The Snapshots in Time Collection

Severed Bridge Approach and Abutment Gap, Luzon, Philippines, World War II

Severed Bridge Approach and Abutment Gap, Luzon, Philippines, World War II

A precisely targeted demolition severed this bridge at its junction with the abutment, leaving the approach span intact but the crossing impassable. Japanese engineers frequently used this technique during their 1945 retreat through Luzon, destroying the critical connecting point of a bridge rather than the entire structure to delay pursuing American forces while conserving explosives. Project: 218437