White Rabitt No6 etc

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Andy H
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White Rabitt No6 etc

#1

Post by Andy H » 03 Aug 2011, 18:34

Hi

Does anyone have any pics or schematic drawings of these 100-130ton monsters proposed by Churchill

In brief
In February 1940 an order was placed for 200 'Narrow' types and 40 'wide' ones.
The order was to be completed by May'41
Cost would be £8million, would require over 20,000tons of steel and 1/8th of the national production of steel castings. One estimate stated that each machine would involve 36,000components, 71 sub-assemblies and 250-350 suppliers.

These monsters would require 200 marine versions of the Merlin engine ready for the end of 1940 and a further 2-40 as spares by June'41. Rolls Royce pointed out that it would mean 200 less fighter aircraft! Churchill persisted and wrote to the Sec State for Air-he got 1 engine for his troubles for experimentation. It was then decided to replace the Merlins with 2 Paxman-Ricardo diesel engines per vehicle.

By the fall of France the need for the machines was no longer around and the order was reduced to 33 and its priority lowered from the highest to a lower 1(b)

A field trial finally took place in November'41. By April 1943, 4 Narrow (or Infantry) models and 1 Wide (Officer) model had been built.

Towards the end of the war it was proposed to break them up but Churchill ordered that 1 should be kept-which it was till 1950's when it was scrapped

More detailed here under the Nellie project
http://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/paxbrit.htm#nellie
and here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultivator_No._6

But no pics :cry:

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Orwell1984
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Re: White Rabitt No6 etc

#2

Post by Orwell1984 » 03 Aug 2011, 18:53

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/nellie-c ... l-mole.htm

Here's an article by Carlo D'Este from 2007 that includes a photograph, though not the best.


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Kingfish
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Re: White Rabitt No6 etc

#3

Post by Kingfish » 03 Aug 2011, 18:57


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Andy H
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Re: White Rabitt No6 etc

#4

Post by Andy H » 03 Aug 2011, 19:38

Thank you both for the links.

As you say not the best picture in the world but its a start.

Does anybody know how many crew this monster had?
I would also imagine it would have some armour protection given the environment it would be operating in?

Regards

Andy H

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