Rhino Tank
Encyclopedia
The Rhino tank was the American nickname for Allied tanks fitted with bocage breaching "tusks" during the Second World War Battle of Normandy
, which took place during the Liberation of France in the summer of 1944. The British nicknamed the devices prongs.
landings, the Allies found themselves operating in the Normandy bocage
countryside; a landscape of high, thick hedges and narrow sunken lanes that severely restricted tank movement and prevented them from bringing their superiority in vehicles to bear. A way was needed of overcoming the constraints of the bocage. Infantry found themselves fighting from field to field against prepared German defences; the lack of clear views limited the ability of artillery to support the infantry.
American units developed methods of making gaps large enough for tanks: explosives, tanks with bulldozer blades or extemporised bumpers
, a sergeant in the 2nd Armored Division's 102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron
. However, military historian Max Hastings
notes that Culin was inspired by "a Tennessee hillbilly named Roberts", who during a discussion about how the bocage could be overcome said "Why don't we get some saw teeth and put them on the front of the tank and cut through these hedges?" Rather than joining in the laughter that greeted this remark, Culin realised the idea's potential and put together a prototype tusk-like assembly welded to the front of a tank. In due course this was demonstrated to General Bradley, who "watched in awe as a hedgerow exploded ... to make way for the Sherman bursting through". According to Hastings, Culin, "an honest man", attempted to give credit to Roberts but this was forgotten in the publicity surrounding the invention. Hastings concludes: "[Culin] became a very American kind of national hero".
that the Germans had placed by the thousands on French beaches during their construction of the Atlantic Wall
. These were used to modify nearly three-quarters of the US 2nd Armored Division's M4 Sherman
and M3 Stuart tanks, and M10 tank destroyers, in preparation for Operation Cobra
.
The British REME
referred to the devices as "Prongs" and also produced an initial few from beach defences, but thereafter production was located in the UK. Six hundred Mark I Prongs were delivered by August to be fitted to the Sherman V. A further 1,000 Mark II Prongs were produced for Shermans and the M10, and 500 Mark III prongs were manufactured for the Cromwell tank
. The Churchill tank
was not considered to need the Prong but some were equipped with them nonetheless.
Military historian Steven Zaloga
claims that the devices "were not as widely used as the legend would suggest", and neither were they as effective as is often believed. However, Hastings credits their invention with restoring battlefield manoeuvrability to the Allied force.
Battle of Normandy
The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II. It was the largest amphibious operation in history...
, which took place during the Liberation of France in the summer of 1944. The British nicknamed the devices prongs.
Background
Moving inland after their successful D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings, the Allies found themselves operating in the Normandy bocage
Bocage
Bocage is a Norman word which has entered both the French and English languages. It may refer to a small forest, a decorative element of leaves, a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture, or a type of rubble-work, comparable with the English use of 'rustic' in relation to garden...
countryside; a landscape of high, thick hedges and narrow sunken lanes that severely restricted tank movement and prevented them from bringing their superiority in vehicles to bear. A way was needed of overcoming the constraints of the bocage. Infantry found themselves fighting from field to field against prepared German defences; the lack of clear views limited the ability of artillery to support the infantry.
American units developed methods of making gaps large enough for tanks: explosives, tanks with bulldozer blades or extemporised bumpers
Invention
The invention of a hedge-breaching device is generally credited to Curtis G. CulinCurtis G. Culin
Sgt Curtis Grubb Culin III was a World War II soldier credited with the invention of a hedge-breaching device fitted to Allied armored vehicles during the Battle of Normandy. As they moved inland after the D-Day landings, the Allies found their tanks were unable to operate easily or safely in the...
, a sergeant in the 2nd Armored Division's 102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron
102nd Cavalry Regiment (United States)
The 102nd Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1913.-Lineage:Organized 29 May 1913 in the New Jersey National Guard as the 1st Cavalry Squadron with Headquarters at Newark...
. However, military historian Max Hastings
Max Hastings
Sir Max Hugh Macdonald Hastings, FRSL is a British journalist, editor, historian and author. He is the son of Macdonald Hastings, the noted British journalist and war correspondent and Anne Scott-James, sometime editor of Harper's Bazaar.-Life and career:Hastings was educated at Charterhouse...
notes that Culin was inspired by "a Tennessee hillbilly named Roberts", who during a discussion about how the bocage could be overcome said "Why don't we get some saw teeth and put them on the front of the tank and cut through these hedges?" Rather than joining in the laughter that greeted this remark, Culin realised the idea's potential and put together a prototype tusk-like assembly welded to the front of a tank. In due course this was demonstrated to General Bradley, who "watched in awe as a hedgerow exploded ... to make way for the Sherman bursting through". According to Hastings, Culin, "an honest man", attempted to give credit to Roberts but this was forgotten in the publicity surrounding the invention. Hastings concludes: "[Culin] became a very American kind of national hero".
Usage
Around 500 of the assemblies, called the "Culin Rhino device" or "Culin hedgerow cutter" by the Americans, were manufactured from steel salvaged from the plentiful obstaclesCzech hedgehog
The Czech hedgehog or ježek, was a static anti-tank obstacle defence made of angled iron deployed during World War II by various combatants....
that the Germans had placed by the thousands on French beaches during their construction of the Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
. These were used to modify nearly three-quarters of the US 2nd Armored Division's M4 Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
and M3 Stuart tanks, and M10 tank destroyers, in preparation for Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II...
.
The British REME
Reme
Reme may refer to:*Rəmə, Azerbaijan*Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
referred to the devices as "Prongs" and also produced an initial few from beach defences, but thereafter production was located in the UK. Six hundred Mark I Prongs were delivered by August to be fitted to the Sherman V. A further 1,000 Mark II Prongs were produced for Shermans and the M10, and 500 Mark III prongs were manufactured for the Cromwell tank
Cromwell tank
Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell ,The designation as the eighth Cruiser tank design, its name given for ease of reference and its General Staff specification number respectively and the related Centaur tank, were one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second...
. The Churchill tank
Churchill tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...
was not considered to need the Prong but some were equipped with them nonetheless.
Military historian Steven Zaloga
Steven Zaloga
Steven J. Zaloga is an American historian, defense consultant, and a well-known author on military technology. He received a bachelors degree cum laude in history from Union College and a masters degree from Columbia University....
claims that the devices "were not as widely used as the legend would suggest", and neither were they as effective as is often believed. However, Hastings credits their invention with restoring battlefield manoeuvrability to the Allied force.