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United Kingdom - Churchill Variants |
Churchill Oke
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A Churchill II or III with a flamethrower. The Oke flamethrowing tank was named after its designer, Major J.M. Oke. The design was basically for a Churchill tank fitted with the Ronson flamethrower equipment. A tank containing the flame fuel was fitted at the rear, with a pipe from it leading to the fixed angle mounting on the front hull to the left, leaving the hull machine gun unobstructed. There were three (named "Boar", "Beetle" and "Bull") present, in the first wave, at Dieppe which were quickly lost and abandoned.
The Oke had a machine gun in the hull. The flame-thrower was operated by a crew member from the hull MG gunner’s seat. The Churchill Oke was the first Churchill to be fitted with flame equipment. The range of the Oke flame-thrower was 40 to 50 yards. Three Churchill Is that were equipped with the Oke flame-thrower system at Dieppe. All three were crewed by 8 Troop, "B" Squadron, 14th Army Tank Regiment (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)), C.A.C. and were carried on TLC-3 (Tank Landing Craft) No 159 at Deippe. |
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Boar
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BOAR made heavy landing from TLC-3 and knocked off the flame-thrower fuel tank on the rear, but still managed to cross the beach and onto the promenade in the area of the Cassino. It remained mobile throughout the morning before being ordered back to the beach to cover the withdrawal. Once back on the beach BOAR took a hit and immobilised, but continued to act as a pillbox.
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Beetle
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BEETLE, also landed heavy and broke a pin on her right track and remained immobilized on the shore line, at the eastern end of Red Beach and also acted as a pillbox.
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Bull
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BULL was the Troop Commanders tank and was launched prematurely and ’drowned’ in ten feet of water approx. 100 yds off shore. (the junction of Red and White Beaches).
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