Hobart's Funnies | The Strange Tanks of Operation Overlord
June 7, 2024
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31:18Now PlayingHobart's Funnies | The Strange Tanks of Operation Overlord
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as posted by the channelAn opposed beach landing is the most difficult and dangerous military operation it is possible to undertake. Anticipating massive casualties during the course of Operation Overlord, the British Army devised a series of highly specialized tanks to solve some of the problems – Hobart’s Funnies.
Named after General Sir Percy Hobart, commander of their parent unit, 79th Armoured Division, the Funnies included a mine clearing tank – the Sherman Crab, a flamethrower - the Churchill Crocodile and the AVRE – Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers which could lay bridges and trackways, blow up fortifications and much else besides. The unit also included the incredible floating tank – the Sherman DD, which formed an essential part of the Normandy landings.
The development of this experimental technology wasn’t easy, with lessons having to be learned from the tragic outcomes of both the Dieppe Raid and Exercise Smash. But the minds behind these unique vehicles knew that they must succeed – the operation could not move ahead without them. History was made on the beaches of Normandy, and it was the Funny Tanks of Overlord that led the way.
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This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
In this film, Chris Copson looks at surviving examples of the Funnies and assesses their effectiveness during the D-Day Landings. From the floating Sherman DD, to the Swiss Army Knife Churchill AVRE, to the terrifying flamethrowing Churchill Crocodile, the 79th Armoured Division had a host of unique and highly-specialised vehicles at their disposal. Operation Overlord would not have been successful without these incredible tanks – watch this video to find out why.
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