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

November 4, 1944 Mission to Casale Monferrato Railroad Bridge

Squadron War Diary

340th HQ Diary Finally the monotony of doing nothing was broken as the group successfully attacked bridges at Casale Monferrato and Villafranca d'Asti. Two ships were lost when the lead navigator took the formation over Allessandria. One plane was shot down there [Lost were: Donald H. Rossler, James R. Gittings, Sidney L. Newman, Sgt. Mallicoat, Henry W. Harris, Chester E. Corle] and another was forced to ditch at sea. Of the crew in the latter plane the pilot was drowned, although his body was recovered, and the gunner is missing. [The lost men were 2nd Lt. Bryon D. King and Sgt. James A Burger] The other four crew members were rescued and brought back safely.

486th Not assigned to this mission

487th Not assigned to this mission.

488th Fifteen planes to Casale Monferrato rail bridge, Italy. Got 79% bombing accuracy. Ack-ack was plenty heavy and intense. Seven planes were holed and 8F was ditched about a mile north of the tip of the island.

Lt. King, pilot, was drowned and Sgt. Burger, tail gunner never came up. He must have gone down with the plane. The rest of the crew is in the hospital suffering from exposure. Rommel came back. He wasn't on that 489th plane after all.

489th Not mentioned in diary.

Target in 1944

Target Today

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Squadron	War Diary
340th HQ Diary	Finally the monotony of doing nothing was broken as the group successfully attacked bridges at Casale Monferrato and Villafranca d'Asti. Two ships were lost when the lead navigator took the formation over Allessandria. One plane was shot down there [Lost were: Donald H. Rossler, James R. Gittings, Sidney L. Newman, Sgt. Mallicoat, Henry W. Harris, Chester E. Corle] and another was forced to ditch at sea. Of the crew in the latter plane the pilot was drowned, although his body was recovered, and the gunner is missing. [The lost men were 2nd Lt. Bryon D. King and Sgt. James A Burger] The other four crew members were rescued and brought back safely.
486th	Not assigned to this mission
487th	Not assigned to this mission.
488th	Fifteen planes to Casale Monferrato rail bridge, Italy. Got 79% bombing accuracy. Ack-ack was plenty heavy and intense. Seven planes were holed and 8F was ditched about a mile north of the tip of the island. Lt. King, pilot, was drowned and Sgt. Burger, tail gunner never came up. He must have gone down with the plane. The rest of the crew is in the hospital suffering from exposure. Rommel came back. He wasn't on that 489th plane after all.
489th	Not mentioned in diary.

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

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