105th engineer battalion - also material on USO show Nov 1944

[Frank Gubbels]

Well,
I think this is the first time I will contribute something about engineers here.
I found some pictures which I want to share with you and I hope I can share more.

Domfront, France August 17th, 1944 U.S. Army Engineers clear streets after terrific shelling.


"Belgium 8/1/45--Engineers of the 30th Infantry Division remove booby trap from snow covered, abandoned German tank, which was knocked out beyond Geromont, Belgium. Germans painted white stars on tank to make it resemble American armor. Left to right: Cpl. Peter A. Piar, Philadelphia, PA; Lt. John D. Perkins, Alliance, Ohio; and Pfc. Calvin J. Dupre, Houma, LA"


Engineers filling bomb crater at Bettenhoven, Germany. Feb. 45.


I hope you can read this:
Flow chart of the make-up of the 105th Engineer Battalion.


March 22nd...Combat Engineers clear bomb damage from road in Alpon, Germany, to permit passage of supply convoys to the Rhine River front. Alpon is located a few miles west of the Rhine River crossing site of the 30th. Also found on page 84 of 117th history book.


Link to a PDF file about the 105th from their September and October 1944 operations:
http://www.oldhickory30th.com/XIXSiegfried105.pdf

This is it for now. I hope to add more soon.

Regards,
Frank

[Walt's Daughter]

Super-duper! Thanks for doing that. Love the photos and descriptions.

[Frank Gubbels]

I would like to add this link to this topic Marion:

 

http://www.105th.org/index.html

 

I hope to add more pictures soon, I am still looking for them.

[Walt's Daughter]

Very good. Happy to give them some exposure.

[Frank Gubbels]

Well finally I can post some more pictures to this topic. I don't have much information but I hope to add that ASAP.

 

First a map about the situation in this area in September 1944. Argenteau is just South of Vise. The 113th cavalary was also fighting in this area.

 

Pontoonbridge across the Meuse river near Argenteau, Belgium.

 

 

 

 

 

We know the exact locations. The situation has changed a bit but the houses are still the same.

 

Regards,

Frank

[Frank Gubbels]

By the way there were 2 pontoonbridges as you can see. they made pictures from one pontoonbridge to the other. Perhaps one was for vehicles crossing the Meuse river and move up to the front and the othe rone was for vehicles who were coming back from the front and had to go to the rear.

Frank

[Walt's Daughter]

Yes, I saw the two different ponton bridges. One is a treadway. For the sake of those who don't know, the treadway is the one with the two individual steel tracks across the pontons and would carry heavier loads such as tanks.

 

Floating bridges were as follows:

 

The Light Ponton Bridge M1938 was a floating bridge capable of carrying 10-ton traffic in one direction.

 

The Heavy Ponton Bridge M1940, although similar to the light ponton, was much heavier and carried a 25 ton load.

 

The Steel Treadway Bridge was designed to carry medium tanks. It had steel treadways for runways, which were emplaced by means of a truck mounted crane. It used special rubber pontons.

 

 

Show me bridge pictures anytime and you know I'll be a happy camper.

[Walt's Daughter]

Yes, and I should acknowledge your comment about two bridges in the same area handling traffic in two different directions, as this often happened. This of course would alleviate traffic jams.

[Ronald]

Good post frank, and yes i can see it :-)

 

Marion, thanks for the explenation of the ponton bridges.

 

Best regards

 

Ronald

[Frank Gubbels]

Thank you very much for this valuable information Marion.

Regards,

Frank