NEW ARMY BRIDGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 203, 28 July 1942, Page 2

NEW ARMY BRIDGE

(Pec. 9.5 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26,

Additions to army equipment include the Bailey bridge, which is said tp be superior to anything the Germans possess, and swimming infantry carriers. Their uses were sliown in a comprehensive demonstration in Northern England. The now bridge is revolutionary in its simplicity of construction. Allied to great strength the time of erection is reduced considerably. The bridge is assembled on land and pushed over a stream or chasm.

; The increased weight of army vehicles has called for stronger bridges, and the older type of pontoon bridge is now stiffened to carry extra loads. A new track which simplifies the strengthening of approaches to bridges has also been adopted. It does away with the former system of using netting over matting. ,'•'.■• • • Swimming infantry carriers are given the necessary buoyancy by kapok floats and propel themselves by their tracks .which act like "paddles. In the water the carrier has little more than 18 inches freeboard, with the tops of the tin hats of the crew just showing, and presents a very small target. At- 50 yards they resemble drifting wood. On reaching shore they climb out and go straight into action. The engineers also have a land-mine detector, which is about tbe size of a soup plate. It will he carried, by a man crawling through -a'minefield. The detector emits a permanent buzz which rises to a scream on passing over a mine. There is also a new method whereby mines arc destroyed rapidly.