BARV
From Free net encyclopedia
The BARV is a British military support vehicle, the name coming from 'Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle'.
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Sherman BARV
Image:IWM-H-35624-Sherman-BARV-London-19440208.jpg Image:Centurion-BARV-latrun-3.jpg
The original BARV was a Sherman M4A2 tank which had been waterproofed and had the turret replaced by a tall armoured superstructure. Around 60 were deployed on the invasion beaches during the Battle of Normandy. Able to operating in 9 foot (2.7 metre) deep water, the BARV was used to remove vehicles that had become broken-down or swamped in the surf and were blocking access to the beaches. They were also used to re-float small landing craft that had become stuck on the beach. Unusually for a tank, the crew included a diver whose job was to attach towing chains to stuck vehicles.
The vehicles were developed and operated by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. The Sherman M4A2 model was chosen as a basis for the BARV as it was thought that the Sherman's welded hull would make easier to waterproof than other tanks. The M4A2, unlike other Sherman models, was powered by a diesel engine and it was believed this would be less affected by the sudden temperature changes caused by the tank repeatedly plunging into cold water.
A few Sherman BARV's continued to be used until 1963, when they were replaced by a vehicle based on the Centurion tank.
A single M3A5 Grant tank was converted into a BARV in 1950 by the Australian Army. This remained in service until 1970.
Centurion BARV
The current vehicle is the Centurion BARV FV 4018. Twelve were originally built, but only one remains in service with the Royal Marines. It has a crew of four; two of the crew are members of the Royal Engineers, one of whom is a qualified diver.
The Centurion BARV has been replaced by the Hippo FBARV (Future Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle) which is a conversion by Hagglunds Moelv of a Leopard 1A5 tank. It will be able to pull vehicles up to 50 tonnes weight or push off from the beach a 240 tonne displacement LCU.
Surviving Vehicles
The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum of Technology, near Arborfield in England, has a Sherman BARV on display. Another is privately owned in the UK, this is probably the only Sherman BARV in the world in running condition.
Centurion BARVs are on display at the Bovington Tank Museum (UK), at the IDF Armoured Corps Museum (Yad la-Shiryon) (Latrun, Israel), and at the IDF History Museum (Batey ha-Osef) (Tel-Aviv, Israel).
The Australian M3 BARV is preserved at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum at Puckapunyal, Australia.