Its armor allows it to work under heavy fire.
The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. ----A bulldozer is a crawler ( Caterpillar tracked Tractor) equipped with a substantial metal plate (known as a blade) used to push large quantities Combat engineering is a Combat service support role of using the knowledge tools and techniques of Engineering by troops in peace and war but specifically in These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Combat engineering vehicles (CEVs are armoured vehicles built for Engineering work on the battlefield or for the transportation of Sappers Types of combat Most are civilian bulldozers modified by adding of armor and military equipment, but some are tanks stripped of armament and fitted with a dozer blade. A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical Some tanks have bulldozer blades while retaining their armament, but this does not make them armored bulldozers as such, because combat remains the primary role - earth moving is a secondary task.
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World War 2
The first armoured bulldozer was developed by the British during World War 2. This was a conventional Caterpillar D8 bulldozer fitted with armour to protect the driver and the engine. Caterpillar Inc ( is a United States -based Corporation headquartered in Peoria Illinois. The Caterpillar D8 is a large track-type Tractor designed and manufactured by Caterpillar. ----A bulldozer is a crawler ( Caterpillar tracked Tractor) equipped with a substantial metal plate (known as a blade) used to push large quantities The work was carried out by Jack Olding & Company Ltd of Hatfield. Jack Olding of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England had a company (Jack Olding & Co Hatfield, originally Bishop's Hatfield, is in the Welwyn Hatfield district of Hertfordshire, in the south of England. The bulldozer was one of several strange armoured vehicles that were collectively referred to as Hobart's Funnies and were operated by the British 79th Armoured Division. Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified Tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom 's 79th Armoured Division The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army armoured unit formed as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June
The bulldozers were produced in preparation for the Battle of Normandy with the tasks of clearing the invasion beaches of obstacles and quickly making roads accessible by clearing rubble and filling in bomb craters.
As allied armies advanced through Europe, the armoured bulldozer was found to be too slow - there was a need for well-armoured, obstacle clearing vehicle that was fast enough to keep up with tank formations. This need was met by the Centaur Bulldozer - a Cromwell tank with the turret removed and a bulldozer blade fitted. The Tank Cruiser Mk VIII Cromwell (A27M, named after the English Civil War leader Oliver Cromwell, was one of the Centaur bulldozers were still in use with the British Army at the time of the Korean War. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the
Modern Usage
Modern armoured bulldozers are often based on the Caterpillar D9 and D7. Caterpillar Inc ( is a United States -based Corporation headquartered in Peoria Illinois. The Caterpillar D7 Caterpillar track-type tractor is a medium bulldozer manufactured by Caterpillar Inc
Caterpillar does not manufacture a military version of the D9 and D7 per se, but the attributes that make the D9 popular for major construction projects make it desirable for military applications as well. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking It has been particularly effective for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and for the United States armed forces (the Marine Corps and the US Army) in Iraq. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics.
Israeli usage
The Israeli Armored D9 — nicknamed Doobi (Hebrew: דובי; lit. teddy bear) — is a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer that was modified by the Israel Defence Forces, Israeli Military Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries to increase the survivability of the dozer in hostile environments and enable it to withstand heavy attacks. The teddy bear is a stuffed Toy Bear. It is an enduring traditional form of a Stuffed animal, often serving the purpose of comforting children The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Israel Weapons Industries (IWI formerly the small arm "Magen" division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd Israel Aerospace Industries ( Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ha-ta`aSiyyâh ha-'awîrît lë-yiSrâ'êl) or IAI (תע"א ta`a' ----A bulldozer is a crawler ( Caterpillar tracked Tractor) equipped with a substantial metal plate (known as a blade) used to push large quantities
The D9R, the latest generation of D9 bulldozers in IDF service, has a power of 410 horse power and drawbar pull of 71. In Thermodynamics, motive power is an agency as Water or Steam, used to impart motion. 6 metric tons (about 716 kN). Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United The newton (symbol N) is the SI derived unit of Force, named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on Classical It has a crew of two: operator and commander. It is operated by the TZAMA (צמ"ה = ציוד מכני הנדסי, Mechanical Engineering Equipment) units of the Israeli Engineering Corps. Engineering vehicles, known by the other terms construction Equipment, earth movers heavy equipment or just plain equipment are machines specifically designed to execute
The main IDF modification is the installation of an Israeli-made armor kit which provides armor protection to the mechanical systems and to the operator cabin. Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact A cabin or berthing is an enclosed room generally on a Ship or an Aircraft. The operator and commander are protected inside an armored cabin ("the cockpit"), with bulletproof windows to protect against bombs, machinegun and sniper fire. Bulletproof glass is a colloquial term for Glass that is particularly resistant to being penetrated when struck by Bullets Since manufacturing glass of usable A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. READ DISCUSSION PAGE BEFORE MAKING ANY EDITS TO CAPTION BELOW http//en The IDF also developed an slat armor add-on to deflect RPG rounds. Cage armor also known as bar armor, slat armor, and standoff armor is a type of armor designed to protect against Anti-tank Rocket-propelled RPG or rocket-propelled grenade, is a loose term describing hand-held shoulder-launched Anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided The fitted armor package adds roughly 15 additional tons to the production-line weight of the D9. The modified D9 bulldozers can be fitted with disparate features, such as crew-operated machine guns, smoke projectors, or grenade launchers. For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. A grenade launcher is a Weapon that launches a Grenade with more accuracy higher velocity and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand
The IDF uses the D9 for a wide variety of engineering tasks, such as earthworks, digging moats, mounting sand barriers, building fortifications, rescuing stucked, overturned or damaged armored fighting vehicles (along with M88 Recovery Vehicle), clearing landmines, detonating IEDs and explosives, clearing terrain obstacles and opening routes to armored fighting vehicles and infantry, as well as structures demolition, including under fire. A moat is deep broad Trench, usually filled with Water, that surrounds a structure installation or town normally to provide it with a preliminary line of Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for An armoured fighting vehicle ( AFV) is a military Vehicle, protected by armour and armed with Weapons Most AFVs are equipped for driving in rugged The M88 is one of the largest all weather Armored recovery vehicles currently in use by U A land mine is an Explosive device designed to be placed on or in the ground to explode when triggered by an operator or the Proximity of a vehicle person An improvised explosive device ( IED) is a Bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional Military action An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied An armoured fighting vehicle ( AFV) is a military Vehicle, protected by armour and armed with Weapons Most AFVs are equipped for driving in rugged House demolition is primarily a Military tactic which has been used in many conflicts for a variety of purposes
During the Second Intifada the armoured D9 bulldozer gain notoriety as being an effective tool against terrorists and Palestinian threats, as they were almost impervious to Palestinian weapons and withstood even RPGs and Belly charges with more than 100kg and even half a ton of explosive. RPG or rocket-propelled grenade, is a loose term describing hand-held shoulder-launched Anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided An improvised explosive device ( IED) is a Bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional Military action Therefore they used to open safe routes to IDF forces and detonate explosive charges. The bulldozer used extensively to clear shrubbery and structures which used as cover to Palestinian attacks. In addition they razed houses of families of suicide bombers. This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons These action met criticism by Human Rights organizations and sometimes described as a collective punishment and claimed it breeds hatred more than it deters. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Collective punishment is the Punishment of a group of people as a result of the behaviour of one or more other individuals or groups
Following several incidents where armed Palestinians barricaded themselves inside houses and killed soldiers attempting to breach the entries, the IDF developed "Noal Sir Lachatz" (נוהל סיר לחץ "Pressure Pot Regulation") in which D9s and other engineering vehicles were used to bring them out by razing the houses; most of them surrendered because of fears of being buried alive but some, including senior terrorists, were killed when the bulldozers toppled the houses over them after they refused to surrender. Engineering vehicles, known by the other terms construction Equipment, earth movers heavy equipment or just plain equipment are machines specifically designed to execute
During the Battle of Jenin 2002 D9 bulldozers razed houses from which militants fired upon Israeli soldiers or contained possible IEDs and booby traps. The Battle of Jenin took place from April 3 to April 11, 2002 in the Refugee camp of Jenin, in the West Bank. An improvised explosive device ( IED) is a Bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional Military action A booby trap is a device set up to be triggered by an unsuspecting victim After the deadly ambush in which 13 soldiers were killed the D9s razed the center of the camp and forced the remaining Palestinian militants to surrender, thus finishing the battle with an Israeli victory.
In Rafah and near the Philadelphie Route the D9s razed thousands of buildings according to human rights reports; Israel claimed it is a security measure necessary to discover and destroy smuggling tunnels and destroy firing positions that threaten the forces in the area, while Palestinians claimed it was to create a "buffer zone" and punish Palestinians for IDF casualties. Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai The Philadelphi Route (corridor / buffer zone was an IDF code name for the strip of land along the border between Egypt and Israel. Smuggling tunnels are secret tunnels, usually hidden underground used for Smuggling of Goods and people.
While Palestinians saw the D9 as a devastating weapon, and human rights groups criticized it for the massive damage it caused to Palestinian infrastructure, Israelis and military experts [1] saw the D9 as a necessary tool for combatting insurgency and terrorism and a key factor in reducing IDF casualties. An insurgency is a violent internal uprising against a sovereign government that lacks the organization of a revolution Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion
United States usage
During the first Gulf war the USA purchased tractor protection kits (TPK) from the Israel Military Industries (IMI) for their Caterpillar D7 bulldozers. Israel Weapons Industries (IWI formerly the small arm "Magen" division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd The Caterpillar D7 Caterpillar track-type tractor is a medium bulldozer manufactured by Caterpillar Inc The armored bulldozers were mainly used in mine clearing applications.
During the preparation to the war in Iraq in 2003 the United States Army has purchased several D9 armor kits from the IDF and used them to produce similarly fortified D9s. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit These have been used to clear destroyed vehicles from roads, dig moats, erect earthen-barriers, and construct field fortifications. D9s have also been used to raze houses which sheltered insurgent snipers (similar to the Israeli usage). Military reports on the Conflict in Iraq say that the D9s were found very effective and "received highly favorable reviews from all that benefited from their use" (Field Report: Marine Corps Systems Command Liaison Team , Central Iraq , 20 April to 25 April 2003). The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
 IDF D9N near the Israeli West Bank barrier. |
 D7 with Mine-Clearing blade |
 US Army D9Rs |
See also
- Al-Aqsa Intifada
- Battle of Jenin
- Bob Semple tank - Improvised tanks constructed from bulldozers. The Battle of Jenin took place from April 3 to April 11, 2002 in the Refugee camp of Jenin, in the West Bank. The Bob Semple tank was a Tank designed by New Zealand Minister of Works Bob Semple during World War II.
- Caterpillar D9
- Combat engineering vehicle
- Demining - used for landmines clearance
- Engineering vehicles
- Israeli Defence Forces
- Israeli Engineering Corps
- Marvin Heemeyer - Constructed a home-made armoured bulldozer. Combat engineering vehicles (CEVs are armoured vehicles built for Engineering work on the battlefield or for the transportation of Sappers Types of combat Demining is the process of removing Land mines or Naval mines from an area A land mine is an Explosive device designed to be placed on or in the ground to explode when triggered by an operator or the Proximity of a vehicle person Engineering vehicles, known by the other terms construction Equipment, earth movers heavy equipment or just plain equipment are machines specifically designed to execute The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Marvin John Heemeyer ( October 28, 1951 &ndash June 4, 2004) was an American Welder and owner of an Automobile
- Operation Defensive Shield
External links
- Army's new D9 bulldozer digs into duty in Kuwait - The US army tests the armoured D9R for the Iraqi campaign
- Engineering News: Combat Engineering in Iraq - including reviews on the D9 Dozer performance in Iraq and nice pictures of it and other CEVs
- IDF D9 bulldozer (Israeli-Weapons website)
- Caterpillar D9 and its military applications, in the Hebrew Wikipedia
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