Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

Discussions on the equipment used by the Axis forces, apart from the things covered in the other sections. Hosted by Juha Tompuri
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Leo Niehorster
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#661

Post by Leo Niehorster » 19 Jan 2021, 11:13

I think that
  Image 1 is a Virago combat bridge.
  Image 2 is a Type B combat bridge.

--
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Sturm78
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#662

Post by Sturm78 » 19 Jan 2021, 19:32

Leo wrote
Image 1 is a Virago combat bridge.
Thanks, Leo. I don`t have any information about this bridge. Austrian ? WW1-era equipment ?

Sturm78


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Leo Niehorster
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#663

Post by Leo Niehorster » 20 Jan 2021, 11:34

Sorry, my mistype. I plead a senior moment. :oops: :wink:
---
Birago
[pontoon & testle bridge]

One of the most successful versions of the pontoon bridge was the ‘Birago’ bridge (1841), named after its inventor. It consisted of two pontoons that could be carried on trucks with all other equipment necessary for its construction. It was introduced into all German-speaking armies, and was the basic design for all subsequent military bridging until WW II. Although WW II saw the introduction of the Bailey bridge and mechanized bridgelayers for shorter spans, an invading army once more crossed the Rhine on pontoon bridges in 1945. Like all good designs, it is simple and flexible and refuses to grow old.

The Birago trestle is composed of a cap, two legs, two false legs, two shoes, and two suspension chains.

Abutment bay
If the water at a distance of one bay from the abutment is not sufficient to float a ponton, a Birago trestle is used.

In Austria efforts have been made to diminish the weight of the Birago equipment by the substitution of steel for iron. The present pontoon, in three pieces, is of steel, and 39 ft. 4 in. long, like the old pattern.

The most well known bridging equipment was the "Birago" bridge (1941), named after its invetor (...), which was introduced into all German-speaking armies and on which the design of all military bridging equipment was based until WWII. The system consisted of two half-pontons that could be transported on two trucks along with material required for the bridge superstructure and accessories and that could be used for assemnling bridges of various load classifications.


Feldbrücke nach Birago
Trainstärke:
(2 Off, 1 Wachmeister, 6 Korporale, 2 Tropeter, 45 Soldaten = 56; 11 Reitpferde, 90 Zugpferde)

Ausrüstung:
8 Balkenwagen mit je 1 Pontonschnabelstück
2 Bockwagen mit je 1 Pontonmittelstück
2 Requisitenwagen mit je 1 Pontonmittelstück
1 Feldschmiede mit 1 Pontonmittelstük

Leistungsfähigkeit:
Brückenlänge: 53,1 meter
Brückenbreite: 3,0 meter

Invented by the military engineer Karl Freiherr von Birago (1792–1845)
also known as: Carlo Baron of Birago
Born in Milano.
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SIS 5
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#664

Post by SIS 5 » 21 Jan 2021, 10:42

Hi Sturm 78, hi Leo,

thank You very much for this great information about the Birago Kriegsbrücke, Leo.
B.t.w. Sturm 78, You are right, the bridge on image 1 is built with Austrian bridge building material.

Best regards

Bert

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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#665

Post by Sturm78 » 21 Jan 2021, 22:47

Thanks, Leo and Bert.. :)

Sturm78

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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#666

Post by Sturm78 » 23 Jan 2021, 00:09

Hi all,

An image from Ebay: German Pionier bridge of K material

Sturm78
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German Pionier bridge of K material being crossed by a SdKfz 8 halftrack.jpg

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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#667

Post by Sturm78 » 30 Jan 2021, 15:17

Hi all,

Any idea about this equipment ?

Image from Ebay
Sturm78
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s-l1600 (3).jpg

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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#668

Post by Sturm78 » 06 Feb 2021, 20:52

Nobody for my last image ??

Well, here another image from Ebay. I think a captured Mle 1935 French pontoon trailer

Sturm78
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Sin urttrt.jpg

SIS 5
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#669

Post by SIS 5 » 16 Feb 2021, 13:00

Hi Sturm 78,

to Your questions:

the pic with bridge building: I don´t think that this was a special bridge building material. Here the soldiers learn to built a bridge with material what they could find, boats as pontoons and so on.

the pic with the pontoon trailer: thank You very much for posting this very interesting pic, I haven´t seen it, yet. It is not a captured Mle 1935 French pontoon trailer, but a German Pf. 9 with a pontoon of bridge building material A. The vehicles belonged to the Reichswehr (license number RW).

Here a pic of such a trailer.

Best regards

Bert
Attachments
Pf. 9.png
Pf. 9.png (222.25 KiB) Viewed 1666 times

Sturm78
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#670

Post by Sturm78 » 16 Feb 2021, 22:03

Bert wrote
the pic with the pontoon trailer: thank You very much for posting this very interesting pic, I haven´t seen it, yet. It is not a captured Mle 1935 French pontoon trailer, but a German Pf. 9 with a pontoon of bridge building material A. The vehicles belonged to the Reichswehr (license number RW).

Here a pic of such a trailer.
Thank you very much for your correction, Bert, and for the additional image. :wink:
I did not pay attention to the plate licence of the truck, which would have indicated the impossibility of it being a captured trailer... :oops:

Regards
Sturm78

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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#671

Post by Sturm78 » 19 Feb 2021, 16:05

Hi all,

A curious use for bridge pontoons... 8O

Image from Ebay
Sturm78
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German pontoon ferry loaded with sea mines in Black Sea-.jpg

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carius
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#672

Post by carius » 23 Feb 2021, 19:24

Image from ebay.de
sb.jpg
George

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carius
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#673

Post by carius » 27 Feb 2021, 09:10

Image from ebay.de
b.jpg
George

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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#674

Post by Sturm78 » 27 Feb 2021, 22:43

Hi all,

Another non-standard use of pontoons : training for Seelöwe

Image from Ebay
Sturm78
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German pontoon ferry with a Panzeräger I of Panzerjäger Abt.670 during training for Seelöwe operation in  Frankreich.jpg

gebhk
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Re: Pontoon Bridges and assault boats

#675

Post by gebhk » 01 Mar 2021, 11:01

Hi Sturm

Not sure that you can call this 'non-standard'? Building rafts out of pontoons and bridging material was pretty much SOP in most armies....

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