Special Armoured Vehicles

Arc                Spigot Mortar  Bobbin Tank   Bridge Layer    Recovery Vehicle

Most of the armour used on D-day was of a standard design and used by both the Americans and British.
The exception to this was "Hobarts Funnies" Major General Percy Hobart was a relative of Montgomery and this may have been a factor in the adoption of so many designs of special vehicles by the British on D-day.
After the disaster of Dieppe when the tanks could not gain a foothold on the beach the British staff planners came to realise that they needed strong armoured support if they were to make a successful landing on an enemy held beach. Most of the vehicles were based on Churchill or Sherman tanks but able to do a wide range of tasks.

The ARC was a turretless tank that carried a folding roadway on top. It could drop into streams, ditches and tank traps to enable other vehicles to cross.

The Spigot Mortar, called the flying dustbin was able to fire a 40lb charge and was very effective against bunkers and pill boxes.

Bobbin Tank, carried an enormous drum of cotton that it could lay as a roadway in its path over soft ground.

Churchill Bridge Layer, carried a pre fabricated bridge in front that it could lay across a ditch, decouple and then fight on as a normal tank.

Recovery Vehicle, at the front it had a crane that could lift a tank turret and at the rear towing gear to rescue stranded tanks.