| APO-520 | US ARMY |
| S-2 NARRATIVE REPORT | |
| MISSION DATE: MAY 19, 1944 | ||||||||||||
|
MISSION NBR. 69 TARGET: Spezia, Italy - Railroad Installations I. CHRONOLOGY Forty B-24's took off at 0551-0625 hours to bomb Spezia Railroad Installations. One returned early. Thirty-eight dropped 94.5 tons of 500 lb G.P. bombs on target at 1018 hours from 21,000 - 22,500 feet. Two jettisoned .5 tons in sea a few minutes after target time due to rack malfunctions. None lost. One crashed landed in sea fifty yards offshore at Naples. None at friendly airdrome. II. ROUTE AND ASSAULT Rendezvoused with the 449th Bomb Group over Manduria at 4000 feet at 0638 hours; with other Wing Groups on course to San Vito D' Normanni along rendezvous line Manduria to San Vito D' Normanni at 0644 hours. No specific rendezvous was made with escort but 15 to 60 P-38's, P-47's and P-51's acted as corridor escort and were sighted enroute to target, on penetration and on withdrawal. Continued on course to I.P. where right turn was made and target attacked on an axis of 68 degrees. Rallied left and continued on briefed course till adverse weather changed course to Capri to base. III. RESULTS A heavy pall of smoke and a light cloud layer so obscured the northeast marshalling yard that the First Attack Unit was forced to run on the same target assigned the Second Attack Unit which was the marshalling yard at the south end of the oil storage area. Photo coverage of the results showed hits on the gas works, a very heavy concentration on the marshalling yard southwest of the oil storage area and the choke point extending to the northeast, many hits on the south side of the oil storage area hitting a least three storage tanks and causing a great explosion and fire and bursts in buildings adjacent to the marshalling yard. There was a heavy concentration on the railroad overpass at south end of oil storage area and on marshalling yard at north end of commercial port. The dock areas were also hit and there was possibility of strikes on the power station. Many fires were observed by the crews over the entire designated area as the formation rallied left. IV. ENEMY RESISTANCE A. Fighters: None observed or encountered. B. Flak: Over target this Group experienced moderate, inaccurate heavy flak whose bursts were mainly black with some scattered grey. On the route back the Group was led over Anzio and a ship in the harbor was observed firing at the formations presumably due to a misunderstanding of signals. This flak was scant, inaccurate heavy. None of our ships were holed. V. OBSERVATIONS At 0950 hours from 10,000 feet one B-24 was observed coming from the Italian Coast, joined formation for about five minutes and then left, heading back from the coast. At 1113 hours from 10,000 feet on B-24 (silver color) was observed partially burned on an emergency landing field at Pranosa Island. At 1015 hours from 21,5000 feet considerable activity was observed in La Speaia Harbor and seven large merchant vessels were seen. In friendly waters some activity was noted in shipping and several naval vessels were seen apparently heading for Anzio. VI. CASUALTIES Aircraft #805 crashed landed in sea 50 yards off coast of Naples
|