Editing Mine plow

{{Short description|Device to clear minefield}}
[[File:Abrams tank with mine plow.jpg|thumb|[[U.S. Army]] [[M1A1 Abrams]] tank with mine plow from 1995 or earlier]]
[[File:Trojan AVRE - Tankfest 2009.jpg|thumb|[[Trojan (vehicle)|Trojan]] [[Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers|AVRE]] of the [[Royal Engineers]] with full-width mine plow and [[fascine]].]]
A '''mine plow''' ('''plough''' in [[British English]]) is a device designed to clear a lane through a [[minefield]], allowing other vehicles to follow.  A mine plow is typically mounted to a [[tank]] or [[military engineering vehicle]].  Buried [[land mine]]s are plowed up and pushed outside the tank's track path or tipped over. Since modern [[anti-tank mine]]s rely on a [[shaped charge|focused explosion]] to destroy armored vehicles, they are useless when turned upside-down; as the tank runs over the mine, it will expend its blast down instead of upwards, causing insignificant damage, if any.  

==History==
[[Image:Bullshorn_plough-1945.jpg|thumb|right|Churchill Bullshorn Plough]]
[[File:D9-Magov-Ratzif.jpg|thumb|right|[[IDF Caterpillar D9]] [[armored bulldozer]] clearing mines in the [[Jordan Valley]].]]
Towards the end of the [[First World War]], the French mounted a plow on their [[Renault FT]] tank. 

The British started work on plow designs in 1937, and a successful design was introduced for the [[Matilda I (tank)|Matilda Mk I tank]] though it was not used.<ref>Chamberlain & Ellis ''British and American Tanks of World War II'' (1969) Arco Publishing. p55</ref>

The first recorded combat use is by a "Bullshorn" plow on a [[Churchill tank]] of the British [[79th Armoured Division]],  on [[Sword Beach]] during the Allied invasion of Normandy (this was one of "[[Hobart's Funnies]]" specialized vehicles). The "Bullshorn" was one of a number of plow designs which were tested and used by the British Army.

The mine plow is still in use by many combat engineering units. The [[Royal Engineers]] have deployed the [[Trojan (vehicle)|Trojan]] to [[Afghanistan]]<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8523490.stm "Trojan used for IED clearance"]</ref> where it was usually fitted with a plow on the front, which enables it to [[mine clearing|clear mines]], either detonating them on contact, or pushing them out of the way to clear a safe channel for following vehicles.

==See also==
* [[Mine roller]]
* [[Mine flail]]

==References==
{{Reflist}} 

== External links ==
* [http://www.defenselink.mil/photos/Dec1995/951219-O-9805M-005.html DoD page with an M1A1 Abrams mounted with a mine plow]

[[Category:Armoured fighting vehicle equipment]]
[[Category:Mine warfare countermeasures]]
[[Category:Ploughs]]

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