340th Bomb Group History

340th Bombardment Group History

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

September 17, 1944 Mission to Rimini Gun & Troop Area

Squadron War Diary

340th HQ Diary From all evidence it seems this Group is the best damned Group there is with little question raised. Lt. General Eaker recently wrote a letter to Colonel Chapman commending him and this Group for its monumental performance. The Colonel well satisfied and proud of this commendation had a general distribution throughout the Group of this letter made and attached thereto an equally as fine letter of gratitude and appreciation for the men's outstanding performance...... Group's mission again took in troop concentrations and gun positions in the Rimini area. A mixed load of bombs was dropped of 500 lb demos [demolition] and fragmentation bombs. The bombs were accurately placed in the heart of the area, but unfortunately due to bombing officer's error, the bombing interval was made too close so consequently there was not sufficient spread as to completely submerge the area as otherwise would have been the case.

486th The morning mission supported the Gothic Line attack. Results were 100%.

487th 08:35 hours was take off time for twelve crews of this Squadron. Target was troop concentrations west of Rimini, Italy. Both boxes extended through the target in the center and immediately west of center. Ack-ack coming from west of Rimini was accurate and succeeded in holing five ships. 7N was hit and forced landed at Fano. One engine and gas tank was shot out which made it a pretty touchy landing although no one was wounded. Crew members of the downed ship were picked up immediately by another plane and brought back at which time they started a search for Capt. Kendall to tell him "They had it." Two day s ago the same crew made a crash landing.

488th Two missions to gun positions and troop concentrations at Rimini, Italy. Heavy, intense and accurate ack-ack. Five out of twelve planes holed. 8K, piloted by Lt. Lacey, landed on Grosseto A/D in Italy. Everyone O.K. with the exception of the co-pilot. The flak affected him mentally. 'Doc' Marino took him to the hospital at Ajaccio. The bombardier, Sgt. Correll, was the hero of the mission as he helped land the plane in place of the co-pilot. 8C came home on a single engine. Sgt. Jack Wimmer, our prop specialist and one of the best, had a slight mishap when he put an S-20 prop on 8E, Sgt. Green and Alberts plane. Jack said, "It looked kind of funny to me but I didn't think anything of it until I had it on. Then I discovered my mistake."

489th The September 1944 diary is missing.

Target in 1944

Target Today

Squadron	War Diary
340th HQ Diary	From all evidence it seems this Group is the best damned Group there is with little question raised. Lt. General Eaker recently wrote a letter to Colonel Chapman commending him and this Group for its monumental performance. The Colonel well satisfied and proud of this commendation had a general distribution throughout the Group of this letter made and attached thereto an equally as fine letter of gratitude and appreciation for the men's outstanding performance...... Group's mission again took in troop concentrations and gun positions in the Rimini area. A mixed load of bombs was dropped of 500 lb demos [demolition] and fragmentation bombs. The bombs were accurately placed in the heart of the area, but unfortunately due to bombing officer's error, the bombing interval was made too close so consequently there was not sufficient spread as to completely submerge the area as otherwise would have been the case.
486th	The morning mission supported the Gothic Line attack. Results were 100%.
487th	08:35 hours was take off time for twelve crews of this Squadron. Target was troop concentrations west of Rimini, Italy. Both boxes extended through the target in the center and immediately west of center. Ack-ack coming from west of Rimini was accurate and succeeded in holing five ships. 7N was hit and forced landed at Fano. One engine and gas tank was shot out which made it a pretty touchy landing although no one was wounded. Crew members of the downed ship were picked up immediately by another plane and brought back at which time they started a search for Capt. Kendall to tell him "They had it." Two day s ago the same crew made a crash landing.
488th	Two missions to gun positions and troop concentrations at Rimini, Italy. Heavy, intense and accurate ack-ack. Five out of twelve planes holed. 8K, piloted by Lt. Lacey, landed on Grosseto A/D in Italy. Everyone O.K. with the exception of the co-pilot. The flak affected him mentally. 'Doc' Marino took him to the hospital at Ajaccio. The bombardier, Sgt. Correll, was the hero of the mission as he helped land the plane in place of the co-pilot. 8C came home on a single engine. Sgt. Jack Wimmer, our prop specialist and one of the best, had a slight mishap when he put an S-20 prop on 8E, Sgt. Green and Alberts plane. Jack said, "It looked kind of funny to me but I didn't think anything of it until I had it on. Then I discovered my mistake."
489th	The September 1944 diary is missing.

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

On the crew list for the 488th Bomb Squadron below, the bombardier
in plane 8J (First Mission) is listed as 1st Lt. J. Heller. This is Joseph Heller, the
author of the novel Catch-22.

486th Squadron

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