Centurion BARV

M4 Sherman BARV

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Close to the end of World War 2 when the idea of amphibius landings where being considered the need arrose for a armoured vehicle which could be used to push stranded landing craft and drowned vehicles on or off the beaches . This would need to be powerful enough to move all allied armour, at the time this was best done by other armoured vehicles . So the first BARV was the Sherman tank modified to wade in water upto 9 feet deep.BARV being short for Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle.  This was done by removing the turret and amourment , replacing it with a deep wading skirt and raised air intakes and exhausts.These where used up to the 1960's when they where replaced by the Centurion BARV. The Centurion BARV's where used up to the turn of the century when they where replace by the Hippo which was based on the German Leopard 2 tank chassis. The First BARV's where deployed with the landing craft tank and landing ship tank. this was up untill the LPD's(Landing Platform Dock) where introdued These being HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless Naval designations L10 and L11. HMS Fearless was the last to see service until being decomissioned in 2002. Being the last steam powered ship in the Royal Navy. The LPD's where replace by HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.

M3 Lee/Grant BARV

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Another variant on the BARV was the M3 based BARV useing the Lee/Grant Chassis. The running gear of the M3 Lee/Grant and the M4 Sherman is the same with only slight variasions between marks. There is also the fact that there was an abundance of M3's over the M4 btu this being the case the Sherman was used as the most common base . The M3 was used by the Australians

Ram Dolphin

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The Canadian variant is the Ram Dolphin Based on the M4

Centurion BARV

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Based on the Centurion gun tank with the turret and main gun and mchine guns removed and replaced with a deep wading skirt and waterproof vision block for the driver to see through. This was the only vision port for the Centurion BARV and no periscope for the comander which required that the comander has to comand through an open hatch. The drivers compartment was covered over with an armoured superstructure. there is also an extension block over the glasses late for the push block and also provides extra stowage for ropes and other recovery equipment. Has a combat weight of 37 tons unlike the gun tank which weighs in at 55 tons. This is capable of wading in to water of 9 feet 6 inches and will stand in still water of 11 feet . The Cent BARV was given the Fighting Vehicle number FV4018.

Current BARV

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Ths is the British BARV built by Alvis and built onto the German Leopard tank chassis. This has a full air conditioned cab for the crew and capable of wading upto 11 feet of water also has space at the rear to carry cargo.

Centurion BARV