Praying Mantis – A Machine Designed to Fire Over Obstacles
The Praying Mantis, a bizarre British tracked vehicle, is one of the most unusual armored fighting vehicles ever made. This WWII-era machine was one of the most peculiar vehicles of its kind, with a pivoting crew compartment that could be raised to fire over barriers. The Praying Mantis's low-profile silhouette allowed it to sneak behind tall grass and other low obstacles.
The Praying Mantis was conceived as a successor to the universally-adopted Universal Carrier, but was considered somewhat strange and was not used. The Praying Mantis was constructed on the Universal Carrier's chassis. It was not adopted, although it was a dependable vehicle. The Praying Mantis's purpose was to position itself behind an obstacle, raise a weapon system over the obstacle, and shoot. This would have made it a very difficult target while enhancing its camouflage and armor protection by using the obstacle as camouflage.
