Block Buster – S&S Models “Centurion AVRE” conversion kit review

Lee has a look at another S&S Models conversion kit, converting a Battlefront Centurion into an AVRE version.

Background

WW2 saw many nations realise the benefit of using tank chassis as the basis for obstacle clearing engineering vehicles. The Germans can be considered to have taken an early lead, with the Panzer I based Ladundsleger demolition charge carrier being used in the initial conquest of mainland Europe. However, by the time of the D-Day landings, Britain had caught up with a variety of “Hobart’s Funnies”, especially the Churchill AVRE.

The Churchill AVRE married the well armoured and excellent terrain crossing ability of the Churchill III and IV with a large diameter spigot mortar, able to fire a 75lb explosive “Petard”. Whilst deveastating, the charge was relatively short ranged (less than 100m for point targets), forcing the AVRE to close up with the defences it was tasked to destroy.

Post war and a better solution was considered necessary. The even heavier armoured Churchill VII was married to a 165mm short barrelled howitzer. Whilst smaller in diameter than the spigot mortar, it was capable of putting a still-large 64lb HESH round up to 2km away as an area effect weapon and between 500-1km away for point targets; a significant improvement.

Of course, even the Churchil VII started showing its age and its slow speed was a hindrance for armoured advances. As such, the Centurion Mk.5 was used as the basis for a new AVRE. The Meteor-engined hull was modified to add another hatch in the hull, next to the driver hatch, add dozer and mine roller attachments to the lower glacis plate and a fascine carrier to the top of the upper glacis plate. The turret was modified to add the 165mm demolition gun in place of the 20pdr, retaining the co-axial MG. The overall result was to produce an engineering vehicle capable of demolishing obstacles at range, clear mines and conduct terrain improvement by bulldozing or deploying a fascine.

Later in the Centurion’s life, surplus Mk.12 Centurions were converted to the AVRE role. These retained the 105mm (generally opting for an all HESH load out) but saw the addition of fascine cradles and the bulldozer blades to allow them to conduct engineering duties.

The Centurion AVRE would see service all the way to the 1991 Gulf War. By this point its gun rounds had been retired due to safety concerns, so US rounds (who used a licence built version of the L9 demolition gun) had to be used. Despite some very explosive mishaps, the Centurion AVRE saw use clearing the “Highway of Death” outside Basra of unexploded ammunition and wrecks.

The Model

The S&S Conversion is a multi-part white metal kit that consists of:

• a tow hook
• an additional hull hatch
• the L9 Demolition Howitzer
• the fascine holder
• a fascine – this piece is resin
• a bulldozer blade
• two bulldozer mounts
• two pieces of stowage

The white metal parts are cleanly moulded for the most part. The underside of the bulldozer blade is a little rough but also out of sight! There was one little ding on the leading edge of the blade, but that also feels somewhat believable!

The Fascine, in reality crafted from bundles of PVC pipes that allowed water to flow through them, avoiding blockages of streams, is crafted from a white resin. There are a few air bubbles, but these are, again, mostly on the flatter underside so will be out of view., though one does “break” the cable holding the bundle together so needs a quick fix with some green stuff. The bundle sits on the cradle fine when the model is flat but does fall out fairly easily so may need a blob of bluetack or some clever magnet work to make it removable for game use.

The metal parts go together nicely, with one exception, which I’ll explain shortly. To start with, we need to build the Centurion like the Mk.5 I detailed here, albeit keeping the barrel off. Once that is done, we glue the barrel to the mantle and add the two bits of stowage in the bins (balancing the turret).

Next we turn our attention to the hull and add the tow hitch to the bottom of the rear hull. It doesn’t locate on anything but it’s easy enough to eyeball. We then glue the additional hull hatch on to the front upper hull, alongside the driver hatch and this does locate on the existing features making locating easy.
Finally for the upper hull, we add the fascine cradle to the upper glacis. This locates just behind the driving lights.

The final task is to build the bulldozer. This consists of two triangular mounts and the blade itself, and it wasn’t immediately obvious how it went together. One quick email to S&S Models, and it was confirmed that the large part of the triangles sits on the bottom channel of the blade, with the cylinders sitting in the cutouts of the top channel.

Then the mounts are glued to the lower glacis plate. This does mean that the blade can only be mounted in the higher travel position rather than actually bulldozing.

Once assembled, the model looks the part. I have a couple minor quibbles. The 165mm is modelled with the fume extractor going all the way to the base, rather than just being halfway down the body. I’d guess this is a modelling conceit to give better support for the superglue to hold the barrel in place, so I give it a pass. The other minor quibble is that the turret can’t face the rear to rear with the stowage rack fitted to the turret and the fascine fitted in place. I suspect the stowage rack is marginally oversize, which is throwing the interaction off. As I said, a minor quibble.

S&S also sent me a trailer to accompany the Centurion. This features a resin hull and then white metal wheels and a tow hitch.

This is easy to assemble, cleanly moulded (bar one little air bubble in the resin) and compliments the Centurion nicely. It also offers up an intriguing possibility of adding the Giant Viper mine clearer at a later date. [Note – not provided but available as an alternative is a trailer with fascine built in.]

In the Game

Battlefront have not done much with obstacle clearance in Team Yankee beyond the inclusion of mine ploughs on the soviet tanks, nor the creation of tank scrapes and the like. There’s certainly more than enough scope for adding engineering vehicles in so I had a ponder on some rules.

NATO Forces and the Danish “Tank-Hunter” Centurions gives a good idea of what the stats should look like for a Mk.5 Centurion, so we can use that as the basis of our armour and mobility. I then used the WW2 Centurion AVRE to give an idea on soft stats for the engineers. That filled out the top half of the card.

The obvious step on the 165mm was to just reuse the Petard mortar rules from the WW2 AVRE and up the range to 16″ or so. However, I found the idea of one Centurion potentially devastating a grid square a little hard to swallow, so decided to just make it a RoF1 Brutal gun with auto firepower. The RoF1 on the move with no ‘slow firing’ just reflects that “close is close enough” with 65kg of modern explosive. I then created the “Demolition Howitzer” rule to represent its devastating effect vs buildings (using the optional rules from WW2 for Brutal weapon hits on buildings) and secondary capability vs tanks.

The bulldozer blade could be used vs mines and also replaced with dedicated mine ploughs, so the AVRE gains “Mine Clearing Device”. Hopefully skill 3+ and a top armour of 2 does the rest!

Finally, I gave some thought to the tow hitch allowing the Giant Viper to be added later, along with ERA and Centurion 105 AVRE options.

A pair of AVRE would have supported a battlegroup, being further detached to a single tank supporting a company sized offensive. As such, to field the unit, one may be purchased as Force Support for 4pts. It may be upgraded with ERA for 1pt and/or be equipped with Giant Viper for 1pt. An AVRE may exchange its Demolition Gun with a L7 105mm (40″ range, RoF 2/1, AT19, FP2+, Accurate, Smoke, Brutal).

Fascine – The AVRE may elect to start the game carrying a Fascine. The Fascine may be deployed next to a linear, crossable, terrain feature (hedge, stream, wall, etc) at the end of any tactical move in the movement step.
Whilst carrying the Fascine – the AVRE cannot shoot, assault, clear mines, or move faster than a terrain dash. Its cross value is 3+.
When deployed, the fascine improves the cross value of any team crossing the adjacent terrain feature via the Fascine by one. This may stack with “Cross Here” orders.

Demolition Gun – When a weapon that has the Demolition Howitzer special rule hits a Team in a Building, in addition to normal effects, roll a die and add the result to the number of hits scored by the weapon. All of the hits from a Demolition Howitzer must be assigned to Teams in the same Building.*

When firing at tanks, the Demolition Howitzer is “Slow firing” and the target uses its top armour for armour saves.

Giant Viper – An AVRE with Giant Viper trailer attached has cross 3+ (4+ with Fascine). An AVRE with Giant Viper trailer that did not move in the movement phase may, in the shooting phase, discard the trailer to roll a skill check. If passed, removed one mine field within LOS and 16” of the AVRE.
The trailer can also be discard, unused, at the start of the movement phase to remove the cross check penalty.

*If already using the optional rules to make Brutal more brutal in urban fights then I’d suggest the demolition gun roll two dice and pick the highest.

The Damage

The Centurion AVRE conversion kit costs £7.50, about the same as an individual spure.
https://sandsmodels.com/product/15mm-centurion-avre-conversion-kit-for-t-y-cent/

The Trailer costs £8.50 on its own but can be bought along with the AVRE for a combined total of £12.
https://sandsmodels.com/product/15mm-centurion-avre-conversion-avre-trailer-for-t-y-cent/

Final Thoughts

S&S Models have, once again, produced a great little conversion kit for an existing plastic kit. Whilst not currently served by the rules, I like to think the additions I have come up with may prove useful for those wanting to try to tackle enemy bunkers and obstacles as NATO counter-attacks.

The kit is simple (once you know how the bulldozer goes together) and well put together, and I hope S&S use it as a starting point to add Operation Granby ERA packages and the Giant Viper trailer.

Looking forward, S&S Models have provided some sneak peaks of a WIP Chieftain Bridgelayer and I hope to get one to review soon. I also have a BTR-60 conversion kit to cover as soon as I can get a sprue for it!