Winter Bridging Exercise on Thick Ice, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, 1988

• Main Author: Coutermarsh, Barry
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER NH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1990
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Civil Engineering; *WINTER; *MILITARY BRIDGES; *WARFARE; COVERINGS; BRIDGES; WISCONSIN; ICE BREAKUP; COLD REGIONS; THICKNESS; ICE; RIBBON BRIDGE; McCoy; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA223682; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA223682

One of the most vexing situations encountered by an army on the move in winter is the need to cross an ice-covered river. If this ice cover is not thick enough to support the anticipated loads, yet is thicker than what can be easily removed (less than 8 in.), the problem becomes very difficult. This report describes a winter bridging exercise undertaken by CRREl and the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division FMF. The exercise investigated the difficulties of bridging a waterway with 24-in thick ice present and experimented with some options that were chosen to be compatible with equipment normally found with a Ribbon Bridge unit. The only special equipment or materials considered were those that could be easily fabricated or procured if found effective. Keywords: Winter warfare; Military bridges; Ice breakup.