Donald Featherstone's Advanced Wargaming

Engineering Rules Ideas WWI, WWII, and Napoleonic by anonymous

Reproduced from Wargamer's Newsletter 208 with kind permission of the editor

1 bound = 1 minute.

Repairing 1 broken track : 2 mechanics or tank crew 3 bounds

Changing 1 wheel : 2 men 2 bounds

Repairing 1 immobilised soft-skin : 2 mechanics 3 bounds

Repairing 1 aerial : 1 mechanic or tank crew or driver 1 bound

Digging 1 man-size foxhole : 1 man 5 bounds

Laying 75mm wire : 1 Engineer 3 bounds

Cutting 25mm wire : 1 man (with cutters on agreement) 1 bound

Positioning 1 A/T obstacle or post : 2 men 3 bounds

Cut 1 telephone wire : 1 man (with cutters on agreement) 1 bound

Bury 1 mine (4 sq. cm) (2 x 2) : 1 man 2 bounds

Dig up 1 mine (4 sq. cm) (2 x 2) : 1 man 4 bounds

Building

1 Pontoon Bridge (Airfix) : 1 Officer and 10 engineers

1 Ramp : 2 bounds -- time halved if a crane is used.

1 Raft : 6 bounds -- time halved if assault boats are used.

1 plank section : 12 bounds -- time halved if a crane is used.

Bridge layers lay bridges in 3 bounds with 2 engineers direction.

Dozers flatten dozer width ruins or earthworks at obstacle speed.

A.R.Vs tow wrecks or damaged vehicles at obstacle speed.

Concerning pontoon bridges : 1 bound to unload 1 part -- 1 crane and 2 men or 10 men.

General Engineering times

1 bound = 2 1/2 minutes.

Cutting down 1 hardwood tree : 1 Pioneer 6 bounds

1 fir tree, telegraph : 1 Pioneer 2 bounds

Trimming branches takes the same.

Filling and placing 1 gabion : 1 Pioneer 4 bounds

Building a (2 pontoon) bridge : 1 Officer, 10 Pioneers 10 bounds

Preparing a bridge for demolition: Charge explodes after 2 moves. : 1 Officer, 8 Pioneers 8 bounds

As above for a small house but takes 10 moves. For large earthworks : 1 tree -- 20 bounds

To prepare a position for defence or to bridge a stream or river

Structure Men Hours

Redoubt varies 18

Simple fieldworks varies 6/12

Rifle pit 4 1/2

Battery pit 50 x 2/3 12/16

1,000 yard trench 600 x 3 24

150 foot varies 1/2

Raft Pontoon 20 feet 12 1

x = number of shifts

It might take two or three days just to gather enough suitable materials, although the actual bridging operation might take only three or four hours.