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Can someone help me out with some technical info..

1 - What was the maximal load a Brücken Gerät B could carry when used as a ponton (Fahren)... (possibly les when used as a complete bridge??)

2 - Could it carry a StuG III or a Panzer IV ?

3 - Looking for technical data and photographs (and if people say that a Brückengerat B could carry a StuG.... it would be nice to that someone could confirm this with a picture of such a tank on such Brückengerat been transported over water....

Hello

Brüko B
8t bridges up to 83m length
16t bridges up to 54m length
4t, 8t, 16t ferries possible.

The lightest StugIII was 20,7t. So you can see the answer yourself.

Herer some photos from my collection

8t Brüko B








\Christoph

Above information/photos and additional details also available in the book Kriegsbrückengeräte der Wehrmacht, Horst Beiersdorf, Podzun-Pallas Verlag.

http://www.amazon.de/Kriegsbr%C3%BCcken ... F8&s=books

Christian

Christoph, thanks for that series of photos. Along with being informative, it should be giving some model builders some inspiration!

Thanks. Great info !

Is there any info in the book you suggested also about a 70t Fahre ?

Günter,

Brückengeräte K is covered in detail in the book I mentioned. This equipment was designed specifically for heavy loads up to 20 tons however I did not see anything in the book that would come even close to a capacity of 70 tons. Can you please clarify further?

Christian

Hallo Christian,

It is mentioned in some sources I have that the 10.SS Frundsberg Division used a 70t ponton (possibly a part of a ponton-bridge) to put tanks over the Neder-Rhine in September 1944 to get to Nijmegen.
The Dutch ferry sank after it had been overloaded by the Germans. A photo taken at the spot shows a Brückengerät B ponton.
I now know - from your previous info - that this only could carry up to 4 or 8t.

Some say that Panther tanks were carried over... That is at least 45t... and not possible with the the Bruckengerat B ponton...

Harmel mentioned also in a story published in the Freiwillige that they used a 70t 'Fähre'....
Frundsberg had no longer such heavy equipment so I try to find out what kind of ferry was used, where it came from and what Pioneer-unit was responsible for building it...

So, I was wondering if such a 70t ponton existed in the German Army afterall, and if so how it does look like ... And if not what kind of ponton was needed to ferry forinstance a Panther- tank (which is about 45t).

I am also wondering what time will it take to build a ponton-ferry to transport Panther-tanks.

Günter,

I better understand your question now, however it is highly unlikely that this was Pionier equipment. Maybe they secured some local ferry which was used for trucks/cars and used it for their tanks? Anyway, good luck with your further research.

Christian

Hello to all ; a little complement.............................

Pionier-Brückenkolonnen (Columns of Bridging Engineers).

The bridge columns usually were part of the engineers battalions in the divisions. The structure of the battalions consisted of three companies and a bridge column and depending on the type of division were totally or partially motorized. In partially motorized battalions, the 1st and 2nd Companies were equipped with horse-drawn vehicles and the 3rd Company and bridge column were motorized.

Equipment of military bridges.

Equipment B (Gerät B) = semi pontoons (half), moving by vehicles for trestles (Bockwagen) pf. 10; pontoons (Pontonwagen) Pf 11 and ramps (Rampenwagen) Pf 12; towing vehicles; horse-drawn was possible.

Bridges are usually made up of a fixed section and a floating section; the fixed section supported by trestles and the floating section over half-pontoons or full pontoons depending on the type of the bridge; Ramp or causeways connected both sections. Bridges settled on firm ground were built on trestles.

With the equipment of a bridge column B could be built:
Bridges 8 t up to 83 m in length
Bridges 16 t up to 54 m in length.
usable width of the bridge:
Trestle and bridge sections 3.20 m
Ramp new type 3,14 m
Ramp old type 2.90 m.

The 8 t-bridges were built with half pontoons, while the 16 t-bridges were built over full pontoons.

With this equipment they could also build ferries of 4 t; 8 t of two engines; Simple ferries 8 t and 16 t.

Source: Waffen Arsenal S-41- Kriegsbrückegerät der Wehrmacht.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Panzer-Tank ... 2131782692
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Panzer-Tank ... 2171832602

Cheers. Raul M .

Hello to all ; a little more......................

Kriegsbrücke - Military bridges!

AFAIK Load capacity Brückengerät B: 18 t wheeled vehicles - 20 t (24 t) full - tracked vehicles (better pressure on the ground)


Pioneer works - Flanders 1940............................................


Pioneers in bridge building - 1940.........................................

Sources: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Erinnerunge ... 7675.l2557
http://www.ebay.it/itm/1940-ca-WW2-Die- ... 541efa7d37

Cheers. Raúl M .

Hello to all ; a little more........................................

Western Front - France.


A Sd Kfz 164 Nashorn crossing a stream by means of a pontoon ferry (Gerät B??) ....................

Source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/PB324-Montreuil- ... 33a5e1cfca

Cheers. Raúl M .

Hello to all ; a little more........................................

Pionierbrücke 1940!

Source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/112165110041?clk ... rmvSB=true

Cheers. Raúl M .