MLU FORUM - Italian Bridging Company

Here's an interesting picture of an Italian Bridging Company that was taken in Somalia during the war. It's worthwhile to note the differences of both the method of transporting the equipment as well as in the equipment itself. Caterpillar tractors are used to pull the bridging equipment and the bridge sections are supported on cylindrical pontoons. The dinghys, I imagine, are used to push them into place as the square transom would allow use of an outboard motor. It's a study in regional differences also, observe the Carvel construction on the dinghys where the planks are butted together which is common in the Mediterranean area. Northern European dinghys would have been Clinker built with the planks overlapping. The Clinker built style is common in North America also where it is also known as Lapstrake construction. All in all, an interesting study in differing bridging techniques.

CHIMO! Derek.