Armortek

Hi all,

I am calling for help for the following reason, now I have finished my PZ IV I am now starting to try and gather information for my next project being a PZ IV Bridgelayer.(which type depends on any info gathered)

The information I required is the more technical side of the actual bridges as in drawings or pictures, I have gathered just about everything that is on the web and am now trying to find contacts to delve into archives.

I have already contacted the Munster Tank Museum which they kindly replied to stating that they themselves do not have such access to that sort of information but the German Military may have or the manufactures of the PZ IV. Bovington Tank Museum do not hold alot on Germa Armour but I do have a date to visit their archives.

So having already spent several hours on the net looking for contacts I have as to date found none.

Can anybody help or have any suggestions???

Thanks all

Chris W

Chris

For my King Tiger project i went to the Archives in Freiburg im Breisgau Germany.
Here i found the original plans of the KT.
It took me a week to find some usable plans an still there is a lot missing. There index is not complete so it is possible some drawings aren't in there so you wont see them.
Also there numbers don't correspond withe the numbers of the drawings so that makes it also hard to find what you're looking for.
Its a gamble but if you don't look into it...

This is the website : http://www.bundesarchiv.de
Adress : Wiesentalstrasse 10
79115
Freiburg im Breisgau
Germany

You will find other archives on the website but i haven't bin there so don't know what to find there.

Regards

Sven

Hi Sven,

Thanks for that link, I will go and have a look now and see what I can find.

Chris

Hi Chris,

I have the 1/35th scale PIV bridgelayer kit, was going to do one a while ago but as I'm now firmly back in the Allied camp its still sitting on the shelf. I think my PIV book has details as well. If you can wait till after War and Peace next week will see what I can digout.

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave.

Thansk for that, I have all the information I need on the running chassis its any pics deatiling the bridge mechs and operating system I require.

Thank

ChrisW

hi chris

go to this link forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?128937 and then click on it and it will bring up some very good pics for you to look at

also the panzer tracks book no 14 is what you are after for detailed drawings on the bruckenleger panzer4

regards

colin

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the link to the pictures on the axis forum, they do give a good detailed view in colour so to speak. I belive that is the Trumpeter model which I have, also the panzer tracts book which you mentioned.

I have receiced a replie from Krupp the original makers of the bridgelayer but they are saying that due to a big workload they are not taking on private research, oh well! at least they did replie which I have thanked them for.

I now only have the german army archives to search which is a hard job as I have to use a translator screen as well and the site is not easy to use.

As for working out how the mechanics work to actually lay the bridge I guess that will be a few people with a few drinks and play with some ideas along with looking at all the pictures I have gathered and try to solve it that way.

But anymore ideas links or forums with this informaion on will be very useful and a big THANK YOU so far to those who have helped it is very much appreciated.

ChrisW

no trouble chris

thats one thing about this forum everyone trys to help in some way shape or form

one thing do you have the schiffer military history book p4 and its variants interesting stuff especially with the route your taking if you dont pm me your email addy and i'll send a zip file to you

colin

Chris

At the moment i'm in France for the King Tiger...
They have a PIV but nothing with a Bridgelayer...
Still i think the best option is to go to the Archives, learn to speak some German and find your way thru the index.

Freiburg is the Technical Archives...
In Koblenz you'll find Photo's and films...

My next stop is Freiburg but not this month, no more vacation for a while...

Regards

Sven

Hi Colin and Sven,

Colin you have a PM

Sven I have a small knowledge of speaking german (ex forces) but not reading but I will look for what you have sugested.

Thanks again both of you

Chris