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The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion was one of the most decorated Engineer Combat Battalions of the United States Army during World War II,〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.mech9.com/blog/2013/03/first-across-the-rhine/ )〕 playing notable roles both in the Battle of Bulge and the Rhine crossing at Remagen. Commanded by Colonel David E. Pergrin, it earned a Presidential Citation for outstanding performance in action in the Ardennes, blowing up bridges and fighting as infantry in helping stunt the German advance towards Antwerp. It was also instrumental in building the first pontoon bridge across the Rhine at Remagen to take traffic pressure off the severely damaged Ludendorff Bridge before its tragic collapse. The span made a material contribution in facilitating the U.S. Army's drive into central Germany.〔 ==Capabilities== As a combat engineer battalion the 291st was capable of providing a wide variety of combat support services essential to sustaining operating forces in the theater of war.〔Department of the Army Field Manual No. 4-0, ''Chapter 1'' () The Engineering element of providing the essential capabilities, functions, activities, and tasks necessary to sustain all elements of operating forces in theater at all levels of war.〕 These spanned such diverse activities as construction, demolition, sanitation, map production, minefield clearing, and unit intelligence. Combat engineer battalions also fielded defensive .30 cal. and .50 cal. machine gun squads, anti-tank rocket and grenade launchers, and were required to fight as infantry when needed.〔United States Government War Department (''Engineer Field Manual'' FM-5-5, Engineer Troops, 11 October 1943 )〕 The range of services provided included but was not limited to:〔VI Corps History: (What Did Combat Engineers Do? )〕 *Bridge (mobile, floating, fixed), rail, & road construction and maintenance *Conducting river crossings by ponton/raft, motor-powered assault boats *Demolition *Placing/de-arming munitions, including mines *Port & harbor maintenance and rehabilitation, including beachheads: : *Laying roads and unloading/loading supplies, vehicles & personnel from transport and cargo ships *Camouflage *Water supply and sanitation *Map production *Vehicle maintenance *Establishing/maintaining supply and ammunition dumps *Building barracks, depots, and similar structures *Rescue & road patrols, bridge and road reconnaissance *Clearing of debris and wreckage *Serving as infantry when needed These included the deployment and operation of assault boats and the construction of various pontoon bridges,〔''549th Engineer Light Ponton Company History'' ()〕 including M1 treadways, and modular steel truss Bailey bridges. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「291st Engineer Combat Battalion (United States)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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