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to earth-banked rural field drainage channels, possibility of multiple fascine use in a single gap and launch testing both day, night and in limited visibility. During the trials the development team drivers became skilled at the launching of the fascine and were able to launch two or even three fascines into a single gap. However for regular operational use by less skilled crews it was recommended that only single fascines should be used as the use of 2nd or 3rd fascines required the launch vehicle to launch the subsequent fascine whilst on the potentially unstable first fascine. This required a perfect launch to ensure the second fascine was quickly in place to make the first fascine stable and held in position. If this did not happen there was potentially significant risk to the launch vehicle and crew especially in water filled gaps.
162:, near what is today the border between Estonia and Russia. Protected by the Narva River to their east, around the town the Russian Army had dug a trench six feet wide in front of an earth wall nine feet high. The defenders had 140 cannon mounted around the walls, they outnumbered the exhausted Swedish army four to one and a blizzard had just broken out. Nonetheless, Charles advanced: "Throwing their fascines into the ditch, the Swedes swarmed across on top of them. Waving swords and bayonets, they climbed over the earthworks and threw themselves on the foe. Within fifteen minutes, a fierce hand-to-hand battle was taking place inside the works."
191:
205:, namely the British Mark IV, started the practice of carrying fascines on the roof, to be deployed to fill trenches that would otherwise be an obstacle to the tank. These were constructed from the traditional bundles of brushwood used to make fascines since Roman times. Although these were cumbersome to deploy they proved an effective gap-crossing device and were used widely by the tanks of the day that weighed up to about 30 tons.
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221:. The use of hollow pipes had been predicated on their ability to allow water flow; the pipes were secured such that they were awash, and the river's unimpeded flow initially hid the fascines from Soviet reconnaissance aircraft. While these fascines were designed for stealth rather than combat deployment and were not deployed via armoured vehicles, the use of hollow pipes as fascines was a significant step forward.
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The Royal
Engineers Experimental Establishment at Christchurch did initial tests on the possible use of 23-centimetre (9 in) high-density plastic pipes held together with chains. These would allow water flow, and not be damaged with the higher modern vehicle weight. Further development was done
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and his troop, 5 Troop, 31 Armoured
Engineer Squadron, 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment at Munsterlager, North Germany in 1981–82, to enable full acceptance and provide user instructions for operational use. This development involved testing in different gaps and conditions, e.g. concrete-lined canals
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A launch technique was developed: approach the target gap at speed, line up onto alignment/launch markers, drive over first marker then brake sharply at second marked point and fire the explosive bolts holding the travel hawsers so that the fascine, through inertia, rolled off directly into the
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available, a solution was needed to bridge these gaps quickly and cheaply and under fire. In earlier wars, wooden fascines had been used, but these were ineffective for use with the much heavier modern vehicles, some of which weighed up to 70 tons.
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with the assistance of his engineer
Colonel Blein. When crossing enemy trenches, Blein used boats, trestles and ladders covered with boards to cross enemy entrenchments – when his account mentions fascines it is along with
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middle of the gap. When in position, they travel over it to level the road surface for other vehicles to cross. This whole process would take less than a minute, essential for an assault crossing possibly under fire.
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Subsequently, the use of fascines by military engineers continued almost wherever armies were deployed and could be an incredibly cheap and effective 'weapon' during a siege, for both attacker and defender.
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In World War II the use of fascines continued as a gap-crossing device and within the
British Army these were launched from the Churchill AVRE – a Royal Engineer derivative of the standard
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The
Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) pre-positioned fascines made of metal pipes across the Khalkha River (between Japanese held Manchuria and Mongolia, the USSR's protectorate) in advance of the IJA's 1939
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In war they have often been used to help armies – in modern times, especially tanks and other vehicles – cross trenches, valleys, marshes, muddy or uneven terrain, etc.
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Fascine bridges are a regularly attested feature of Roman military engineering and would have been widespread in the ancient world due to their usefulness and ease of construction. During the
169:, used for cutting branches and saplings, were standard issue for riflemen – but appear to have been used defensively rather than for crossing trenches. In 1806–07 the French
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The majority of obstacles to mobility in West
Germany run north–south, and movement by military forces would have been east–west. Within the area of operation of the British Army, near
264:, streams and small rivers approximately 5–10 m (16–33 ft) wide and 1.5–2.5 m (5–8 ft) deep that are sufficient to stop armoured vehicles. Given the low number of
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128:, the Gauls repeatedly attempted to repel the invading Romans by filling their trenches in with fascines and covering their traps, to support their counter-assault.
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or other material used for strengthening an earthen structure, or making a path across uneven or wet terrain. Typical uses are protecting the banks of streams from
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The fascine was subsequently accepted into service and used successfully in a number of operational and non-operational roles using the
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A hundred years later, during the
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In mountainous terrain such as in Syria, they could also be used to cross natural obstacles. In the
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batteries, or offensively to fill in ditches and cross obstacles on a battlefield.
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in the early 1980s to meet the challenges of assuring the mobility of movement in
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An article on use of fascines in river training for erosion control
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Single fascine launch near
Hannover – Centurion AVRE
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fitted. It was used in combat for the first time during the
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to breach anti tank ditches. The
British Army now use the
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29:, Germany. The riverbank was strengthened with fascines.
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117:(shoring up) trenches or ramparts, especially around
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Bundle of wood used for support or path construction
614:"Live and Inert Fascine Streambank Erosion Control"
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560:"Eylau: Precis Des Travaux de la Grande Armee"
237:The pipe fascine was further developed in the
655:" – Louis Laframboise, Biodynamic Association
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586:First World War - The Tank: New Developments
150:in 1700 was a pivotal early battle in the
113:Fascine bundles were used defensively for
513:"What a British Rifleman Carried in 1809"
305:tank, to carry and deploy pipe fascines.
588:. Dorling Kindersley H/B. p. 222.
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653:Fascines as Ecojewels of the Landscape
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86:in a manner similar to that of modern
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447:Peter the Great: His Life and World
198:tanks carrying crib fascines, 1918.
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489:. 28 January 2021. Archived from
449:. Ballantine Books. p. 404.
395:"Caesar's Grand Siege at Alesia"
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225:Developments since World War II
483:"Napoleonic Military Glossary"
338:Combat Engineer Tractor launch
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445:Massie, Robert K. (1986).
182:as a defensive element.
669:Geotechnical structures
584:Willmott, H.P. (2003).
399:Warfare History Network
66:) is a rough bundle of
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109:stacked with fascines.
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156:Charles XII of Sweden
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487:The Napoleonic Guide
291:165mm demolition gun
203:Tanks in World War I
564:The Napoleon Series
517:The Napoleon Series
219:foray into Mongolia
25:Templin Channel in
493:on 28 January 2021
401:. 12 December 2018
249:conflict with the
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152:Great Northern War
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97:Early military use
84:ground improvement
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148:Battle of Narva
126:Siege of Alesia
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37:(pronounced
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540:(in French)
470:Massie 1986
251:Warsaw Pact
213:(40 tons).
107:chandeliers
88:geotextiles
663:Categories
638:(410
381:References
186:World Wars
173:besieged
167:billhooks
119:artillery
115:revetting
80:marshland
68:brushwood
569:13 April
544:13 April
522:13 April
497:13 April
430:13 April
405:13 April
350:Billhook
344:See also
258:Hannover
194:British
154:between
375:Spiling
309:Gallery
180:gabions
175:Breslau
72:erosion
35:fascine
27:Templin
592:
453:
425:Livius
365:Ferula
355:Fasces
299:Trojan
196:Mark V
624:(PDF)
617:(PDF)
370:Withy
266:AVLBs
632:2007
590:ISBN
571:2021
546:2021
524:2021
499:2021
451:ISBN
432:2021
407:2021
247:NATO
158:and
146:The
105:Two
640:KiB
273:by
74:(a
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62:/
59:n
53:s
50:ˈ
47:ə
44:f
41:/
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