Editing Bailey bridge (section)

=== Use in the Second World War ===
[[File:The_British_Army_in_Italy,_1944_TR2612.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.3|Allied military traffic crosses a Bailey bridge, spanning a damaged section of a masonry [[arch bridge]]. At the same time, local workers are rebuilding the original bridge. Italy 1944]]
The first operational Bailey bridge during the [[World War II|Second World War]] was built by 237 Field Company R.E. over [[Medjerda River]] near [[Medjez el Bab]] in [[Tunisia]] on the night of 26 November 1942.{{Sfn|Harpur|1991|p=69}} The first Bailey bridge built under fire was constructed at [[Leonforte]] by members of the 3rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/equipment/engineerequipment/baileybridge.htm|title=Bailey Bridge|date=2010-11-27|publisher=Canadiansoldiers.com|access-date=2011-09-11}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=November 2018}} The Americans soon adopted the Bailey bridge technique, calling it the '''Portable Panel Bridge'''. In early 1942, the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] initially awarded contracts to the Detroit Steel Products Company, the American Elevator Company and the Commercial Shearing and Stamping Company, and later several others.{{Sfn|Harpur|1991|p=87}}

The Bailey provided a solution to the problem of German and Italian armies destroying bridges as they retreated. By the end of the war, the [[US Fifth Army]] and [[British 8th Army]] had built over 3,000 Bailey bridges in [[Sicily]] and [[Italy]] alone, totaling over {{convert|55|mi|km}} of bridge, at an average length of {{convert|100|ft|m}}. One Bailey, built to replace the [[Sangro River]] bridge in Italy, spanned {{convert|1126|ft|m}}. Another on the [[Chindwin River]] in [[Burma]], spanned {{convert|1154|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=Defeat Into Victory|last=Slim|first=William|publisher=Cassell|year=1956|isbn=978-0-304-29114-4|page=359}}</ref> Such long bridges required support from either piers or [[Float (nautical)|pontoons]].<ref name="warillustrated">{{cite journal|date=January 19, 1945|title=How the Army's Amazing Bailey Bridge is Built|url=http://www.thewarillustrated.info/198/how-the-armys-amazing-bailey-bridge-is-built.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403095316/http://www.thewarillustrated.info/198/how-the-armys-amazing-bailey-bridge-is-built.asp|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 3, 2008|journal=The War Illustrated|volume=8|issue=198|page=564|access-date=2011-09-11}}</ref>

A number of bridges were available by 1944 for [[D-Day]], when [[British Cellophane Ltd|production]] was accelerated. The US also licensed the design and started rapid construction for their own use. A Bailey Bridge constructed over the [[Rhine|River Rhine]] at [[Rees, Germany]], in 1945 by the [[Canadian Military Engineers|Royal Canadian Engineers]] was named "Blackfriars Bridge", and, at 558&nbsp;m (1814&nbsp;ft) including the ramps at each end, was then the longest Bailey bridge ever constructed.<ref name="CMEA">{{cite web|url=https://cmea-agmc.ca/heritage-moment/blackfriars-bridge-longest-bailey-bridge-world|title=Blackfriars Bridge – Longest Bailey Bridge in the World|website=Canadian Military Engineers Association|access-date=12 November 2017}}</ref> In all, over 600 firms were involved in the making of over 200 miles of bridges composing of 500,000 tons, or 700,000 panels of bridging during the war. At least 2,500 Bailey bridges were built in Italy, and another 2,000 elsewhere.{{Sfn|Joshi|2008|p=30}}{{Sfn|Harpur|1991|p=|pp=48–50}}

[[Field Marshal]] [[Bernard Montgomery]] wrote in 1947:{{Blockquote|Bailey Bridging made an immense contribution towards ending World War II. As far as my own operations were concerned, with the eighth Army in Italy and with the [[British 21st Army Group|21 Army Group]] in [[Western Front (World War II)#1944 – 1945|North West Europe]], I could never have maintained the speed and tempo of forward movement without large supplies of Bailey Bridging.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mabey.com/bailey.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615101506/http://www.mabey.com/bailey.html |publisher=Mabey Bridge and Shore |title=Bailey Bridge |archive-date=2007-06-15 |access-date=2011-09-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/equipotheritems.htm |title=Other Equipment Used By The 7th Armoured Division |publisher=Btinternet.com |access-date=2011-09-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813232737/http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/equipotheritems.htm |archive-date=August 13, 2010 }}</ref>}}