Demolitions The
Carrot provided explosive charges on metal prongs extended from the front of the vehicle. These could be pushed up to an obstacle, released, and fired from within the vehicle, protecting engineers from the need to exit the safety of the armoured vehicle interior.
Onion built upon the Carrot concept providing a much larger frame of explosives to blow a larger gap in concrete obstacles.
Goat provided a similar frame of explosives to Onion and Carrot, but carried horizontally to allow a much greater charge to be carried. This was released by prongs extending from the front, allowing it to pivot into a vertical position before detaching from the vehicle.
Mine clearance tank fitted with a flail During World War II the Sherman Crab was the primary (and most effective) mine clearance vehicle for the 79th Armoured Division, but AVREs carried a range of mine clearance devices to supplement them. A
Lane marker attachment could be fitted to the sides of the AVRE to delineate lanes through minefields or cleared terrain. Similar to the
Sherman Crab, it deployed both tape and lights.
Snake was a
mine-clearing line charge consisted of sections of 3-inch pipe filled with explosive to extend and then detonate across a minefield. The concept is similar to the
bangalore torpedo but Snake is much larger – Snake pipes run the length of the AVRE vehicle with multiple pipes carried on the trackguards of modified AVREs. Once assembled together into longer lengths, Snake could be towed by the AVRE into position, and then pushed across a minefield. A shaped end was created for the Snake to prevent it digging into the ground when pushed. Detonation destroyed the mines along the length of the pipe, forming a large path across the minefield.
Conger was a similar device to Snake, providing a rocket propelled flexible tube that was carried in, and launched from, a converted engineless
Universal Carrier towed behind the AVRE. Once in position, the hose was propelled by an attached rocket across the minefield. The tube was pump-filled with a special nitroglycerine based explosive known as 822C. The device was used operationally during the D-Day invasions, but operations were stopped after . In preparations for use for an upcoming attack, more than a ton of 822C detonated while being unloaded from two lorries. The explosion caused numerous casualties and destroyed four nearby AVREs, while the lorries "disappeared".
Giant Viper is a post-war re-working of the Conger concept using a trailer and pre-filled, safer, hose and explosive. It was used with Centurion and Chieftain AVREs (and other vehicles) and saw use in the Iraq conflict with them. It has been replaced with the
Python minefield breaching system. Anti-mine
Plough was used to avoid cratering an approach and rendering it impassible to following vehicles. A number of types have been used. These push the mines to the sides of the vehicle where they can be dealt with later by sappers on foot. Alternatively,
mine rollers like the
Canadian Indestructible Roller Device (CIRD) could detonate mines ahead of the vehicle by applying a vehicle-like ground weight. These pivoted up on their mountings upon explosion before dropping back down to continue.
Tracks and roadways Roly-Poly and
Bobbin both provided a track laying roll in front of the AVRE over which the AVRE drove (known as "carpet laying"). This provided a roadway over soft ground which the tanks would otherwise sink into. Roly-Poly used steel roller shuttering while Bobbin used reinforced fabric matting. Both were used on D-Day.
Log Carpet provided an alternative formed of chain-linked logs. This was folded flat on raised supports over the AVRE with an explosive charge to release the front. The log carpet would then drop down in front of the tank log-by-log, with the weight dragging further logs from the top. Logs were robust, each,14 ft long by 27 in. diameter linked with 2 in. wire rope. This proved a challenge to load, and Log Carpet AVREs had to be driven into a pit to enable the logs to be loaded at ground-level. Log Carpet could also be fitted to the unit's
LVT4 Buffalo amphibious vehicles, and was particularly effective on waterlogged ground.
Armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) bridge-layer vehicles have replaced AVRE bridging in more recent years, although fascines are still carried for smaller obstacles.
AVRE trailers An
Armoured Sled was provided for AVRE with droppable sides, allowing further engineering supplies to be dragged by the vehicle. Engineers also used
Gutted Carrier based on the
universal carrier or its predecessor vehicles, for the same purpose. These were stripped of engine and internals, and dragged using the same linkage used for Conger. Post war, a dedicated AVRE trailer, designated "
Trailer, Cargo, 7 1/2 ton, 4 wheeled, Centurion A.V.R.E." provided a cross country load carrying capability behind the AVRE. ==Related engineering vehicles==