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An unditching beam is a device that is used to aid in the recovery of
armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
s when they become bogged or "ditched". The device is a beam that is attached to the
continuous track
Continuous track is a system of vehicle propulsion used in tracked vehicles, running on a continuous band of treads or track plates driven by two or more wheels. The large surface area of the tracks distributes the weight of the vehicle b ...
s that provides additional traction for the vehicle to extricate itself from a ditch or from boggy conditions.
The unditching beam was first introduced into service during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
with the British
Mark IV tank
The Mark IV (pronounced ''Mark four'') was a British tank of the First World War. Introduced in 1917, it benefited from significant developments of the Mark I tank (the intervening designs being small batches used for training). The main impro ...
. It is believed the device was designed by Philip Johnson who was serving as an engineering officer at the British Army's depot at
Érin
Érin () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in France.
Situation
Érin is a small village on the south side of the small river, the Ternoise which flows through St.Pol-sur-Ternoise and joins the River Ca ...
, originally the device weighed and was constructed of a solid beam of oak with two large steel plates bolted to two sides to provide protection. When not in use it was stowed on two rails mounted on the roof of the tank that ran the entire length of the vehicle, and when employed the beam was chained to the tank's tracks, giving the vehicle something firm to drive over.
Unditching beams remain a commonly carried standard ancillary on a number of Russian produced armoured fighting vehicles.
See also
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Unditching roller
The unditching roller is a device fitted to the front of military vehicles, such as the M3 Scout Car and the M3 half-track
The M3 half-track was an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and ...
References
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Automotive_engineering
World War I military equipment of the United Kingdom
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