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 15, 1944 Mission to Ferrara Road Bridge

Squadron War Diary
Group HQ Corporal Louis Capawanna in addition to his regularly assigned duties has undertaken combat flying returned today from his sixth mission. Today's mission had as added attraction for Capawanna a belly landing on the home field. He squeezed out of the plane under his own power and walked back to Operations cool as a cucumber, unscathed. Two other ships of the same box were also forced to crash land. What disabled these ships remains a mystery. Flak was too low to do any damage. It is volunteered by the crew members that one of the bombs dropped by this box was hit by flak causing it to burst slightly below the formation. One of the ships' bomb bay doors were shoved up in the bomb bay. All three of the ships in the forward element are now in for salvage. The Ferrara Railroad bridge was again the target with some success. Latest photo recce showing the cumulative effect of our efforts on this bridge indicate two trestles totally destroyed and considerable damage reported on the Road bridge. S/Sgt. Arthur Vandermueller [VanderMeulen], Muskegon, Mich, critically wounded by this exploding bomb died in the hospital later that afternoon.

486th Again today Ferrara was hit twice. The morning flight came back with one serious casualty - Sgt. Keller the radio-gunner was hit in the chest and jaw. Several ships made belly landings and were perforated with flak. Patterns traveled in the target area, but most bombs straddled the bridge.

487th Not assigned to this mission.

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	Corporal Louis Capawanna in addition to his regularly assigned duties has undertaken combat flying returned today from his sixth mission. Today's mission had as added attraction for Capawanna a belly landing on the home field. He squeezed out of the plane under his own power and walked back to Operations cool as a cucumber, unscathed. Two other ships of the same box were also forced to crash land. What disabled these ships remains a mystery. Flak was too low to do any damage. It is volunteered by the crew members that one of the bombs dropped by this box was hit by flak causing it to burst slightly below the formation. One of the ships' bomb bay doors were shoved up in the bomb bay. All three of the ships in the forward element are now in for salvage. The Ferrara Railroad bridge was again the target with some success. Latest photo recce showing the cumulative effect of our efforts on this bridge indicate two trestles totally destroyed and considerable damage reported on the Road bridge. S/Sgt. Arthur Vandermueller [VanderMeulen], Muskegon, Mich, critically wounded by this exploding bomb died in the hospital later that afternoon.
486th	Again today Ferrara was hit twice. The morning flight came back with one serious casualty - Sgt. Keller the radio-gunner was hit in the chest and jaw. Several ships made belly landings and were perforated with flak. Patterns traveled in the target area, but most bombs straddled the bridge.
487th	Not assigned to this mission.
488th	Not assigned to this mission.
489th	Not assigned to this mission.

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

Operations

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