Hi All
I was wondering if you could help on a query about the Churchill ARK MkI.
Was it ever used in combat or was it just a develpoment vehicle that led to operational types?
cheers
Paul
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Was Churchill ARK MkI used in Combat?
paulchatfield
Joined: May 27, 2008
KitMaker: 144 posts
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Posted: Monday, January 26, 2009 - 11:38 PM UTC
Grizzly
Joined: November 17, 2002
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Posted: Monday, January 26, 2009 - 11:48 PM UTC
Hi Paul,
This illustration shows that they were.
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/3-UK/07-Others/FunnyTanks/Churchill-Ark1.htm
This illustration shows that they were.
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/3-UK/07-Others/FunnyTanks/Churchill-Ark1.htm
jon_a_its
Joined: April 29, 2004
KitMaker: 1,336 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 04:38 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Hi Paul,
This illustration shows that they were.
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/3-UK/07-Others/FunnyTanks/Churchill-Ark1.htm
Advise a little caution here, The artwork is... nice, but no refs or original pics shown or given.
eg, the Sherman Crocodile drawn here shows pipework on the WRONG side!
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Allies/3-UK/07-Others/FunnyTanks/Sherman-Crocodile.htm
see Zaloga's Build with tons of ORIGINAL photos here: http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article.asp?a=3417
Try googling " Churchill + ark" ,
http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=churchill+%2B+ark&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&hl=en&sa=2
but beware: just because it's on the 'interweb', it must be true, right?
Anyway this might answer your question: http://www.desertrat.brigades.btinternet.co.uk/equipment.htm
AlanL
Joined: August 12, 2005
KitMaker: 14,499 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 07:31 AM UTC
Hi Paul,
The ARK (Armoured Ramp Carrier) was one of the first specialised vehicles to be developed by 79th Armoured Brigade in 1943. The Churchill ARK Mk I of which about 50 were produced was available in time for the Normandy Landings. They were based on Mk III and Mk IV gun tanks, that had been ear marked for CDL tanks.
Shortly after the landings most Mk Is were converted to Mk IIs.
Short answer Yes.
Al
The ARK (Armoured Ramp Carrier) was one of the first specialised vehicles to be developed by 79th Armoured Brigade in 1943. The Churchill ARK Mk I of which about 50 were produced was available in time for the Normandy Landings. They were based on Mk III and Mk IV gun tanks, that had been ear marked for CDL tanks.
Shortly after the landings most Mk Is were converted to Mk IIs.
Short answer Yes.
Al
paulchatfield
Joined: May 27, 2008
KitMaker: 144 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 11:40 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Short answer Yes.
Thanks Al that's all I wanted to know.
Now, to work out a dio with an AVRE on an ARK MKI
A Shermaholic becomes a Churchillian very easily
jon_a_its
Joined: April 29, 2004
KitMaker: 1,336 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:56 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Thanks Al that's all I wanted to know.
Now, to work out a dio with an AVRE on an ARK MKI
A Shermaholic becomes a Churchillian very easily
Erm, A Sherm crossing an ark?
Edit: was browsing Resicast, & saw this: http://www.resicast.com/pages/351204pag.html
AlanL
Joined: August 12, 2005
KitMaker: 14,499 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 09:03 AM UTC
Hi Jan,
Yip, nice
Al
Yip, nice
Al
paulchatfield
Joined: May 27, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 10:45 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Erm, A Sherm crossing an ark?
I got a lot of inspiration from these pictures
love the one with 2 ARKs but how did they get the bottom one into and out of the ravine?
AlanL
Joined: August 12, 2005
KitMaker: 14,499 posts
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:03 AM UTC
Hi Paul,
great pics, good question
Al
great pics, good question
Al
insolitus
Joined: July 28, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:11 AM UTC
Quoted Text
How new tanks are made...
Sorry, couldn't resist
Andreas
paulchatfield
Joined: May 27, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:12 AM UTC
Yeah, Al, gotta love the crazy ingenuity of the commonwealth forces in WW2
Paul
Paul
paulchatfield
Joined: May 27, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:14 AM UTC
Quoted Text
How new tanks are made...
got to admit that a similar thought crossed my mind
okdoky
Joined: April 30, 2007
KitMaker: 1,597 posts
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 11:19 AM UTC
Hi there
Steve Cruikshank Junior did a dio with the three churchills and ditch crossing fairly recently using that pic. His build came out real nice.
http://armorama.com/forums/117483#967744
Nige
Steve Cruikshank Junior did a dio with the three churchills and ditch crossing fairly recently using that pic. His build came out real nice.
http://armorama.com/forums/117483#967744
Nige
AlanL
Joined: August 12, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 02:06 PM UTC
NebLWeffah
Joined: October 13, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 02:19 PM UTC
Quoted Text
How new tanks are made...
Okay, THAT made me laugh...!!! good one.
Bob
chrisgrove
Joined: October 13, 2006
KitMaker: 78 posts
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Posted: Monday, February 02, 2009 - 08:52 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Text
Erm, A Sherm crossing an ark?
I got a lot of inspiration from these pictures
love the one with 2 ARKs but how did they get the bottom one into and out of the ravine?
I guess they drove it in and, ten pounds to a rotten orange, they left it there!
Chris
tankmodeler
#417
Joined: March 01, 2004
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Posted: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 06:49 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I guess they drove it in and, ten pounds to a rotten orange, they left it there!
Chris
No, these things were very, very useful and in pretty short supply. I suspect it was driven into the river and had part of the bank collapsed by a dozer such that the second ARC could drive onto the first. When a more permanent pridge was available (a Bailey or other type of military bridge), the top ARC was driven out and then the bank in front of the lower ARC was excavated so that the lower ARC could be driven/hauled out of the hole.
As was stated, only 50 ARC Mk Is were made and they were all in NW Europe. Italy produced the similar ARC Italian Pattern in theatre at local depots and there wouldn't have been any more than 50 of those made either. There's no way they'd leave one in a ravine.
Let's face it, there are Scottish officers in the Brit Army, you can't see them wasting expensive kit like that, can you?
Paul
pebblemonkey
Joined: January 26, 2009
KitMaker: 180 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 07:03 AM UTC
Hi all,
I'm sure in the Osprey Churchill book, there is a pair of ARKs in a Italian river with a Polish Sherman crossing over them.
Matt
I'm sure in the Osprey Churchill book, there is a pair of ARKs in a Italian river with a Polish Sherman crossing over them.
Matt
paulchatfield
Joined: May 27, 2008
KitMaker: 144 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 07:49 AM UTC
Quoted Text
No, these things were very, very useful and in pretty short supply. I suspect it was driven into the river and had part of the bank collapsed by a dozer such that the second ARC could drive onto the first. When a more permanent pridge was available (a Bailey or other type of military bridge), the top ARC was driven out and then the bank in front of the lower ARC was excavated so that the lower ARC could be driven/hauled out of the hole.
thanks Paul
that sounds like a very reasonable answer, i couldn't see them just leaving it there.
Cheers
Paul
okdoky
Joined: April 30, 2007
KitMaker: 1,597 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 11:46 AM UTC
Hey folks
As a matter of curiousity, is that a canvas kilt that churchill turret is wearing or is the pic just a bit fuzzy? Looks a bit different.
Nige
As a matter of curiousity, is that a canvas kilt that churchill turret is wearing or is the pic just a bit fuzzy? Looks a bit different.
Nige
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