M29 Rodent

[phantom16]

Hi,

I'm looking for pictures of the British M29 Weasel with the mineroller, it was called rodent and it was tested by the 79th Armoured Division.
I only know one picture that was taken from the right side.
Maybe there's someone who can help me.

regards,

Dennis

[Mark W. Tonner]

Hi Dennis;

Here is one I had posted on an earlier thread:

[phantom16]

Hi Mark,

that was the one I knew, do you know if there are any plans for the mineroller?
Thanks.

regards,

Dennis

[Lynn Eades]

What would be the drivers life expectancy? The first mine? Is that the fuel tank at front right of the weasel? Are there any surviving M29 weasel,mine roller drivers? The cost of Britian becoming a great empire, must have been high. ....So many questions....

[Snowtractor]

I have seen a 3 or 4 picture series of a Weasel mine roller but I can not remember where. There was a caption about how much damage it sustained too. Perhaps in Fred Crismon's tracked vehicles?
I am currently packing so I can't look for you.
Sean

[Mark W. Tonner]

Hi Dennis;

Just a note, the Rodent anti-personnel mine device never made it past the experimental stage. It was tested by F Wing, based at Gheel, Belgium, along with two other anti-personnel mine devices, but none of these entered service.

Cheers

[Snowtractor]

More has come back, they were using the mine roller in snow. The rollers would pack up and not roll. But I can see why they tried a weasel if the roller was to be used in snow or on soft ground.
Sean

[alleramilitaria]

please tell me they uparmored the front of the vehicle!!!!!

[Snowtractor]

As far as I recall, the article did express sympathy for the driver. The roller I saw had a framework like a bomb loader truck with the boom sticking out over the front and the rollers lifted and pulled by cables. It was heavily down at the front from the weight unlike the picture shown.
Sean

[alleramilitaria]

dont care i want 1/2 in of armor

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Dennis:
Just a little note regarding devices for mine clearing.
The only true and tried way was a foot slogging infantry soldier. When I was in Italy and Sicily we used a mine the detector, personal vision and our rifle bayonets. There would have been very little success with the rodent when you figure how tricky the German's were. All they would have had to do was plant two mines the length of the tank apart. First mine would be hooked up to the second mine which would go off when the rodent would dislodge the second mine. this could be done by using an FID fuse. This was a fuse that contained explosive material in a lead covering and would go off instantainiously. There was another fuse that we used that burned at 90 feet per second. Also the Germans would also on occasion lay double teller mines which would sure have made hamburger out of the front of the rodent. As Mark pointed out another Rube Goldburg experiment went down the drain. Thought you might find this information a little interesting in your research of the rodent.
Norm.

[alleramilitaria]

boy norm they could use you in iraq

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Dave:
Yes, I am all packed and going down to the local sports shop and rent a mine detector and have written Bush for my bus fare as I do not like to fly. By the way, our son's son in law has just arrived in Germany from his second tour in Iraq and he is going to refresh me on mine warfare.

[alleramilitaria]

I WAS THERE 2 YEARS AGO, its amazing how the cat and mouse game is played over there. they think of something, we counter it, they defeat the counter mesure, we defeate the counter, countermeasure, etc.... the funny thing is the amount of times they test the arming circet with a live battery while emplacing the mine (BOOM)!!!!!