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

July 12, 1944 Mission to Chiavari Railroad Bridge (Alternate)

Squadron War Diary

Group HQ Foiled by smoke screen over the Ferrara Railroad bridge the first mission went to its alternate, the Zoagli Railroad bridge with satisfactory results.. The second mission met with excellent results over the Ferrara Road bridge. On this mission a photo ship lagging behind the formation was jumped by at least 12 Enemy fighters. The ship escaped unscathed but the gunners [Harold E. Winjum & Wallace E. MacRitche] have to their credit one destroyed and one probable. This same ship in the afternoon mission over Ferrara Railroad bridge, a repeat of the morning's mission, incurred motor trouble and was ditched out at sea on route home. [The author being somewhat removed from events got some details wrong. See Addendum at end of this Diary for more details on this incident.] The two gunners, the same gunners on the morning mission misunderstanding instructions bailed out rather than wait for ditching. Their chutes were seen to open and the men were seen to be afloat, but the men could not be later found by Air Sea Rescue who, through mistake, had been notified of this after considerable delay. The remaining five crew men however utilizing the dinghy were safely picked up.

486th Not assigned to this mission.

487th There were two targets for twelve planes of the 487th squadron this morning. Ferrara road bridge was the primary and Chivari the alternate. The first box laid down a compact pattern which crossed the center of the primary target scoring several direct hits. 2nd box bombed beyond and to the right of alternate possibly crossing the east approach of the bridge. Smoke screen was used quite effectively at the primary.

Approximately 10 F.W. 190's were observed in the vicinity of Porto Maggiore which attacked the last box in the flight. Heavy, moderate but inaccurate flak of the barrage type was encountered although it only holed one plane.

488th Not assigned to this mission.

489th Not assigned to this mission.

Target in 1944

Target Today

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Squadron	War Diary
Group HQ	Foiled by smoke screen over the Ferrara Railroad bridge the first mission went to its alternate, the Zoagli Railroad bridge with satisfactory results.. The second mission met with excellent results over the Ferrara Road bridge. On this mission a photo ship lagging behind the formation was jumped by at least 12 Enemy fighters. The ship escaped unscathed but the gunners [Harold E. Winjum & Wallace E. MacRitche] have to their credit one destroyed and one probable. This same ship in the afternoon mission over Ferrara Railroad bridge, a repeat of the morning's mission, incurred motor trouble and was ditched out at sea on route home. [The author being somewhat removed from events got some details wrong. See Addendum at end of this Diary for more details on this incident.] The two gunners, the same gunners on the morning mission misunderstanding instructions bailed out rather than wait for ditching. Their chutes were seen to open and the men were seen to be afloat, but the men could not be later found by Air Sea Rescue who, through mistake, had been notified of this after considerable delay. The remaining five crew men however utilizing the dinghy were safely picked up.
486th	Not assigned to this mission.
487th	There were two targets for twelve planes of the 487th squadron this morning. Ferrara road bridge was the primary and Chivari the alternate. The first box laid down a compact pattern which crossed the center of the primary target scoring several direct hits. 2nd box bombed beyond and to the right of alternate possibly crossing the east approach of the bridge. Smoke screen was used quite effectively at the primary. Approximately 10 F.W. 190's were observed in the vicinity of Porto Maggiore which attacked the last box in the flight. Heavy, moderate but inaccurate flak of the barrage type was encountered although it only holed one plane.
488th	Not assigned to this mission.
489th	Not assigned to this mission.

Target in 1944

Target Today
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Crew Lists and Mission Reports

Operations Orders
Operations

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

None available.

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