At midday on 22 August 6. Armee pioneers completed the pontoon bridges
across the Don River. Here pioneers of General Hube's 16
Panzer-Division relax atop spare medium pneumatic boats taking a
Feuerpause (firebreak), the formal term for "cease-fire ," a cigarette
break or a short rest break. These boats had a 6-foot beam and 18-foot
1ength, and could carry seven men, but were extensively used to
construct rafts using one to three pairs of boats.
Pioniertruppen were highly trained specialists most likely to be found
on the front spearheading assaults by crossing rivers and streams,
breeching obstacles and minefields, and assaulting fortifications.
They fought side-by-side with infantrymen. Pioneers were armed with
flamethrowers, demolitions, mines, smoke generating equipment, mine
detectors, and other specialist gear. The BrOckenpionere were bridge
construction units and possessed pneumatic boats and
pontoon equipment for bridges and ferries. Each division had two
bridge columns. In the background is an Sd.Kfz.251 /3 halftrack
Funkwagen (radio vehicle) bearing a Panzergruppe command pennant.
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