On the bottom, on the beach, on the floating bridges. This afternoon respective twelve vehicles, including transporters and tanks belonging to the 11th Lubuskie Division of Armored Cavalry, crossed the Oder on the White Mountain range. erstwhile the river has been defeated, they will go to the field in Hungary, where they will recreate readiness and enter the fight. Manoeuvring is an component of the exercise "A brave beaver '25".
The foggy morning, close Krosna Odrzański. We're standing on a slope that mildly descends towards the river. Below are motor boats filled with bombardment. The final reconnaissance of the crossing axles is underway. Looks like everything's fine, 'cause a fewer minutes later, the neighborhood's filled with gunshots.
It's started. The first boats are coming to our shore. The soldiers who fall into the sandy ground immediately. The first ones decision forward, sweeping the space ahead with mine detectors. Their friends behind their backs are insured. These are sub-units of reconnaissance, whose task is to see if the area has been mined. As it turns out, he's clean.
So the first vehicles appear on the another shore. Today, before the Oder, forces will cross 17 The Wielkopolska Mechanized Brigade reinforced with a tank battalion. “We will guide the crossing on 5 axes,” says Colonel Jan Rokicki from 11th Lublin Armored Cavalry Division. The maneuvers are part of the exercise "Fighting Beaver '25".
The first wheeled armored transporters enter the water Rosomac. These wagons can swim, but they should be decently secured before they enter the water. - all vehicle undergoes a leak test. For this purpose, inside it we effort to make hypertension – explains 1 of the drivers of Rosomak. As he adds, if this works, soldiers gain assurance that there are no gaps in the structure that could penetrate the water. “But if any leaks occur, we have bilge pumps in the vehicle,” the driver adds.
However, that is not all - before the crossing itself we besides install peculiar plates, which cover air intakes to the engine – explains the soldier. And he adds that crossing the river itself is not peculiarly complicated. However, it requires the crew to focus. “First of all, the vehicle must be manoeuvred so that it cannot be lifted by the current,” she notes.
Meanwhile, the first Rosomaks scope the shore on which we stand. A fewer twelve meters further, floating self-propelled transporters land. - They've got troops on board. For safety reasons, they do not flow inside transporters, and they will take their seats only after the crossing, says Colonel Rokicki.
However, it will not happen immediately. For now, the Rosomaki are moving ahead, protecting themselves behind the hull of the cars that are moving forward. The area is surrounded by smokes that are expected to hide the movements of the subdivisions. The fight against the enemy continues. - The task of motorized subdivisions is to capture and keep the footholds. The troops of the second throw should grow the area, break the opposition of the opponent and start the attack – explains Colonel Rokicki.
The second throw consists primarily of armoured sub-units. The first Leopards appeared on the another bank. On its tower was mounted a special, 4.5 metres tall chimney, on which the commander sits top. He communicates with the crew. It's crucial due to the fact that the tank will cross the river and drive at its bottom. By the time he reaches the another bank, his driver will see virtually nothing. He can only trust on the commander's instructions.
Leopard enters Odra and almost completely disappears underwater. For a long time we see only the top of the tower and the chimney mentioned. Finally, the vehicle successfully reaches its destination. After that, another tank repeats the maneuver.
However, not all will cross in this way. any usage the floating M3 bridge. The equipment was brought by German soldiers from 130 crossing battalion. The bridge was planted on the amphibious, which enters the water and develops the complex elements of the structure so far. The next vehicle behaves similarly. A fewer minutes later, the floating parts of the bridge are connected. 2 Leopards enter the M3, which are passed through the Oder. Then the Rosomaki cross a akin road.
Germany is not the only allies who participate in the crossing. The French of the 31st Castelsarrasin Engineering Regiment brought with them a motorized PFM crossing bridge. "Here they usage it to decision logistics and support vehicles," Colonel Rokicki informs.
The crossing in Krosno Odzański lasted a full of an hr and a half. "This is the culmination of a long period of preparation," he emphasises General Dyw Piotr FajkowskiCommander 11 LDKPanc. Now the sub-chapters will make a march to the field in Hungary. "There they will recreate readiness and then lead a maneuvering defense, delaying the opponent's march into our territory and trying to inflict as much harm as possible to yet bring about the collapse of his attack," added Gen. Fajkowski.
From Krosna Odrzański to Wędrzyn, tanks and armoured transporters will decision through the alleged Hannibal Road, which runs through forests and fields. A fewer days earlier, a akin task was carried out by the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade. At the time, however, the goal was to camp in Świętoszów, where they are now operating.
"The brave beaver '25' is the largest test of this year's Lubuian division. It is intended to test her ability to rapidly spread eastward and loosen the fighting tactical compounds there.
