Bridging equipment of the Afrika Korps

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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Old_Fossil
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Bridging equipment of the Afrika Korps

#1

Post by Old_Fossil » 09 Nov 2017, 22:04

Obviously no rivers for Rommel to cross (until he reaches the Nile) but he must have had bridging needs for crossing anti-tank ditches, ravines and such. What equipment did he have?
"If things were different, they wouldn't be the same."

SIS 5
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Re: Bridging equipment of the Afrika Korps

#2

Post by SIS 5 » 10 Nov 2017, 17:18

Hi Old Fossile,

that´s what I could find to Your question:
In the book "Rommels Afrika Korps" by Pier Paolo Battistelli there is the informatione that the engineer units of the German Africa Korps had left their bridge columns at home because of the difficulties with the transport to Africa.
Here two pics of improvised bridges, first pic a bridge over an anti-tank ditch at Tobruk (source of the pic: "Panzers in the desert" by Bruce Quarrie;
second pic out of the Japanes booklet "North African Campaign 1", in both cases no normal German bridge building material, but improvised so called duckboard tread-way bridges (Spurtafelbrücken), made out of timbers with boards nailed on them.

Regards

Bert
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Alanmccoubrey
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Re: Bridging equipment of the Afrika Korps

#3

Post by Alanmccoubrey » 10 Nov 2017, 20:48

So a lot of lorries carrying lots and lots of wood then.
Alan

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