Slitherine

BE have high defense stats, strange

Bridge engineers has relatively high defense stats, but they are not the only ones. Grenadiers share those stats as well. That said, Gebirgsjaeger has the highest AD of 18, although its GD is 7.

Bridge Engineer GD: 8; AD: 17
Grenadier/ 43 Grenadier GD: 8; AD: 17

Wehr Inf/ 43 Wehr Inf GD: 8, AD: 16
Gebirgsjaeger/ 43 Gebirgsjaeger GD: 7, AD: 18

Oleh Dir makes a good bridge engineer, especially with a good D or A hero. There's not many scenarios where you really need a bridgie, but on the few you do, he's cheap, doesn't need transport and can fight OK.
If playing on very restricted prestige it might be better to deploy a normal one rather than convert Oleh to bridgie and back, but you'd have to pay for transport so the net gain isn't as good as you'd think.
I must admit to liking the British HW as they are about as good as grenadieren but with 6 ammo instead of 5, and I don't like running low.