The Original Plan at Ramelle.

If I recall correctly, their orders were to hold the bridge at all costs, in case the Allies needed it for tanks and other vehicles to pass through (intact bridges are always valuable in war). Only as a last resort would they blow it up, in order to stop the Germans from taking the bridge and using it in a flanking attack on the Allied forces.

this film was criticsized when it realease for this.

they small team are going to hold bridge against SS panzer division? are they insanes?

it like stupid scene early in film when wall break and german soldier are just relaxing behind wall... likes they cant hear american soldier right outside hahahaha. it is there just to have a stupid suspence scene. make no sense.

this film is stupid. speilberg cannot director war or actions. cheese.

You have to remember that the battle of Normandy was chaotic and full of disorganised mixed units that were struggling to communicate in the aftermath of D-Day. This went on for months. It wouldn't have been unusual for an understength unit to be tasked with holding a bridge simply because so many paratroopers and forces coming from the beaches were in a state of disarray despite D-Day being a successful invasion. Just watch Band Of Brothers for an idea of how the fighting was chaotic, sporadic and disorganised in the weeks following the landings.