| HistoryPhD | 07 May 2015 3:58 p.m. PST |
I came across this image from the Vietnam War:
I don't believe I've ever seen an M113-launched bridge. I knew M60 AVLBs were sent to Vietnam, but this is a new one on me. |
 Doms Decals  | 07 May 2015 4:25 p.m. PST |
It was a pretty rare piece of kit – if you Google "marginal terrain assault bridge" you should be able to find a bit more on it, but only a few were used. |
| DuckanCover | 07 May 2015 7:04 p.m. PST |
Well, color me enlightened……  Never even heard of it. Duck |
| Charlie 12 | 07 May 2015 9:18 p.m. PST |
I'd heard of it, but this is the first photo I've seen of it. Ugly beast, ain't it. |
| GeoffQRF | 08 May 2015 2:29 a.m. PST |
Was it used anywhere else? Actually, most of the references seem to talk about it being experimental. Was it used anywhere? |
| Doms Decals | 08 May 2015 5:29 a.m. PST |
It certainly was used in Vietnam, but that seems to be it. 4th Cavalry had some, and rather liked them, and it seems like 11th Cavalry did too, but I don't know if it was issued more widely, or just an operational evaluation with them. |
| HistoryPhD | 08 May 2015 6:13 a.m. PST |
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| shaun from s and s models | 08 May 2015 8:46 a.m. PST |
yes a field mod for Vietnam for the small waterways often encountered |
 Legion 4  | 08 May 2015 10:19 a.m. PST |
I've never seen one either. There were probably not that many made. We used the M60 AVLB still back in '79-'90 … |
| Risaldar Singh | 08 May 2015 1:19 p.m. PST |
20 were made and deployed in Vietnam in mid-68, following a 1966 request from MACV for a lighter more mobile vehicle-launched bridge. They were used by:
- 1st Infantry Division: 2d/2nd Inf Bn (Mech), 2
- 4th Infantry Division: 2d/8th Inf Bn (Mech), 2
- 9th Infantry Division: 2nd/47th Inf Bn (Mech), 4
- 25th Infantry Division: 3rd/4th Cav & 4th/23rd Inf Bn (Mech), 4
- Americal Division: 1st/1st Cavalry Sqdn, 2
- 199th Light Infantry Bde, 2
- llth Armored Cavalry Regiment: lst Sqdn, 4 You can find a couple of interesting docs on the DTIC website - Experimental model Marginal Terrain Assault Bridge-Launcher (Apr 68)
link - Marginal Terrain Assault Bridge-Launcher Final report (Nov 69)
link The first one is a very technical description written prior to deployment (rather akin to a lightweight TM) with a pretty clear plan on page 51 (model makers take note). The second one is the result of a field trials after a few months. The trials seem to have been rather successful but a possible wider deployment in 1970 was overtaken by events.
BTW, both photos above show a 3/4 Cav vehicle. |
| Legion 4 | 08 May 2015 2:05 p.m. PST |
Very Good intel … I wonder if we left them to the ARVN when we pulled out ? |
| HistoryPhD | 08 May 2015 2:35 p.m. PST |
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| tuscaloosa | 08 May 2015 3:30 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the tip, I'd never heard of it either. |
| Risaldar Singh | 08 May 2015 5:02 p.m. PST |
114 is also a 3/4 Cav bridge launcher (the same one as in the photos above). The South Vietnamese developed their own bridge using aluminium deck balk from a class 60 bridge prior to the MTAB. They were probably left in Vietnam. As to their usefulness after having been used with class 20 Sheridans… ;-) |
| Risaldar Singh | 08 May 2015 5:09 p.m. PST |
A bigger photo of 114:
And a larger one of he prototype:
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| Doms Decals | 09 May 2015 5:50 a.m. PST |
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looks at a multi-period building.
