Anti mine rollers on a Sherman M4 tank. The rollers were composed of multiple heavy wheels with reinforcements and protection, which could be lowered to apply high ground pressure and detonate mines in front of the vehicle on which they were mounted. In the image we can see a sign which is warning the soldiers that the road ahead is mined.
The technology was first developed and tested in 1918, in England, at the end of World War One.
Further technological advancement saw the development of anti mine flails in 1942, which were composed of a rapidly rotating motor with chains secured to it. The chains had fist sized steel balls at their end and swung wildly when the vehicle was in motion. Sherman tanks which incorporated this device were called “crab tanks”.
Book suggestion ⤵️
📖 Sherman Crab Flail Tank (David Fletcher, Tony Brian, 2007)