340th Bomb Group History

340th Bombardment Group History

340th BG Patch

340th BG Squadron Insignia
	486th B.S.	487th B.S.	488th B.S.	489th B.S.
	Click on the squadron insignia above for links to digitized squadron histories

March 10, 1944 Mission to Littorio Marshalling Yards

Squadron War Diary

340th HQ Diary There was excitement to burn around group operations office this afternoon. We finally got to Greece today, going out with the 321st to bomb Kalamaki airdrome, Athens. Bad weather forced the 321st to turn back, but our 48 ships went on and hit the runway intersection with demolition bombs and the dispersal areas with fragmentation bombs. It was a marvelous job. Captain Fred C. Eggers of Glendale, Calif., our group photo interpreter, said the raid without a doubt was our most effective operation. The pictures showed destructive precision pattern-bombing at its best. Coming home from the target the fliers had to buck a strong headwind and very nearly came to grief for lack of gas. About five ships landed on fields closer to the coast than our own in order to refuel. 2nd Lt. Charles Barnett of the 489th ran out of gas as he hit the coast, so he feathered one propeller. On his final approach the other engine sputtered out, but by cool, excellent work brought the ship in on a mile long glide with little or no power. 2nd Lt. Hampton of the 489th almost did the same thing, coming with a feathered prop the last few miles. Well, the boys finally go to Greece.

486th The March 1944 War Diary of the 486th is missing from the record.

487th The March 1944 War Diary of the 487th is missing from the record.

488th Mission to Littorio Marshalling Yards. A mess. Ran into flak. Two ships of the 486th collided, but got back to the field. One of ours in the box following, to duck the collision, dove and when it pulled up, two of the thousand pound bombs pulled loose and went through the bomb-bay doors.

Col. Jones, riding co-pilot with another of the 486th, went down North of Rome. Five 'chutes were seen--there were seven in the ship of which Capt. Swope was pilot. Col. Jones will be a tremendous loss to the Group which he was just whipping into its old time condition of morale and efficiency.

Diary entry for March 12, 1944:

Axis Sal last night reported the Colonel and four others as prisoners of war.

489th The Avengers Group re-visited the Littorio M/Y at Rome, which we so successfully bombed on Tuesday. This mission, too, from a bombing stand-point, was probably successful. But a virtual calamity struck the Group - our popular and esteemed CO, Colonel Jones, was shot down. Flying with the 486th Squadron, his plane was hit by flak on the bomb run. It was kept on a level course for a number of minutes after it was hit. - long enough for eight men to get out. Then it nosed over and plunged to the ground in a mass of flames. Why the other two men in the plane failed to get out is unknown. It will probably be a long time before we find out if the colonel was among the five who jumped.

The loss of Colonel Jones has stunned all of us. He was well-liked by everyone. We admired him, because of his affable personality, and because he seemed to possess the qualities of leadership which are expected of a man in his position, but which so often are wanting.

Diary entry for March 13, 1944:

The Deutsches Reich radio recently reported that a B-25, shot down near Rome the other day, contained a 32 year old colonel who was taken prisoner. This was undoubtedly Colonel Jones. In the absence of more definite information, I believe that it is safe to assume that the colonel is alive.

Squadron	War Diary
340th HQ Diary	There was excitement to burn around group operations office this afternoon. We finally got to Greece today, going out with the 321st to bomb Kalamaki airdrome, Athens. Bad weather forced the 321st to turn back, but our 48 ships went on and hit the runway intersection with demolition bombs and the dispersal areas with fragmentation bombs. It was a marvelous job. Captain Fred C. Eggers of Glendale, Calif., our group photo interpreter, said the raid without a doubt was our most effective operation. The pictures showed destructive precision pattern-bombing at its best. Coming home from the target the fliers had to buck a strong headwind and very nearly came to grief for lack of gas. About five ships landed on fields closer to the coast than our own in order to refuel. 2nd Lt. Charles Barnett of the 489th ran out of gas as he hit the coast, so he feathered one propeller. On his final approach the other engine sputtered out, but by cool, excellent work brought the ship in on a mile long glide with little or no power. 2nd Lt. Hampton of the 489th almost did the same thing, coming with a feathered prop the last few miles. Well, the boys finally go to Greece.
486th	The March 1944 War Diary of the 486th is missing from the record.
487th	The March 1944 War Diary of the 487th is missing from the record.
488th	Mission to Littorio Marshalling Yards. A mess. Ran into flak. Two ships of the 486th collided, but got back to the field. One of ours in the box following, to duck the collision, dove and when it pulled up, two of the thousand pound bombs pulled loose and went through the bomb-bay doors. Col. Jones, riding co-pilot with another of the 486th, went down North of Rome. Five 'chutes were seen--there were seven in the ship of which Capt. Swope was pilot. Col. Jones will be a tremendous loss to the Group which he was just whipping into its old time condition of morale and efficiency. Diary entry for March 12, 1944: Axis Sal last night reported the Colonel and four others as prisoners of war.
489th	The Avengers Group re-visited the Littorio M/Y at Rome, which we so successfully bombed on Tuesday. This mission, too, from a bombing stand-point, was probably successful. But a virtual calamity struck the Group - our popular and esteemed CO, Colonel Jones, was shot down. Flying with the 486th Squadron, his plane was hit by flak on the bomb run. It was kept on a level course for a number of minutes after it was hit. - long enough for eight men to get out. Then it nosed over and plunged to the ground in a mass of flames. Why the other two men in the plane failed to get out is unknown. It will probably be a long time before we find out if the colonel was among the five who jumped. The loss of Colonel Jones has stunned all of us. He was well-liked by everyone. We admired him, because of his affable personality, and because he seemed to possess the qualities of leadership which are expected of a man in his position, but which so often are wanting. Diary entry for March 13, 1944: The Deutsches Reich radio recently reported that a B-25, shot down near Rome the other day, contained a 32 year old colonel who was taken prisoner. This was undoubtedly Colonel Jones. In the absence of more definite information, I believe that it is safe to assume that the colonel is alive.

Personal Accounts of the Mission:

Author Personal Account

Joe (Spider) McCormick In the Summer 2010 issue of the 57th Bombwing Newsletter Joe McCormick, 486th Squadron, recalled this day:

Missions were short, supporting the ANZIO INVASION. Some missions were flown at 5,000 feet -- 5 seconds to time the flak is not good.

I was scheduled to fly copilot with Lt. Swope on the group lead on one mission and at the last minute the group commander, Col. Jones, bumped me. They were lost over the target.

Target in 1944

Target Today

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Author	Personal Account
Joe (Spider) McCormick	In the Summer 2010 issue of the 57th Bombwing Newsletter Joe McCormick, 486th Squadron, recalled this day: Missions were short, supporting the ANZIO INVASION. Some missions were flown at 5,000 feet -- 5 seconds to time the flak is not good. I was scheduled to fly copilot with Lt. Swope on the group lead on one mission and at the last minute the group commander, Col. Jones, bumped me. They were lost over the target.

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

487th Squadron

488th Squadron


489th Squadron

340th BG Squadron Insignia
	486th B.S.	487th B.S.	488th B.S.	489th B.S.
	Click on the squadron insignia above for links to digitized squadron histories