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3.4. AMERICAN HEAVY PONTON BRIDGE BATTALION
A Heavy Ponton Bridge Battalion was provided with equipage required to provide stream
crossing for heavy military vehicles that could not be supported by a light ponton bridge.
The Battalion had two lettered companies of two bridge platoons each. Each platoon was
equipped with one unit of heavy ponton equipage. The battalion was an organic unit of
army and higher echelons. The M1940 could carry up to 25 short tons (23 t). The M1
Treadway Bridge could support up to 20 short tons (18 t). The roadway, made of steel,
could carry up to 50 short tons (45 t), while the center section made of 4 inches (100 mm)
thick plywood could carry up to 30 short tons (27 t). The wider, heavier tanks used the
outside steel tread way while the narrower, lighter jeeps and trucks drove across the bridge
with one wheel in the steel tread way and the other on the plywood.
3.5. AMERICAN ENGINEER TREADWAY BRIDGE COMPANY
An Engineer Treadway Bridge Company consisted of company headquarters and two
bridge platoons. It was an organic unit of the armored force, and normally was attached to
an Armored Engineer Battalion. Each bridge platoon transported one unit of steel tread way
bridge equipage for construction of ferries and bridges in river-crossing operations of the
armored division. Stream-crossing equipment included utility powerboats, pneumatic
floats, and two units of steel tread way bridge equipment, each of which allowed the
engineers to build a floating bridge about 540 feet (160 m) in length.
3.6. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
PNEUMATIC PONTON
The United States Army Corps of Engineers designed a self-contained bridge
transportation and erection system. The Brockway model B666 6 short tons (5.4 t) 6x6
truck chassis (also built under license by Corbitt and White) was used to transport both
the bridge's steel and rubber components. A single Brockway truck could carry material
for 30 feet (9.1 m) of bridge, including two pontons, two steel saddles that were attached
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