Cernovda RR bridge

[James A Pratt III]

I would like to know if the Cernovoda/ King Carol I/ Anghel Saligny Railroad bridge was damaged by air attack in both world wars. The book "From Barbarossa to Odessa Vol 2 p122 has it damaged on 10 Aug 41 by a 250 Kg bomb was it damaged on other dates by air attack?

During WW I in Sept 1916 the Germans claimed to destroyed it by air attack. Considering the size of the bridge and about the largest bomb they had was in the 300 kg range I find this sort of doubtfull. The Central Powers troops when they reached the bridge found a span down. Possibly do to the Rumanians or Russians blowing it up. Any help would be welcome.

[edwest2]

A news report published at the time claimed the bridge was blown up by retreating Romanian troops. Not quite true. Another account:


The destruction of the bridge over the Borcea Arm
The firm intervention by General Averescu saved the Cernavodă Bridge from being destroyed, but the advance of the Central Powers troops across the Danube had to be stopped. For this purpose, it was decided to destroy the secondary bridge, namely the section that crossed the Borcea Arm, which was rigged with demolition charges by the withdrawing Romanian troops, in order to prevent the advancement of the German-Bulgarian troops. The Borcea Bridge was rebuilt in 1921.


I regard the following report as unconfirmed but it does name names which may be helpful. Undated, it appears to be from the Second World War.


https://books.google.com/books?id=qO...bombed&f=false