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

October 15, 1944 Mission to Ronco Scrivia Railroad Bridge

Squadron War Diary

340th HQ Diary Primary target for today the Galliate Road bridge was successfully hit. So, too, was the alternate, the Ronca Scriva bridge. A nickeling mission dropping most recent editions of Frontpost in the Bologna area was also successfully carried out.

486th Not assigned to this mission

487th Fair weather conditions finally enabled us to get in a mission, although not a completely successful one. At 09:08 hours, fifteen of our aircraft took off to bomb a road and railroad bridge at Largenta, Italy, with the railroad bridge at Ronco Scrivia as the alternate target. due to complete could coverage over primary target, the alternate target was attacked at 11:25 hours. This target was also obscured by clouds and the 2nd box did not drop its bombs. The 1st box bombed the choke point at the southern end of the Ronco Scrivia M/Y with the pattern extending approximately halfway across the choke point. On this mission 30x1000 lb. bombs were dropped and the balance of the load was brought back. Heavy, slight and fairly moderate ack-ack fire was encountered over the primary target, but no damage was inflicted on our planes. Ack-ack over the alternate target was Nil - all planes and crews returned safely to the base.

488th 100% received on Ronco Scriva rail bridge, Italy. 2 planes went on a nickeling mission [pamphlet drop] in the afternoon.

489th Not assigned to this mission

Target in 1944

Target Today

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

Squadron	War Diary
340th HQ Diary	Primary target for today the Galliate Road bridge was successfully hit. So, too, was the alternate, the Ronca Scriva bridge. A nickeling mission dropping most recent editions of Frontpost in the Bologna area was also successfully carried out.
486th	Not assigned to this mission
487th	Fair weather conditions finally enabled us to get in a mission, although not a completely successful one. At 09:08 hours, fifteen of our aircraft took off to bomb a road and railroad bridge at Largenta, Italy, with the railroad bridge at Ronco Scrivia as the alternate target. due to complete could coverage over primary target, the alternate target was attacked at 11:25 hours. This target was also obscured by clouds and the 2nd box did not drop its bombs. The 1st box bombed the choke point at the southern end of the Ronco Scrivia M/Y with the pattern extending approximately halfway across the choke point. On this mission 30x1000 lb. bombs were dropped and the balance of the load was brought back. Heavy, slight and fairly moderate ack-ack fire was encountered over the primary target, but no damage was inflicted on our planes. Ack-ack over the alternate target was Nil - all planes and crews returned safely to the base.
488th	100% received on Ronco Scriva rail bridge, Italy. 2 planes went on a nickeling mission [pamphlet drop] in the afternoon.
489th	Not assigned to this mission

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

487th Squadron

488th 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