The "bobbin" roadlayer
Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified tanks operated by the British 79th Armored Division and the British Royal Engineers from 1944 to 1945 during World War II. The "Funnies" were developed by armored warfare pioneer Percy Hobart in the aftermath of the Dieppe Raid, and their aim was to protect troops and armor as they landed in Europe. The ingenious devices included flamethrowers and floating tanks, flail tanks for clearing mines, the "Bobbin" for laying firm paths across sand or shingle, an armored ramp for climbing sea walls, the fascine carrier for tackling ditches, and the bridging tank to lay bridges for vehicles. The "Funnies" were mostly ignored by the Americans, and they remained the province of the British during the D-Day landings of June 1944, proving useful for the invasion.