Royal Engineers and Sappers!!!
The subject of this report is a special vehicle, a prototype, so popular with the British, developed based on the lessons learned from the disastrous Operation Jubilee of 1942. Today we will talk about the Churchill Mk. IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer), a tank specialized in explosive demining.
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| Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake (Wurlitz) A little joke with the box art of AFVClub´s kit. |
History
The catastrophic failure of the Dieppe raid (Operation Jubilee - 19 August 1942), where infantry and armored vehicles with inadequate support were pinned down by German coastal defenses, highlighted the critical need for specialized vehicles capable of breaching enemy fortifications.
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| German soldiers inspect the imobilized Churchill Mk.III tank BERT left by the Calgary Regiment at Dieppe - August, 1942. font: Library and Archives Canada |
Recognizing this shortcoming, Major General Percy Hobart, commander of the 79th Armoured Division ( "Hobart's Funnies"), led the development of a range of specialized armored vehicles designed to overcome these obstacles. The Churchill tank, with its robust chassis, reliable engine and extensive track ground contact, provided a very good platform for many of these modifications.
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| Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart, KBE, CB, DSO, MC (14 June 1885 – 19 February 1957), aka "Hobo" and badge of the 79th Armoured Division |
One of the solutions devised for cleaning barbed wire fences and minefields was the Snake. This device, officially designated Mine Clearing Equipment Mark IV, was conceived by Lieutenant Colonel R.L. Willott of the 42nd Assault Regiment Royal Engineers. The Snake consisted of a series of interconnected tube sections, each with 7.6 cm in diameter and 6.1 m long, packed with explosives. These sections closely resembled the oversized Bangalore torpedoes used by the Americans.
The interconnected sections, similar to a large flexible tube (hence the name Snake), were towed to the desired position by a Churchill or a Sherman tank.
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| Sherman tank dragging a Snake, by means of an ejectable chain, tied to the rear of the tank - font: IWM (MGH 106) - 3,25sec. |
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| The tip of the Snake device, rounded, so it can slide along the ground. Close-up view. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 3,13sec. |
Once the desired position was reached, the tank ejected the tube's drive system, looping around to its rear, and maneuvering until a chain mounted on the tank's bow engaged a retaining base mounted on the rear of this long tube.
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| The Sherman tank approaching the rear of the Snake, to capture its base with the chain installed at the bow of the vehicle. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 2,37sec. |
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| The chain in the bow of the Sherman tank hooking the base of the Snake. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 2,39sec. |
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| The Snake is fully engaged with the bow chain. The tank will now push the long tube forward... font: IWM (MGH 106) - 2,40sec. |
The tube was then pushed into the minefield, ejected, and detonated. Upon detonation, the concentrated explosion created a corridor approximately 3 meters wide and tens of meters long, providing a relatively safe passage for infantry and subsequent vehicles.
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| The Snake is pushed into position. Upon reaching the desired location, the tank reverses, unhooking the Snake from the bow chain. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 2,59sec. |
The big problem was that the tank could not always hook the bow chain onto the Snake's rear coupling, forcing a crew member to dismount and expose them to enemy fire. Another problem was that the long tube could bend or even deflect when pushed over the minefield.
To overcome these shortcomings, a set of eight hollow tubes containing Snake segments was developed, mounted on both sides of the turret of a Churchill Mk.IV AVRE, above the fenders. These 16 tubes could eject Snake torpedoes individually or in pairs, using small explosive charges, activated by the Commander, inside the turret. The Churchill Snake launcher tank was also known as the Wurlitzer. The armament arrangement, with its many visible pipes, resembled the large multi-pipe organs manufactured by the Wurlitzer company, famous for their elaborate and often extravagant designs.
The visual similarity between the rows of "Snake" pipes and the pipes of a Wurlitzer organ is what gave rise to the informal nickname. Both the Wurlitzer and Snake names were unofficial. The official name was Churchill AVRE with Mine-clearing Line Charge. See the pics, below.
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| Churchill AVRE Mk.IV showing the 16 Snake torpedo tubes installed 4 by 4 on each side of the turret. Note that the 230mm petard spigot mortar, characteristic of AVRE, it is not installed. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| The right Snake tubes being loaded with torpedoes, from the front, manually. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| The Snake tubes being loaded with torpedoes, from the front, manually. Close view font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| The Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake tank fully reloaded, ready for field trials. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| The Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake tank fully reloaded, ready for field trials. Rear vision. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| Sequence of firing a Snake tube from the Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake tank - field tests. Shot number 1 font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| Sequence of firing a Snake tube from the Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake tank - field tests. Shot number 2 - Snake torpedoe being fired from the tubes. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| Sequence of firing a Snake tube from the Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake tank - field tests. Shot number 3 - Snake torpedo flying after ejection from the launch tube. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| Sequence of firing a Snake tube from the Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake tank - field tests. Shot number 4 - Torpedo snake almost touching the ground after ejection. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| Sequence of firing a Snake tube from the Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake tank - field tests. Shot number 5 - Snake torpedo touching the ground. After gliding a few meters, it explodes, clearing an area of mines. Then the process repeats.... font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
The Churchill Snake launcher tank was also known as the "Wurlitzer" due to the resemblance of its multiple launch tubes to the pipes of a Wurlitzer organ, a famous musical instrument of the time, which gave rise to an informal and descriptive nickname among Allied personnel. t's important to note that "Wurlitzer tank" or "Churchill AVRE Mk.IV Wurlitz tank" was not an official designation. The vehicle was officially known as the Churchill AVRE Mk.IV carrying the "Snake" mine-clearing equipment.
Based on the same concept, the British also developed the 3-inch gun Churchill tank with Snake launcher, with 50 Snake torpedo tubes on the chassis of the 3-inch gun Churchill tank.
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| 3-inch gun Churchill tank with Snake launcher under trials. Note the absence of the 3-inch cannon in the bow of the tank's casemate. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
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| 3-inch gun Churchill tank with Snake launcher under trials. Notice the Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake launcher in background. font: IWM (MGH 106) - 1943 |
Both vehicles were tested in 1943 for use in the Normandy Invasion, but although some mention their use near Le Havre in September 1944, they were never actually used operationally. The only explosive line mine clearance devices used operationally were the Conger. Because it was so dangerous, the Conger was used in combat only once by the British 79th Armored Division during the Battle for Calais on September 25, 1944.
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| Churchill towing a Bren carrier with Conger launcher |
But that's another story...
Specs:
| Churchill Mk.IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) | |
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| Type | Mine clearing tank |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Designer |
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| Manufacturer | Vauxhall Motors & others |
| Produced | 1943 |
| No. built | one conversion (?) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass |
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| Length | 7.44 m |
| Width | 3.25 m |
| Height | 2.49 m |
| Crew | 5 -commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver,co-driver/hull gunner |
| Armour |
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Main armament |
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Sec. armament |
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| Engine | Bedford 12-cyl., 4 stroke, water-cooled, horizontally opposed, L-head petrol engine 325-350 hp (242-261 kW) @ 2,200 rpm |
| Power/weight | 8.4-8.8 hp (6.1-6.4 kW) / tonne |
| Transmission | Merritt-Brown 4-speed constant-mesh epicyclic gearbox |
| Suspension | Coiled spring |
| Fuel capacity | 682 liters |
Operational range | 120–210 km |
| Maximum speed | 21.7–26.4 km/h |
Steering system | Triple differential steering in gearbox |
The kit
I built this kit in parallel with another two other projects, which will soon be featured in our Bunker: Churchills ARV Mk.II. Since they use the same chassis, I decided to build the both Churchills simultaneously, with each going its own way during the detailing phase. So, don't be surprised to see two chassis being built side by side. This usually saves me time, especially during the repetitive build phases. So, let's get to the point: I used for the Snake launcher version the excellent Churchill AVRE with Snake Launcher kit from AFV Models (#35259). AFV Club's Churchill kits are simply fantastic.
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| Kojak faces the new challenge: the Churchill AVRE with Snake Launcher |
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| The two sets of Churchill sponsons being built simultaneously... The common steps of the construction of the two kits will be portrayed together... |
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| Cleaning all the Churchill suspension parts... |
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| Springs, springs and more springs... |
A good tip for anyone who has literally assembled more than two dozen of these kits: installing the suspension unit bogies is much easier if you fit each suspension assembly into each sponson half... The spring tension is enough for the parts to stay in their respective places...
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| The suspension unit bogies in place, fitted and held by spring pressure... |
... and then fit the other half of the sponson, depositing extra thin glue between the suspension bogies, keeping them mobile.
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| Closing the sponsons... |
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| The two sets of suspension unit bogies in place... |
With the suspension unit bogies installed, it's time to continue construction, gluing the wheels onto their axles... and there are many, many wheels... It's very important that the outer and inner wheels are aligned with each other, maintaining good parallelism.
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| Starting with the wheels... |
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| The sponsons with wheels... |
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| ...and with drive sprocket wheels. |
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| Closing the chassis... |
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| ...with the upper deck. |
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| Installing the upper deck and front armor details. left view |
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| Right view |
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| Rear view |
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| Test fit wit the exhaust pipes...left view |
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| est fit wit the exhaust pipes...right view |
With the chassis drying, I took the time to build the metal air filter guards, which are integral to the kit. I used a 40-watt electronic welding machine to build the internal median divider for the flat metal guards.
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| Metal work with PE from AFV Club parts... |
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| ...and installing the guards over the filters with superglue. Note the highly sophisticated gravitational and mass-bonding device developed by Kojak. The original AFV Club tracks (very good) have already been installed in their places. |
And since I'm working with metal, I replaced the plastic engine cover lock rods with rods made with metal, by copper wires with compatible diameters.
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| Metal locks... |
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| And the two Churchills (Churchill ARV Mk.II and Snake Launcher), side by side, showing the rear decks with metal rods |
The Churchill Snake project is very easy and straightforward to build, with virtually no other modifications. The added details were intended solely to facilitate construction and ensure the kit's durability after completion. We should always consider the wear and tear that comes with handling and cleaning the models on our shelves. Very thin parts are bound to break!
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| Installing the Snake torpedo tubes over the tank tracks. |
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| Front right view |
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| Front left view |
The front support (made with PE metal) is a bit tricky to position. I used PE fragments, glued internally and externally, to reinforce the joints between the plastic and metal.
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| Reinforcing the bond between metal and plastic: PE fragments glued with superglue to the outer face of the front supports |
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| Reinforcing the bond between metal and plastic: PE fragments glued with superglue to the inner face of the front supports |
The markings on this vehicle reproduce those displayed by a Churchill AVRE Mk.IV named BANNER during tests conducted in England in November 1943. These tests were filmed and can be seen on the Imperial War Museum's archive film under number MGH 106. I captured several frames from this film to illustrate this report.
BANNER features the markings of the "Hobart´s Funnies," the 79th Armoured Division, 1st Assault Brigade, with the AoS of the 42nd Assault Regiment - Royal Engineers. In the film, the vehicle doesn't show the spigot mortar on the front of the turret, but I decided to build the vehicle fully armed, as if to represent the tank during a later test with full armament. And, let's face it, it looks much better this way. Here's my Painting & Markings Guide, which always helps me decorate my kits:
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| Panzerserra markings & painting guide |
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| Starting with the paintwork, shades of green all over the vehicle... left front view |
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| Shades of green all over the vehicle... right front view |
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| Applying the AFV Club decals (very good) that come with the kit... |
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| In the decal locations, I applied two thin coats of gloss varnish to prevent the formation of the odious silvering. |
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| Right side view of the BANNER |
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| Rear view of the BANNER |
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| Painting the good vinyl tracks with acrylic paint diluted in water (to avoid melting) with a brush and Vallejo Gun Metal paint. |
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| The tank's badass look is simply fantastic... |
Applying the white-red-white English marking decals was a bit tricky. To avoid wrinkling the narrow decal when applied to the tapered nuts on the sides of the shields (even with the use of Microsol), I marked the position of these tapered nuts on the decals and, using a punch of the correct diameter, removed the portion of the decal corresponding to the nut space, with the decal fitting specifically to the nut.
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| The decal drilled and fitted into the conical nut on the side of the tank sponsons. Right view |
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| The decal drilled and fitted into the conical nut on the side of the tank sponsons. Left close view |
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| Painting the conical nut in the English marking colors, harmonizing the entire set. Right view |
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| Painting the conical nut in the English marking colors, harmonizing the entire set. Left view |
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| Painting various details on the vehicle... |
And with the application of various weathering and pigment techniques, I completed the construction of this different and imposing prototype of the Churchill special tank lineage: The Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Mk.IV AVRE, of the 79th Armored Division.
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) "BANNER" "Hobart´s Funnies," - 79th Armoured Division 1st Assault Brigade - 42nd Assault Regiment (Royal Engineers.) England, November 1943. |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Front left view |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Left view |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Rear left view |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Rear right view |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Right view |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Front right view |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) Front left view |
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| Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) with Kojak |
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Churchill Mk IV AVRE Snake launcher (Wurlitzer) "BANNER" 1st Assault Brigade - 42nd Assault Regiment (Royal Engineers.) England, November 1943. |
Until the next report, colleagues!!
Thank you very much for being here...
