After the outbreak of World War II, the need for mobile bridge structures to overcome obstacles arose after combat experience. Therefore, at the turn of 1939/40, the development of a bridge tank on the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw. IV.
The task was undertaken by Krupp and Magirus. The bridge was to be 9 m long and had a load capacity of 28 tons. As a platform for carrying the bridges, versions of Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf. C, later Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf. D.
Friedrich Krupp AG, Essen
C.D.Magirus, Ulm
According to the order of 22/2/1939, 6 pcs of modified platforms were built at the company in 6-7/1939 Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. C (Fgst.Nr.80435 - 80440). These platforms were delivered to WaPruf 5 for bridgehead assembly. On 14.11.1939 the company Krupp announced that it was completing a prototype on an experimental platform B.W. II, which had torsionally suspended running wheels and four other platforms already contracted (on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. D platform), and requested that the Magirus firm take over the assembly of the other 16 bridge tanks.
On 16/1/1940 Halder noted in his personal diary that by the end of 3/1940 Krupp was to complete a pair of bridge tanks and Magirus 10 tanks for the needs of four divisions (each was to have a trio of these vehicles). On 6/3/1940 Halder noted that the first 20 Brückenleger IVs were to be available and with trained crews by the end of 4/1940.
Krupp-Grussonwerk supplied additional platforms Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. D needed to build the Brückenlegers between 2/1940 and 4/1940. Ten platforms were delivered to Magirus and ten were retained by Krupp. All 20 combat Brückenleger IV b were completed by the end of 4/1940.
There were plans to build another 60 bridge machines, but the program was probably stopped before more machines could be built.
These bridge tanks were armed with the 3rd Panzer-Pionier-Company of these panzer divisions:
1. Panzer-Division, 2. Panzer-Division, 3. Panzer-Division, 5. Panzer-Division and 10. Panzer-Division.
Each Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie was organized in accordance with K.St.N.716 dated 6 March 1940, according to which each received four bridge tanks. They were deployed during the occupation of the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The machines and their service with the troops was not rated well.
On 3.6.1940, the decision was taken to cancel further production of the Brückenleger IV and use the released 16 platforms to increase production of conventional tanks Pz.Kpfw. IV. Although the production run was cancelled, a small number of improved Brückenleger IVc bridgehead tanks were ordered for experimentation.
It is photographically documented that platforms with specially modified superstructure served as training machines. These bridge tanks were armed with a single MG 34 machine gun.
Thomas L. Jentz, Hillary Louis Doyle - Gepanzerte Pionier-Fahrzeuge (Armored Combat Engineer Vehicles) Goliath to Raeumer S, Panzer Tracts no.14, 1998, ISBN 1-892848-00-7
The task was undertaken by Krupp and Magirus. The bridge was to be 9 m long and had a load capacity of 28 tons. As a platform for carrying the bridges, versions of Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf. C, later Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf. D.
Friedrich Krupp AG, Essen
C.D.Magirus, Ulm
According to the order of 22/2/1939, 6 pcs of modified platforms were built at the company in 6-7/1939 Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. C (Fgst.Nr.80435 - 80440). These platforms were delivered to WaPruf 5 for bridgehead assembly. On 14.11.1939 the company Krupp announced that it was completing a prototype on an experimental platform B.W. II, which had torsionally suspended running wheels and four other platforms already contracted (on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. D platform), and requested that the Magirus firm take over the assembly of the other 16 bridge tanks.
On 16/1/1940 Halder noted in his personal diary that by the end of 3/1940 Krupp was to complete a pair of bridge tanks and Magirus 10 tanks for the needs of four divisions (each was to have a trio of these vehicles). On 6/3/1940 Halder noted that the first 20 Brückenleger IVs were to be available and with trained crews by the end of 4/1940.
Krupp-Grussonwerk supplied additional platforms Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. D needed to build the Brückenlegers between 2/1940 and 4/1940. Ten platforms were delivered to Magirus and ten were retained by Krupp. All 20 combat Brückenleger IV b were completed by the end of 4/1940.
There were plans to build another 60 bridge machines, but the program was probably stopped before more machines could be built.
These bridge tanks were armed with the 3rd Panzer-Pionier-Company of these panzer divisions:
1. Panzer-Division, 2. Panzer-Division, 3. Panzer-Division, 5. Panzer-Division and 10. Panzer-Division.
Each Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie was organized in accordance with K.St.N.716 dated 6 March 1940, according to which each received four bridge tanks. They were deployed during the occupation of the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The machines and their service with the troops was not rated well.
On 3.6.1940, the decision was taken to cancel further production of the Brückenleger IV and use the released 16 platforms to increase production of conventional tanks Pz.Kpfw. IV. Although the production run was cancelled, a small number of improved Brückenleger IVc bridgehead tanks were ordered for experimentation.
It is photographically documented that platforms with specially modified superstructure served as training machines. These bridge tanks were armed with a single MG 34 machine gun.
