Churchill Mk. IV AVRE with Small Box Girder Assault Bridge Mk. II

[Richard48]

Thanks :smiling3:


Looking at the instructions on Scalemates, I think like all of AFV Club’s AVRE kits come with extra armour plates, on sprue L (that also has the mortar and other AVRE fittings) while the uparmoured doors are on sprue M, though IIRC the armour plates are not quite the style seen on this Irish tank:

[ATTACH]485788[/ATTACH]

I don’t think the big square bosses with bolt heads are included, but those are easy to make from some plastic card and punched bolt heads or something.


Just buy AFV Club’s Mk. VI kit — the tank in the photo above is captioned as a Mk. VI on the site where I found it, not a Mk. IV. That kit doesn’t come with extra armour, though.

(It’s apparently a Mk. VI, anyway — there was a question on Missing-Lynx recently about how to tell them apart, but I don’t remember because the differences were so small :smiling3: I think it’s mainly a plate in the side of the turret, part Q4 in that kit, if you look at step 32 of the instructions. Which the tank in the picture doesn’t have … so maybe it’s a Mk. IV after all?)


I don’t think I want to list all the models of the past 30 years or so that I started but never completed It shouldn’t be too much longer before this AVRE is finished, though …

[Richard48]

Hi Jakko.
I managed to get a copy of Modelling the Churchill by Chris at Inside the armour and they do an Irish one!!!!.Had a quick look and they make the postwar stand off plates and add Meng bolts.The extra armour plates wouldnt be too bad to make if the mark v1 kit was used.They use the mark 1v with a QF 75mm gun.One to ponder and get kits etc for.
Cheers from Richard

[Guest]

I think I have two sets of the extra armour, if so you could have one to stick onto your model. The spaced armour mounts are then simple enough by cutting some rectangles from plastic card and adding the bolt heads.

[Richard48]

I think I have two sets of the extra armour, if so you could have one to stick onto your model. The spaced armour mounts are then simple enough by cutting some rectangles from plastic card and adding the bolt heads.

Thanks Jakko.Ive got a model show on 30th July so hoping to grab a Churchill or 2.
Cheers from Richard

[Guest]

All of the tie rods are now on and painted, and also the winch cage and the little cover plate on the release mechanism in the middle of the engine deck:

[ATTACH]485847[/ATTACH]

The rods to the rear duct were easier to fit than I expected: you can push them through from the rear, hook them to the duct and then glue both ends into place. I had painted them brown first, because it will be very hard to paint the whole thing when it’s in place.

After the glue on all of this had dried, I added a darker wash and a lighter drybrush to the rods, to make sure they’re painted like the rest of the wading gear.

[Andy T]

I've just realised that I haven't commented on this yet even though I'm following every episode. Looking incredible!

[Guest]

Thanks, and I’ve noticed your likes so your following the build was already appreciated

[JR]

Must have been a bit scary going into deep water for the first time , just hoping that the tape held .

Great build and as always full of history.

[Waspie]

Cor blimey Jakko. That is amazing work. Love the tracks - the detail!! Mind you, all of the detail is stunning.

[Guest]

Must have been a bit scary going into deep water for the first time , just hoping that the tape held .

I think I would be nervous too — the manual doesn’t say to actually test the waterproofing, it just assumes the crew does the work correctly …

Great build and as always full of history.

Then I have some more for you, about that waterproofing :smiling3: Of the 14 tanks landed at Westkapelle on 1 November 1944, only four or perhaps five didn’t drown … However, none drowned in coming ashore — the rest got stuck on the remains of the dyke and, despite frantic efforts to tow them out with other tanks and armoured bulldozers, drowned when the tide rose too high.

For example, from the war diary of 87 Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers:

TWO TROOP, ASRE [replaced by “87 Aslt Sqn”]
[“(A2A)” added in pencil]

1st Nov Wednesday

2C (A2) and 2E (A2A) left OSTENDE in LCT 757 (sic) at 0015 hrs. LCT also carried 2 Flails, one gun tank commanded by Major Pocock, and a bulldozer. These vehs comprised Bramble Lane and the crafts were due to touch down immediately after similarly loaded LCTs carrying Cherry and Damson Lanes had beached. LCTs carrying Cherry and Damson were hit and stood off to check up on damage. Damson Lane (Lt Martin) returned to OSTENDE without beaching. Bramble touched down first at approx 1000 hrs and was followed by Apple and Cherry. A2 bogged immediately it left LCT. Two Flails and Comd Flail (sic) left LCT followed by Bulldozer and A2A with Bridge. Beach was very soft and muddy and only the following vehs got ashore:- 4 Flails, 2 AVsRE & 1 Bulldozer. These vehs moved to area of Tower at Westkapelle and did no fighting. Bulldozer used to clear a path to tower. Two of the four Flails were drowned during high tide at night.

It says LCT 757, but that should be 737, which carried assault group Bramble (though the Royal Engineers consistently talk about “lanes” where 1 Lothians and Border Yeomanry, who supplied the Crabs and Sherman command tanks, refer to “assault groups”).

The same war diary also has this report from assault group Apple, carried in LCT 1005:

Wed 1st Nov 44

We were scheduled to touch down at WESTKAPELLE at 0945 hrs, one hour after low tide, but our craft went to the assistance DAMSON craft on which a fascine had caught fire. AVRE crews manned the hoses on our craft but owing to the state of the hoses put more water on themselves than on the fascine. Craft touched down at 1100 hrs and leading flail went ashore, and immediately bogged on soft clay. Craft drew off and came back in, ten yards to North of bogged flails. The other 2 flails went off and also bogged. Realized that ground on which ramp was touching was no used for landing. Brought forward bridge AVRE and dropped bridged from ramp of LCT on to what I thought looked like hard ground some 25’ from ship. This ground was misleading as AVRE after running over bridge bogged in it. Fascine AVRE thinking we had got on to solid ground came on to bridge and LCT backed away. Bulldozer was unable to start and did not come off the craft. After unsuccessful efforts to get A2B out of the clay called forward A2A to tow it out. Nearest A2A could approach because of tide was 30 yds and by time tow ropes were found and coupled up the waves were washing in through the turret of A2B. As I feared for safety of driver I gave orders to abandon the effort and we swam ashore with what kit we could carry. The conduct of Spr Rampley during this stage merits recognition. Standing up to shoulders in water and during all the mortaring he helped me couple up tow ropes with a coolness that set an example to the remainder of the crew. The two crews being soaked to the skin the first consideration was shelter and a fire. This we got in one of the houses in the village. At low tide we went back to the AV’sRE to salvage kit and food. Spent night in house.

The bridge AVRE referred to above is not T68927, number A2A, that I’m building, but A2B (the “me” is Lt. J C Ramsay of the Royal Engineers). Just the other day, I came across this picture, that I had never seen before, in a Canadian movie news report about the landings:

[ATTACH]485867[/ATTACH]

Visible there is LCT 1005, the SBG bridge lying from its bow ramp is clearly visible, as are the two Crabs bogged down this side of it and one behind; AVRE A2B was either to the right of the picture or still inside the LCT, and in either case, A2C (“fascine AVRE” in the report) is also inside the LCT at this point, because it got stuck on the bridge after landing.

Notice the report mentions A2A as being used to try and tow others free. It ended its war a bit higher up on the “beach” but never did make it into the village, but it’s not clear to me why. It doesn’t look like it got stuck, but maybe it did, just not as badly as the others?

That is amazing work. Love the tracks - the detail!! Mind you, all of the detail is stunning.

Thanks. Pretty much all of it is straight from the box — the only parts I replaced for being overscale, were the tie rods and hooks for the wading ducts. AFV Club kits all have very fine details, though that also makes them harder to build than many other brands.

[Scratchbuilder]

Looks better every time I pop in to see how the build is going.

[Jim R]

Looks excellent Jakko.

[Jack L]

I think I would be nervous too — the manual doesn’t say to actually test the waterproofing, it just assumes the crew does the work correctly …


Then I have some more for you, about that waterproofing :smiling3: Of the 14 tanks landed at Westkapelle on 1 November 1944, only four or perhaps five didn’t drown … However, none drowned in coming ashore — the rest got stuck on the remains of the dyke and, despite frantic efforts to tow them out with other tanks and armoured bulldozers, drowned when the tide rose too high.

For example, from the war diary of 87 Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers:

It says LCT 757, but that should be 737, which carried assault group Bramble (though the Royal Engineers consistently talk about “lanes” where 1 Lothians and Border Yeomanry, who supplied the Crabs and Sherman command tanks, refer to “assault groups”).

The same war diary also has this report from assault group Apple, carried in LCT 1005:

The bridge AVRE referred to above is not T68927, number A2A, that I’m building, but A2B (the “me” is Lt. J C Ramsay of the Royal Engineers). Just the other day, I came across this picture, that I had never seen before, in a Canadian movie news report about the landings:

[ATTACH]485867[/ATTACH]

Visible there is LCT 1005, the SBG bridge lying from its bow ramp is clearly visible, as are the two Crabs bogged down this side of it and one behind; AVRE A2B was either to the right of the picture or still inside the LCT, and in either case, A2C (“fascine AVRE” in the report) is also inside the LCT at this point, because it got stuck on the bridge after landing.

Notice the report mentions A2A as being used to try and tow others free. It ended its war a bit higher up on the “beach” but never did make it into the village, but it’s not clear to me why. It doesn’t look like it got stuck, but maybe it did, just not as badly as the others?


Thanks. Pretty much all of it is straight from the box — the only parts I replaced for being overscale, were the tie rods and hooks for the wading ducts. AFV Club kits all have very fine details, though that also makes them harder to build than many other brands.

From what I have read, and without looking back through, I think one of the pictures you have posted confirms this, only the driver would be in the tank when coming off the landing craft into the water, the rest would sit on top just in case, then get in once on solid ground.

[Tim Marlow]

From what I have read, and without looking back through, I think one of the pictures you have posted confirms this, only the driver would be in the tank when coming off the landing craft into the water, the rest would sit on top just in case, then get in once on solid ground.

I’ve read that as well, though the commander would still be hooked up to the intercom set…..apparently there was a switch on the dash that would blow the waterproofing off when they reached land.
There’s a good description of it in here…

[Guest]

From what I have read, and without looking back through, I think one of the pictures you have posted confirms this, only the driver would be in the tank when coming off the landing craft into the water, the rest would sit on top just in case, then get in once on solid ground.

I don’t think this was the official intent, though. The deep-wading manual gives the impression the whole crew is meant to be on board, but I think it’s a safe bet that the crews would judge the relative dangers for themselves when deciding whether or not to

I’ve read that as well, though the commander would still be hooked up to the intercom set…..apparently there was a switch on the dash that would blow the waterproofing off when they reached land.

Luckily, I have the official manual for this particular tank (Well, not the AVRE but the regular Churchill, but that can’t have been very different.)

There was Cordtex (in modern terms: detonating cord) behind all of the waterproofing fabric except that around the gun muzzle of the regular tank (I suppose there was on the AVRE). Here is how it fit to the turret, for example:

[ATTACH]485929[/ATTACH][ATTACH]485930[/ATTACH]

The Cordtex on the turret was to be plugged into the socket for the inspection lamp in the turret, that for the bow machine gun and front hull roof ventilator into the driver’s instrument panel, and the Cordtex on the insides of the hull rear sealing plates also into the inspection lamp socket. The sockets were to be taped over to prevent accidentally inserting the plugs or wires.

The in- and outlet ducts were held on by the tie rods, which attached to the release gear in the centre of the engine deck. That looks like this:

[ATTACH]485932[/ATTACH]

It’s really a pretty simple affair: rings or hooks (not sure which) at the ends of the tie rods go around the little vertical posts, with the square plate holding them down. The smaller plate holds the square plate in position, and is itself retained by a plunger while the spring tries to push both plates off. A bicycle handbrake lever attached to a Bowden cable retracts the plunger, the two plates fly off and the ducts’ own weight pulls them off the tank.

Here is the procedure that was to be followed right after landing:

[ATTACH]485931[/ATTACH]

This also tells you why there was no Cordtex on the gun: just fire an AP round This was not possible with an AVRE, of course, as it had nothing but HE in the first place. But a bit of Cordtex around the outside of the mortar muzzle would work fine, I imagine.

And here is an AVRE at Westkapelle, with only one of its ducts remaining on the tank, and the rear one visible on the ground behind it:

[ATTACH]485935[/ATTACH]

I’m not 100% sure which AVRE this is, but doing some impromptu deduction just now, it’s not an SBG or fascine carrier (because there’s no hardware for those on it), meaning it’s either T69114/B, No. A3 Minotaur, or T172224, No. A2 (name unknown). That means it’s almost certainly the latter, because A3 had full-length track guards while this tank is missing the centre section.