address>MISSION DATE: August 7, 1944
MISSION NBR. 116
TARGET: Alibunar, Yugoslavia
- Airdrome
I. CHRONOLOGY
Twenty-seven
B-24's took off at 0545-0628 hours to bomb the Alibunar Airdrome. One returned early. Twenty-six flew over the target and
twenty-five dropped 57.96 tons of 120 fragmentation clusters instantaneously fused in target area
at 1008 hours from 19,000 – 20,000 feet.
Five aircraft jettisoned 4.33 tons in the Adriatic due to rack
malfunctions and one aircraft returned .06 tons to base. Twenty-six retuned to base at 1208
hours. None lost. None missing. None at friendly fields.
II. ROUTE AND ASSAULT
Rendezvoused
with the 98th Bomb Group at San Vito on course at 0704 hours at 8000
feet thence to target and returned to home base as briefed: base to San Vito to
turnpoint Scredo Isle 43.05N-16.42E
to Livno 43.50N-17.00E
to Bohonye 46.24N-17.23E
to keypoint Czeze 46.46N-18.38E
to Initial Point Petrovgrad 45.23N-20.24E
from which target was attacked on an axis of 126 degrees from 19,000 – 20,000
feet at 1008 hours. The formation rallied
right and proceeded to Grocka 44.40N-20.43E to Ragusa to base. No escort was provided.
The weather enroute varied from 3/10 to 6/10 scattered cumulus at 18,000
feet. At the target 3/10 cumulus
prevailed at 13,000 feet. On return
route scattered cumulus up to 25,000 feet.
III. RESULTS
The
lead attack unit dropped their bombs approximately 2500 feet to the right of
the target area into open fields.
Vertical cameras were able to photograph only a few of the bursts due to
the great amount of trail. Oblique
photos indicated the probability that the main concentration was short of the
target. A number of bombs were observed
to strike in the town of Alibunar and a fire resulted. Of the 38-45 aircraft reported present on
the airdrome none were assessed as damaged.
Bombardier's
Combat Mission Report: The
formation squared away at the I.P. and drifted left on the run to the
target. The lead bombardier picked up
the target and gave a correction to the pilot over the interphone, the
correction was to large and before he could turn back the release point was
reached. The bombs landed 2500 feet to
the right of the aiming point. Reason
for failure was poor coordination between the bombardier and navigator and nose
turret operator. The Second Attack Unit leader was changed when the lead ship
did not get off the ground. Number 4
took over the lead. The bombardier was
mediocre, the bombs dropped 4500 feet short and the pattern extended to with in
2000 feet of the target. K-20 photos
show similar terrain features, a lake, square town and a clearing similar to
the actual target. It is believed the
bombardier identified the wrong target.
A photo strip extending farther back may have prevented this mistake as
we were unaware of this similarity until our photos revealed it.
IV.
ENEMY RESISTANCE
A. Fighters: No enemy aircraft were observed or encountered.
B. Flak: The Group experienced only one flak burst over the target. It was low and black and of unknown
type. Flak was observed at two other
places: at Stari-Becej,
45.30N-20.03E, slight, inaccurate and heavy. At
46.46N-18.38E southwest of Czeze, slight, accurate and heavy.
V.
OBSERVATIONS
At
0920 hours from 18,000 feet, long white trenches, 4000-5000 feet in length were
observed at 46.40N-17.30E. One of our crews with experience with 8th
Air Force believed these trenches to be rocket launching platforms similar to
those in the Pas-de-Calais area.
At
0945 hours from 20,000 feet, a small number of aircraft of unknown type were
observed on airdrome at Sombor 45.45N-19.07E. At 1008
hours over the target (AlibunarL/G) from 19,000 feet, 38-45 aircraft observed
in dispersal areas. At 1010 hours form
20,000 feet at Petrovgrad 45.23N-20.21E,
28 twin-engine aircraft, 5-10 single engine and several four engine silver
aircraft with Davis type wing and twin tails, believed to be B-24's observed on
airdrome. At 1012 hours from 21,000
feet, 220 three engine aircraft and 20 aircraft of unknown type on airdrome at
Neazina 45.20N-20.46E. At 1025 hours from 19,000 feet 50 aircraft
on ramps and 6-7 aircraft on airdromes combined, observed at the two airdromes
at Belgrade.
At
0848 hours from 18,000 feet 200 cars in marshalling yard at Novska. At 0903 hours from 20,000 feet the Dorpedac
marshalling yard was observed, loaded with traffic and very active. At 0952 hours from 21,000 feet 150-200 cars
were observed in the Suotica marshalling yard 46.06N-19.42E.
At 0950 hours from 19,000 feet, 30 barges on Danube River at Varva 46.10N-18.58E. At 1027 hours from 21,000 feet 200-300 cars
in marshalling yard at Amederevo 44.04N-20.56E.
Slight
jamming on VHF occurred near Lake Balaton.
Believed to have been from a distant station.
VI. CASUALTIES
None from any source.
VII FLIGHT LEADERS:
Davis Bozzo Jeff Carlson