The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-01-28
War Inspires
New Machines
British Engineers Quick to
Learn Lessons of the
War in Progress.

LONDON.-ASlOe ITOIIl llG uSW
implements mechanical war has
brought into being, new methods Of
instruction have been developed for
their use. One of these schools in
Britain is engineering with new
placement, Notifications and bridge
building. The campaign in the west
ern desert is responsible for the first
two, lessons learned from the Don
and Donetz for the third.
The military expert of the Times
Of London, at an engineering school
with the Northern Command"
writes of some things he observed,
beginning with a military bridge:
1T can be constructed more
quickly and simply than any COM
parable bridge known to be used
by the Germans.
1T is a bold claim, but it is
supported by the highest technical
authorities. Nor need it be doubted
that, on whatever front he may
have to construct such a bridge, the
sapper will combine the finest fight
ing qualities with all his engineer
ing skill.
Easy to Assemble.
This new type of service bridge
is particularly impressive for its
simplicity of design. Its various Sec
tons and component parts can be
moved easily and rapidly under nor
NAL training conditions, That is not
to say that the work is light, but
it does mean that it can be done
quickly and without strain by the
men whose job it is. 1t may be
taken that the sections of frame
work, girders and so on are de-
signed to a carefully studied Opt.
mum length and, besides this, the
method of fitting sections together
has the same quality of simplicity.
The bridge is, by reason of its sec.
tional construction, capable of use
as pontoon bridge. 49,
''tAn inexpert observer might be
most impressed with this develop
ment in bridge construction by com.
pairing the new type with the Inglis
bridge. In the latter the gantry
method and the network of girders
seem extraordinarily slow and elab-
crate. But the Inglis bridge has
had an honored place in the history
of military engineering, and its day
is not yet over. 1t is admittedly slow.
er in construction than the latest
type of service bridge, but will still
be used in rear areas. -as
"a demonstration of earth-moving
machinery at the school brought
into action giant bulldczer that en-
abled one man to move earth on a
really large scale.
l Water Publication Set.
Among lighter equipment there
was a reminder of how the armies
in Libya depend on the royal engi-
neers for their vitality important sup
plies of water. There was, for in
stance, a mobile water publication
set, for filtering and sterilizing, pro-
viding drinking water in bulk, and
having a capacity of 5000 gallons
an hour.
Sat the other end of the scale
there was the portable hand-operat-
ed set, weighing only l40 pounds,
with a capacity of 100 gallons Cor
400 water bottles) an hour. Again,
there were machinery lorries for
use as field machine shops, and
compressor trucks which carry. and
produce power for pneumatic tools.
''It might have been forgotten
momentarily that all this machin-
cry and equipment, so essential to
the maintenance of an army, is
right i'm the battlefield under condi.
tons of war today.
But the school recalled the fight.
ing skill Of the royal engineers by
staging an assault river crossing
Here the most recent types of fold.
ing boats, raft ferries and kapok
floats were put into use for trans.
porting men and guns and ma.
chimes.