I have been looking at this pic for a long time and I think it would make a wonderful base for a diorama. My question is the bridge appears to me to be built of timbers, would this support say a panther or similar tank? All and any thoughts are welcome and would be appreciated. cheers Kevin

Unless that's steel under there, not a chance.

I would agree. There is a long span on the right that would likely buckle with that much tonage on it. Besides...look at the pic. The tank could just ford across easily.

Cheers,
Jim

No way... - Wich Country is that??France??

Jimbrae .. has two very good points ... the length of the span and the river being easy fordable anyway. I seriously doubt it also.
But the bridge could still be easily incorporated into a dio. Tank(s) fording the river and smaller vehicles ... like motorcycle/side car or Kubelwagens and troops crossing the bridge simultaneously. Would look very cool ... clear water running down as far as the tanks and murky water running away from them. Get a patent quick ...... this idea will be stolen!

nah it wouldn't support a tank, how bout this for a dio idea though,
you have the tank crossing the river, with some troops walking across the bridge.

Hey PlasticB! I have to ask: "Where's Jimbreae"?! LOL

Man, our lil' ole staff_Jim isn't even recognized anymore.

Howdy jackhammer,

As has already been said, not a chance! The setting is a good one though, so your 'eye' didn't lie to you. Take staff-Jim's suggestion (nice to hear from you Jim! :-)), and just depict the tank having already crossed the river (this way you don't have to immerse the tank model) with figs on the bridge itself.

Tread.

P.S. Hope you're not planning on building the rural mansion on the top of the hill...now that would be an undertaking.

Well spotted Ken ....... man do I feel silly! #:-)
Because the picture posted at the top is bigger than my screen setting... I dont get the full width on screen. I saw "Jim" and thought it was Jimbrae for some reason.

My humble apologies Jim!

I think that idea of the tank fording the river would be cool with maybe a hanomag (one of the new dragon ones) on the bridge crossing with troops. As for the setting I beleive its in Poland or the Ukraine. I have some other photos with it but i dont remember the site it was from. Also I beleive thats a church up on that hill in the background. But I will defintely do something with it since I have figured out the thatching process now. Cheers Kevin

Got to agree with everybody not a chance. Maybe a dio with a tank that thought it could make it and only managed to get upside down after crashing through. Two maybe three FAMO's hooked up to the tank trying to pull it back over on it's tracks. Just a thought.

It looks like the bridge is fully wooden. I don't think those are "I" beams supporting the span but tree trunks. Certainly the retaining on the far side and the central pillar are made of logs. I don't think a tank commander would even consider putting his tank on such a bridge. Having said that you might be surprised at just how much weight that bridge could take. If its fully wooden then it would have an elasticity that would make it quite able to carry heavily laden trucks.

Tony

This bridge definetly wouldent support a large tank, but I read somewhere that by driving at a slow constant speed in low gear, a 56 ton tiger could cross a bridge meant for 18 ton vehicles.

I think that the bridge could not take the weight of a big tank. But there are always silly tank commanders thus we have nice dios with armor fallen from broken bridges !!!!! This bridge also could be used for a dio with lighter vehicles as stated before , or for a target to blow up fro some troopsand this nice flat river for bit tank to crosss over in the water making nice effects

Why not set a T-34 crashed trough the bridge and the panther has to ford the river....

I agree a panther or Tiger will not be able to cross that bridge!

Was it not Rommel who, during the ‘Blitzkrieg’ through the Ardennes, crossed a river via a wooden bridge or dam (can’t quite recall all the info) with Panzer IIIs?

Below is a link to a superb 1/72 ‘Blitzkrieg’ Bridge diorama by Joseph Rocamora one of Graywolf’s associates:

http://www.geocities.com/sabresquadron/S30001.html

It is such an interesting picture! I think a small recce vehicle on the bridge asking directions from the locals might be an interesting idea.
capnjock

Hmmm, many thx Kevin. Being an Architect by trade, I find that 'church' quite intriguing. It does appear to have what looks like a steeple. I am not aware of any church's having an exterior roof structure like that, or as many portico's as it seems to have...interesting. I'll have to brush up on my Ukrainanian studies. Thx.

Tread.

NICE POST NICE PICS AND NICE WORK ON THAT BRIDGE

Another thought for you; present the river as not suitable for fording. Then come up with a way to present the tank as making as much speed as possible to cross the bridge without it collapsing (think about he movie Runaway Train).

If pulled off, it would be a very neat dio. It would also give the sense of the desperate plight the Germans were in late in the war.

Hmmm....might have to think about this one. :-)

Well,
I think the bridge would hold anything up to and including a panzer 4. The bridge looks of sound construction and although you cannot see the pier and abutment from above, it will most probably be filled with rock to add to the strength. The thing to ask is why would you spend so much time building a bridge if not to use it?
I do find it hard to accept that a Panther or Tiger would attempt a crossing and doubt it would ever stand up to such abuse!
Shot me down if you wish, but the Royal Engineers are still building "Improvised Bridges" in the same way and normally expect them to hold between 16 and 30 tons depending on the size of the timber!

Sam

Hi,

One other idea from Doc Dio's

I believe that's a Russian Orthodox church or monastery on the hill. The photo caption places it in the 'Middle Carpathians'. Isn't this in the eastern-most part of the Ukraine, ( or western-most) ? Must find a topographical map!
#:-)