MR Modellbau announces the availability of its hedgerow cutter.

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Thanks!

These look good and it's always nice to have a couple handy for those Normandy dios. But I'm confused, cause the cutter in photo #1 looks different than photo #2 and #3. Which one is in the box??

My guess would be that you and an option of which style to build.

Since these cutters were made from cut up German beach obstacles, I've found that scratching them from bits of Plastuct I-beams, and angles (depending on the type of cutter), cheaper, and usually more realistic. And quite easy to make. All you need is a clear photo of one (and there are many). Since they were all hand-made by an army of engineers, you could expect some variance between examples.

Photo #1 is the base, #2 and #3 are the base with the triangular "wings".

G

Some food for thought (by S.Zaloga )

http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/usa/zaloga_culin_cutter.htm

H.P.

Interesting, very interesting
I have always wondered how the Culin cutter which is narrower than the width of the tank hull (i.e. width between the tracks) could make a hole big enough for the whole tank to get through.
Using them to make holes to put explosives in makes sense in a way but the poor sod handling the explosives would be exposed to enemy fire.

I would have tried with a conical "hat" on a steel tube, the "hat" has a larger diameter than the tube, the tube is firmly attached to the tank (like the Culin cutter), the tube contains an explosive charge which is fixed to the "hat" and with a sufficiently long cord and rip detonator to the inner end of the tube. The "hat" has a larger diameter than the tube and is very loosely connected to the tube. The tank rams the tube/tubes into the hedgerow and slowly backs out, the hat sticks in the hole since the "brim" is larger than the tube, the explosive charge stays with the "hat" since it is tied to it, the rip cord is pulled out when the tank backs away and the detonator blows the charge. If cardboard tubes were available they could be used to enclose the explosives as long as the whole thing fits inside the steel tube. With more advanced workshop facilities it could be possible to have prongs on the "hat" with springs to push them out into the soil of the hedge (think arrowhead with barbs).

/ Robin

The primary reason for the hedge cutter was not to make a hole by itself, but, by forking into the base of the hedgerow, preventing the tank from riding up and over and exposing it's thin belly plate to AT fire. The tank then just forced it's way through the hedgerow by brute force. The one above by MR Modelbau does look a little small.

MR Modelbau has some interesting stuff, but does anyone outside of Germany carry their products? Shipping from Germany to the US is ludicrous.