British - Churchill AVRE Mk.IV with Bobbins Type B

The British Churchill AVRE Mk. IV with Bobbins Type B was a specialised engineering vehicle developed for breaching beach obstacles and minefields during amphibious assaults in World War II. Based on the heavily armoured Churchill Mk. IV chassis, the AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) was fitted with the powerful 290mm Petard mortar, designed to demolish bunkers, walls, and fortified positions at close range. In addition to its demolition role, the Bobbins Type B system mounted at the front of the vehicle allowed it to lay a reinforced matting track across soft sand, mud, or unstable ground, creating a firm path for following vehicles.

The Bobbins Type B consisted of a large roll of reinforced fabric matting carried on a frame at the front of the tank, which was unrolled as the vehicle advanced. This proved especially useful during the Normandy landings (June 1944), where soft beach conditions could easily bog down wheeled and tracked vehicles. Operated by units of the 79th Armoured Division, the Churchill AVRE with Bobbins was a key part of the British assault engineering effort, combining heavy armour, demolition firepower, and terrain-bridging capability in one adaptable platform. It remains one of the most distinctive examples of specialised Allied assault engineering vehicles of the war.

Multi part resin model.

Printed by Imperator Models on License from Wargame 3D.