In pictures: D-Day inventions

Several ingenious devices were invented to help the first waves of troops overcome German defences on D-Day.

Many of them were the brainchild of one English officer, Major General Percy Hobart, and were nicknamed "Hobart's Funnies".

They included the anti-mine Flail tank, which carried a specially-made frame that held a drum with weighted chains attached.

When the drum rotated at speed, the ball weights slammed into the ground and blew up mines up to nine inches deep.