Trident 87186 HO WWII German Armed Forces Bridge Layers Kit BruckenlegepanzerIV

WWII German Armed Forces Bridge Layers
BruckenlegepanzerIV Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge (AVLB)

1/87 HO Scale Model
- Unassembled Kit -

Trident Miniatures 1:87 Military - 87186

Made in Austria

The Herpa Military series includes a large number of high-quality finished models from the field of military vehicles and aircraft as printed and unprinted versions. The technology of vehicles and aircraft from the time of the First World War to the present day fascinates collectors and diorama builders alike. The series is constantly being expanded with new forms and printing variants


An armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of military engineering vehicle, designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles across gap-type obstacles, such as (and primarily) rivers. The AVLB is usually a tracked vehicle converted from a tank chassis to carry a folding metal bridge instead of weapons. The AVLB's job is to allow armoured or infantry units to cross craters, anti-tank ditches, blown bridges, railroad cuts, canals, rivers and ravines), when a river too deep for vehicles to wade through is reached, and no bridge is conveniently located (or sufficiently sturdy, a substantial concern when moving 60-ton tanks).

The bridge layer unfolds and launches its cargo, providing a ready-made bridge across the obstacle in only minutes. Once the span has been put in place, the AVLB vehicle detaches from the bridge, and moves aside to allow traffic to pass. Once all of the vehicles have crossed, it crosses the bridge itself and reattaches to the bridge on the other side. It then retracts the span ready to move off again. A similar procedure can be employed to allow crossings of small chasms or similar obstructions. AVLBs can carry bridges of 60 feet (19 metres) or greater in length. By using a tank chassis, the bridge layer is able to cover the same terrain as main battle tanks, and the provision of armour allows them to operate even in the face of enemy fire. However, this is not a universal attribute: some exceptionally sturdy 6×6 or 8×8 truck chassis have lent themselves to bridge-layer applications.

About Trident Miniatures

Trident, whose products are imported from Austria by Walthers, was founded in 1966. Their goal was to provide collectors with accurate replicas of prototype vehicles through the use of extensive research, photos and, when possible, original blueprints. Trident offers a wide variety of 1/87 model kits featuring plastic and white-metal parts, as well as a line of military decals.