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82nd Engineer Battalion
540th Engineer Group
Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please email me (webmaster).

History (19..-19..)

 
Battalion History
19.. - 19..
82nd Engineer Bn DUI
If you have more information on the history or organization of the 82nd Engr Bn, please contact me.
(Source: Big Time, Bamberg MILCOM newspaper, June 5, 1981)
Closing the gap

Recently, the 82nd Engr Bn participated in Bridgex in Speyer. As the name implies, the battalion was involved in five solid days of combat bridge construction.

Some of the training was held on the mighty Rhine River. One of the several bridges constructed during those wet windy days was the M4T6 Float. This type of LTR (light tactical raft) is basically comprised of several 24-ton, 44-foot pneumatic floats with a saddle assembly mounted on top. When two rafts are completed they are attached by hollow aluminum sections commonly referred to as balk. These make up the roadway. Load capacity varies depending on the stream velocity.

Pushing the bridge over a gap


Final stages
 
Another type was the Bailey Bridge. The Bailey can be constructed completely by hand or with a crane. Being the most versatile of all the combat bridges, it can be built over water or a dry span, such as a ravine. A bridge set contains about 63 different parts consisting mainly of panels, transoms, and sway braces. The panels make up the sides of the bridge while the sway braces are used to stabilize the side movement of the bridge. Transoms are mounted on the bottom chords of the panels as a base for the stringers upon which the decking, called chess, is placed. The bridge is built on rocking rollers so that it can be pushed across the span as more panels are added. Load capacity depends on the number of panels used.

Daily competitions were held on the Bailey, the Class 60 Raft, M4T6 Dry Span, and the M4T6 Float.
 
Related Links:
US Army 82nd Combat Engineer Battalion Members Website - a place for members who served in the unit between 1960 and 1965 to discuss the "good old days" - including members of "D" Company, 237th Engr Bn attached to the 82nd.