Airfix 03383 Pontoon Bridge

The Bailey Bridge was developed during World War II in Great Britain and was used on a very large scale by the Allied units in the period 1943-1945. This bridge was characterized by a very simple structure consisting of ready-made elements (prefabricated elements) "assembled" just before its use, good strength and relatively low production costs. It could also be mounted by hand, without the use of heavy equipment, which significantly facilitated its operation. Another advantage of the bridge was the fact that it was able to carry M3 Lee and M4 Sherman medium tanks. Its originator and main constructor was Donald Bailey, from whom the name of this type of bridge was also derived. Most often the Bailey Bridge with a length of 50-60 m was built, but it also happened that bridges up to 300 meters long were created! It was used on a large scale during the Italian campaign (1943-1945), fighting in North-Western Europe (1944-1945), but also in the Far East, during the fighting in Burma.