The Sherman Crab Mark 1 has hydraulic lifting gear attached to the flail arm to keep it at a constant height.
The creation of the flail tank allowed soldiers to clear minefields quickly whilst the crew inside were protected by the tank’s armour. The drum rotated three times per second, meaning the chains would thrash the ground with enough force to set off buried mines. This was still a risky job for the crew – they had to drive at walking speed in a straight line, with the dirt kicked up making it impossible to see or shoot.
The Tank Museum’s Sherman Crab
This tank is an M4A4, or Sherman V to the British, with serial number 19925. It was built by Chrysler at the Detroit Tank Arsenal in April 1943, then converted to a Crab in Britain. It came to the Tank Museum in 1949.
