I am looking for photos or tech info on the Sherman Plymouth Bridgelayer used by Canadian troops in Italy. This consisted of 2 Shermans, the first carrying a Bailey bridge and the second tank pushing. Does anyone know how the bridge was attached to the carrier tank?
Thanks in advance
Mike

Mike

Thanks to my CBD (compulsive bookmarking disorder) I have the following links you may find interesting:

Sherman Bridging Vehicles in Italy
Discussion at ML
Another discussion at ML




As far as the better quality pictures are concerned, Concord books might be helpful to you as well. US Tank Battles in North Africa and Italy (#7051) features two pictures on the page 64. One shows the demonstration of the setup (both machines are visible with a bridge across a small valley). The other is taken at the same location and shows the rear view of the “carrier” tank. US Armored Funnies (#7052) contains both of these pictures as well although the first one is much smaller. In addition it features yet another photograph from the same location showing the “carrier” with the bridge on the top approaching the valley.

Unfortunately I have no means to provide you with respective scans at this moment.

HTH

-A-

Hi Akes
I have both of the books you mentioned but I did not have the drawing which really helps put the Plymouth into perspective. I was hoping there was a picture around which showed more detail of the mounting itself. I did not have the other 2 articles you pointed out either so your reply is very helpful.
Thank you very much.
Mike

does anyone make this bridge?

Bronco makes a Bailey Bridge, but how many sections or it's length, I have no idea.

thanks dave, i will check that out.

Bronco do an M1 & M2 version of the bridge, both 3 bays long only,
you will need to get multiple boxes....

Jaw Dropping Build & shedloads of info here:
http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=38183

Thanks for the compliment Jon, it was an exhausting build.

The Plymouth or Kingsmill bridge (the former the code-name during Op DIADEM in the Liri Valley, and the latter the 'inventor's' name) hasn't been modelled but could be done with two Shermans and two of the (poor) Bronco kits. One Sherman at least would have to have its turret removed so you'd also need a turret cage kit. The bridge is a DD so the third set of panels should instead be used to lengthen the bridge. You'd be getting into quite a large dio to show all this!

File WO291/8196 in the UK National Archives has some detail including an original sketch of the launching operation. The carrier Sherman had rocking rollers mounted on transoms attached to the turret ring and the bridge lay on them. The pusher Sherman was connected to the end transom by struts IIRC and had bolts with explosive charges to ensure it could disconnect when required. I note in the photo above that what appear to be aircraft wheels have been fixed to the tail of the bridge to ease transport. These weren't part of the original Plymouth bridge design.

I have found no record of the system being used in action other than over the Gari, and the picture above is of a Polish one built to test the system, and located in San Severino (near to Perugia) in Italy. The rivers in the Po plain generally had high floodbanks that allowed no access for launching the Kingsmill type bridge. Whether they were use in the ETO I don't know.