Kilroy was here too ! 
This weeks page tune "Stormy Weather"
Kilroy was here too !
This weeks page tune "Stormy Weather"
Early in 1942 the U. S. Army undertook to establish
and train some twenty or thirty light ponton floating bridge companies.
Each company, consisting of some two hundred men, were made up of a First
and Second bridge platoons of 46 men each, to be responsible for the primary
bridge. The third or Light Equipage platoon, was responsible
for 
the infantry
assault footbridge and also the infantry support bridge, an all plywood
affair consisting of wood treadway sections on plywood scows, known as
half boats, joined stern to stern with steel pins to form complete boats.
Sections of this bridge could be used as a ferry, kicked along by slow
but powerful for the day, 22 h.p. Evenrude outboard motors. (By the
time the 488th came into existence in 1943 the equipment also included
Storm Boats powered by 50 h.p. outboard monsters that weighed slightly
under and often seemed over 400 lbs.)
And of course a Headquarters platoon, which also
maintained the rather extensive motor pool of fifty seven trucks and jeeps,
with a small Quickway truck crane, a couple of D-4 size bulldozers and
assorted portable compressors, generators and various other small tools.
( In practice this equipment was augmented by many pieces, liberated from
dock side piers and depots as well as unclaimed Jerry equipment like generators
and autos, that were put to good use.) Each of the line platoons
was trained in the use of all of the equipment. 
At first the bridge platoons were equipped with
aluminum boats, other than that the equipment did not differ substantially
from that used in the Civil War, when they had used canvas covered wood
frame boats. When the Germans developed pneumatic floats, these replaced
the rigid boats, being lighter and much easier to transport, at the same
time having greater buoyancy. In some cases this exchange was made
in this country. In other cases, the change over took place in England.
While this was going on, there was a constant
problem between Ordinance and the Engineers. As the tanks grew heavier
the inadequacies of the bridges, Heavy Ponton and Steel Treadway as well
as Light Ponton becoming increasingly apparent, with the Light Ponton of
the three most prone to failing to carry out the mission assigned.
Meanwhile the Bailey Bridge, developed by Captain Sir Donald Bailey of
the Royal Engineers, was demonstrating its usefulness and versatility,
being capable of erection in six successive stages of greater carrying
capacity. Eventually the Heavy Ponton and Steel Treadway were beefed
up to a point where they were adequate for the job. The Light Ponton
had to go and the Bailey Bridge needed personnel to transport and erect
it, it was as simple as that. During this transition some companies
were busily engaged in training with and becoming proficient in the use
of the Light Ponton at the same time the more seasoned companies overseas
had already turned in their floating bridge and drawn Bailey bridge equipment,
but it took some time to get the new Bailey bridge into general use.
This did not apply to the units which went to the South Pacific and the
Burma-India theater's, these on the ground were largely infantrymen's wars,
with no large use of tanks.
(The above information was made available,
thanks to Larry Roberts, Command Historian at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.)
There Were
28 Engineer Light Ponton Companies
Activated
During The Course Of World War II
Their Unit
Numbers & Campaign Credits
Are Listed
Below.
COMPANY NORMANDY
FRANCE ARDENNES
RHINELAND CENTRAL EUROPE
70th
x
x
72nd
x
x
x
x
x
488th
x
x
489th
x
x
501st
x
x
x
x
x
502nd
x (D-Day) x
x
x
x
503rd
x (D-Day) x
x
x
505th
x
x
x
x
x
507th
x
x
x
x
x
508th
x
x
x
x
x
509th
x
x
x
x
x
511th
x
x
x
x
x
512th
x
x
x
x
513th
x
x
x
x
x
526th
x
x
527th
x
x
x
528th
x
x
x
x
x
529th
x
x
x
x
x
536th
x
x
x
537th
x
x
x
x
538th
x
SOUTH PACIFIC & CHINA-BURMA-INDIA
NEW
SOUTH
CENTRAL INDIA
GUINEA PHILLIPINES
LEYTE LUZON
BURMA BURMA
71st
x
x
77th
x
x
504th
x
x
506th
x
x
x
x
510th
x
x
530th
x
x
x
541st
No Campaign Records.
The above information from Army pamphlet 672-1,
July, 1961, Carlisle Barracks, PA
