The next set of photographs were labeled "First vehicle fell in with no vehicles on bridge" This was likely in mid-late July, 1944. In his “History Sketch 157th Engineer © Bn.” memoir, Major, CE Harry C. Davis wrote about the bridge: “The only engineer work done so far in this move was the installation of a Bailey Bridge over a blown span of a multiple arch bridge. The bridge withstood traffic all night and collapsed the following day with no vehicle on it. Reason: No provision had been made for horizontal forces and the dead weight on the bridge caused it to collapse. A lesson was learned here that was never forgotten; an arch bridge (keystone), once the series of arches are broken, must be braced against itself to prevent its collapsing from its own weight on a horizontal movement”.
First vehicle fell in with no vehicles on bridge (1 of 4)
First vehicle fell in with no vehicles on bridge (2 of 4)
First vehicle fell in with no vehicles on bridge (3 of 4)
First vehicle fell in with no vehicles on bridge (4 of 4)