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When I interviewed Lawrence Belmont about the late June 1944 movements of Headquarters and A Battery of the 225th, he invariably talked about their convoy “running the gauntlet” through the town of Carentan and across the old stone bridges over four rivers – the Madeleine, Douve, Groult, and Jourdan – on the causeway leading to Sainte-Come-du-Mont and points north.

The strategic value of Carentan as the hub of a road network was clear since it was on the direct route to Cherbourg in the north, to St. Lo in the south, and to Caen in the east. 

Carentan (with bridges over two other waterways, the Carentan Canal and the river Taute) and the four bridges had been zeroed in by German artillery batteries, and “driving like Hell” up the N13 highway was de rigueur for the drivers of the battalion’s vehicles, which included deuce-and-a-halves, smaller trucks, weapons carriers, jeeps, and numerous trailers.

The four bridges are numbered 17-20 at upper right on this 1943 1:25000 map of the area around Carentan compiled by Company B
of the 660th Engineers that was updated with the locations of German defenses and other features as of May 1944.
An enlargement of the area showing the bridges.
Map No. 16 from Utah Beach to Cherbourg (Historical Division, War Department, Washington, DC, 1948), with the four bridges
on the causeway clearly marked. The dashed lines represent the flooded areas over which the causeway (Highway N13) ran.
The Carentan Causeway (Highway N13) looking south toward Carentan showing Bridges 2-4. The network of canals and drainage ditches along the lower Douve River is clearly visible, along with the flooded fields to either side of the road.
The Carentan Causeway (Highway N13) looking north toward Sainte-Come-du-Mont showing all four bridges. The Jourdan and Groult rivers appear as only faint lines cutting across the landscape.
Written by R.D. Cready and R.H. Bryant, Headquarters Company,
502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Lawrence too thought of the heroes of Purple Heart Lane as he learned of their story years later.

The Carentan Bridges

The 225th’s convoy moved from the Omaha Beach area to the Utah Beach area via Carentan …

The map shows the location of a tight grouping of three bridges over two waterways, i.e., a double Bailey bridge (blue star) next to a wooden bridge (later named “Tucker Bridge”) (green star) over the Taute River and an existing stone bridge (red star) over the Carentan Canal. South of these bridges in June 1944, a fourth bridge, this one a pontoon bridge (marked “P”), was constructed
by U.S engineers. Further south still was located a destroyed railroad bridge that was repaired later that Summer (marked “R”).
The location of the bridges on Map No. 17 from Utah Beach to Cherbourg (Historical Division, War Department,
Washington, DC, 1948),

Double Bailey Bridge

The 110-foot-long double Bailey bridge connecting St. Hilaire Petitville to Carentan over the Taute River, located directly before the stone Rue Gismard Bridge over the Carentan Canal as one headed northwest through the town. A short branch of the canal and Taute are parallel to each other at this location, with a narrow finger of land in between. Between 20 and 28 June, a wooden
bridge would be built next to the Bailey, which had been erected after the Germans knocked out the original stone bridge
on 11 June. U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph.
The site today, with the Bailey bridge replaced by a modern concrete and steel span. A monument to the original (wooden) Tucker Bridge is visible at extreme left; a larger image of the monument appears further below.
The double Bailey under construction; it was completed on 14 June. Still via Critical Past.
One end of the Bailey. Still via Critical Past.
Two officers on the double Bailey bridge watch traffic moving across a pontoon bridge over the Taute.
Note the destroyed railroad bridge carrying the Cherbourg-Paris line in the distance, later rebuilt
by the 729th Railway Operating Battalion. Still via Critical Past.
Two deuce-and-a-halves moving across the steel treadway and pontoon bridge. A Belgian Gate obstacle is visible at center-right. The video directly below depicts this bridge under construction. U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph.

The “Wooden Yokes” Bridge (aka “Tucker Bridge”)

To get onto the Bailey bridge, vehicles had to negotiate a dangerously sharp curve, and accidents were frequent. On 20 June, Company B, 300th Combat Engineer Battalion, started building a “wooden-yoke” replacement with a safer approach right next to the Bailey. On 27 June, Tucker arrived to inspect the 300th’s progress just as the Germans began shelling the bridge, which was, understandably, zeroed in. Tucker refused to take cover and encouraged his men to continue working despite the danger, admonishing them for running for cover, and threatening to court-martial the next man who did. At that moment, he was killed instantly by an exploding artillery round. Fifteen engineers were wounded, four seriously, in the same deadly barrage. The next day, the so-called “Wooden Yokes”
bridge was ready for traffic. Note the deuce-and-a-half crossing the double Bailey bridge behind its wooden brother (which is resting on the abutments of the original stone bridge destroyed by the Germans
earlier in June). Photograph by Riel Crandall, 300th Combat Engineer Battalion.
The “Wooden Yokes” bridge, technically, an 80-foot Class 70 type, 29 June 1944, a day after it was opened for traffic, with the double Bailey at left. Photograph by Riel Crandall, 300th Combat Engineer Battalion.
A French memorial to Tucker, which has the incorrect date he was killed in action at the bridge.
Via LIFE Magazine.
The memorial to John Tucker erected in 2017 next to the modern bridge that replaced the Bailey bridge in 1974 after more than 30 years in service. Note that both the American and French signs memorializing Tucker have
been reproduced on the front of the stele (the French version with the same error noted above).

The Canal Bridge

An MP directs traffic from a sandbagged shelter at the Rue Giesmard–Rue du Canal de junction that sits at one end of the stone bridge over a finger of the Carentan Canal (in the background) and, further on (where the vehicle with the star insignia on the rear), “Tucker Bridge” (the “wooden yokes bridge”) and the Bailey bridge over the Taute River, 5 July 1944.
The MP is waving traffic toward the bridges. U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph.
Location of MP.
Modern view of Carentan (note the flooded areas to the south). Visible in the red circle are the river Taute and Carentan Canal converging and running parallel to each other. The new bridges are apparent as well, although the old stone bridge
over the canal in the photo of the MP above can barely be seen.

The Causeway Bridges

Bridge No. 1

The present-day marker of the river Jourdan, with the modern bridge (blue railing) at left. During the fighting
for control of the Carentan Causeway in 1944, this was known as Bridge No. 1.
The modern bridge carrying the re-oriented N13 highway over the La Jourdan today.
The view is toward Carentan, with Sainte-Come-du-Mont behind the camera.
The original Bridge No. 1 crossed by the 225th in June 1944, to the right of the modern bridge. This is the only bridge of the four wartime bridges still standing on the original stretch of causeway between Carentan and Sainte-Come-du-Mont.
The side opposite the one shown above.

Bridge No. 2

The present day bridge over the river Douve. The wartime bridge, blown by the Germans to impede the American advance, was located behind the sign. The 225th crossed over a temporary span.
The cement footing of the north side of the 1944 bridge is visible in the center of the photo,
with lengths of post-war wooden cladding affixed to it.
As is clear from this photo, the Douve was the widest and deepest of the four rivers, and the obvious choice for demolition by the Germans. The footings of the new bridge are closest to the camera, with that of the 1944 bridge beyond, at right.

Bridge No. 3

Bridge No. 3, spanning the river La Groult.
The Groult is barely two yards wide at this point.

Bridge No. 4

The modern Bridge No. 4 over the river Le Madeleine.
The Madeleine River today, with the modern replacement of Bridge No. 4 at upper right.
Bridge No. 4 over the Madeleine River in 1944, with the Belgian Gate (obstacle) that blocked the road
during the height of the battle for the causeway on 10-11 June.

Most of the contemporary photographs above are culled from WW2TV’s excellent program on “Purple Heart Lane,” the route taken by the 225th later in June 1944 on their way up the Cotentin Peninsula toward Cherbourg. Readers are encouraged to watch this program to learn about the actions in this area on 9-11 June 1944. While the 225th indeed came this way, it was through the actions and sacrifices of the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne (B/502nd) that fought to eliminate the German units threatening Highway N13 that the way was clear for them to do so.