Rivers form natural lines of defense, and the first task of any defender is to destroy strategic bridges over them. This happened early in WWII as German troops advanced across Europe. Although Germany’s Blitzkrieg often moved with such speed that defenders were overwhelmed before they had a chance to demolish bridges, others were successfully blown up. This is where combat engineers – called pioniers in Germany - came into play. They were equipped with various paraphernalia with which to bridge waterways, with pontoon bridges being one of the quickest expedients. Dragon’s new 1/35 scale set includes just such a pontoon system.
The new Premium Edition item is an extensive set, including no less than four rubber rafts and two associated bridge systems. Linked together, they are able to span a small watercourse. The rafts are well defined, with lengths of string offered to add detail for the bindings. The bridge-ways and hand railings are also accurately depicted, complete with a delicate wood-grain texture. To populate this pontoon system, the set includes a total of 13 soldiers, of which four are infantrymen and nine are pioniers. Some of the latter also come with bonus hands that allow a handy change of pose. The comprehensive set is ideal for modelers wishing to render an early-war scene, perhaps in France or Russia. These all-conquering German soldiers are moving inexorably forward, with not even downed bridges able to slow their lightning advance!