercise but the student argued, with tongue in cheek, that the sight of the flail tanks coming down the road would cause the refugees to clear the route voluntarily by dispersing rapidly to the ditches and fields.

The DS (Directing Staff) carefully considered the student's argument and allowed the "play". The DS' limitations notwithstanding, the route was 'cleared' and my, I mean: the syndicate was the only one to successfully move its column up the route that day!

I don't understand the whispers of "bloodthirsty bast*rd" that permeated the Mess that evening!!!