5th BW Missions March 1944
March 1
Non operational
March 2 - Troop Concentrations: Anzio, Italy
42 B-17s of the 2nd and 301st Bomb Groups dropped 5814 twenty pound fragmentation bombs on troop concentrations in the Anzio beachhead area (F-851362, CSGS #4164, 1:100,000) at 0824/0834 hours from 19,000/22,000 feet. There were no early returns and no encounters. One B-17 of the 2nd Bomb Group was damaged by flak and forced to ditch. Bomb strike photos show a good concentration of hits in the assigned taret area. It is impossible to determine the extent of damage at the present time.
31 B-17s of the 97th Bomb Group dropped 4464 twenty pound frag bombs at 0824 hours from 20,500 feet on troop concentrations in the Anzio beachhead area (F-857326, CSGS 4164, 1:100,000). There were no encounters and no losses. Bomb strike photos show a good concentration of hits in the assigned taret area.
23 B-17s of the 99th Bomb Group dropped 3600 twenty pound frag bombs on troop concentrations in the Anzio beachhead area (F-841340, CSGS 4164, 1:100,000) at 0833 hours from 22/23,000 feet. There were no encounters and no losses. Assigned target area was well covered.
107 P-38s of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups and 62 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group provided continuous top cover in beachhead area for all bombing missions. Escort encountered no enemy aircraft and had no losses.
March 3 - M/Ys: Rome, Italy
53 B-17s of the 2nd and 99th Bomb Groups dropped 157.25 tons of 500 pound bombs on Rome/Littorio marshalling yards at 1133/1147 hours from 18,200/20,200 feet. No enemy aircraft and no flak was encountered. No losses. Bomb strike photos were partly obscured by clouds but target appeared to be well hit. Of 2,000 cars in the yards, 1,000 were in the north half and bombs fell across this area. The coke point was heavily hit and repair shops and administration buildings were well covered.
55 B-17s of the 301st and 97th Bomb Groups dropped 165 tons of 500 pound bombs on Rome/Tiburtina marshalling yards at 1129/1154 hours from 19,000/20,500 feet. The 97th Bomb Group encountered 8 enemy aircraft which attacked in groups of 4 each. One ME-109 was claimed destroyed while we had no losses. Bomb strike photos show the target area to be well covered.
56 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group provided escort for the B-24s attacking airdrome in the Rome area. Approximately 30 enemy aircraft were encountered, 6 of which were destroyed and 3 probably destroyed. Four P-47s failed to return.
March 4 - Breslau, Germany
Non operational
March 5
Non operational
March 6
Non operational
March 7 - Submarine Base: Loulon, France
112 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups took off to attack Tooulon Submarine Base. Due to a heavy overcast enroute and at the target only 48 B-17s of the 97th and 301st Bomb Groupd identified the target and dropped 142.7 tons of 500 pound bombs at 1113/1115 hours from 21,100/24,350 feet. The remaining B-17s returned bombs to base or jettisoned. 15 enemy aircraft were encountered by the 301st Bomb Group who claim 1 ME-109 probably destroyed against no losses. Bomb strike photo show hits on munition factory and in bay near submarines. Hits along jetty damaged it and ships tied up alongside. Several direct hits were scored in dry docks. Clouds and smoke screen rendered interpretation of photos very difficult.
The escort was provided by 57 P-38s of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups. About 48 enemy aircraft were encountered and in a not very aggressive manner. The fighters claim one enemy aircraft probably destroyed. We suffered no losses.
38 P-38s of the 82nd Fighter Group provided escort for the 98th, 376th, 450th and 451st Bomb Groups to target in north central Italy. There were no encounters and no losses.
57 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group provided high cover for B-24s in the Rome area airdromes. There were no encounters and no losses.
March 8
Non operational
March 9
Non operational
March 10
Non operational
Match 11 - M/Ys: Padua, Italy
111 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th and 301st Bomb Groups escorted by 57 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group dropped 313.5 tons of 500 pound bombs on Padua marshalling yards between 1139/1146 hours from 21,500/24,400 feet. 3 B-17s and 1 P-47 returned early. The bombers encountered 50/60 enemy fighters of practically all types. Total claim for bombers were 9 destroyed, 4 probably destroyed and 4 damaged. The P-47s encountered 75/80 enemy aircraft and destroyed 10 with 5 claimed as probably destroyed. Two B-17s were lost to enemy fighters, another B-17 was lost to unknown cause. Two P-47s were lost to enemy aircraft and another failed to return, cause unknown. Bomb strike photos show this to be a very successful mission, the marshalling yards were will hit and some bombs extended into the industrial area and another string of bombs destroyed a railroad bridge.
51 P-38s of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups escorted the B-24s to Toulon harbor, France. Fighters encountered 36 enemy aircraft of which 7 were destroyed. We sudffered no losses.
36 P-38s of the 82nd Fighter Group escorted B-24s to marshalling tards in central Italy without incident.
March 12
Non operational
March 13
Non operational
March 14
Non operational
March 15 - Troop concentrations: Cassino & San Giorgio, Italy
118 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups were dispatched to Cassino town. Bomb strike photos show a fairly good concentration in the eastern section of town and many explosions were noted to have fallen along the main highway leading in from the east.
107 P-38s of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups flew fighter patrols in the Cassino area between 1530/1715 hours at 8,000/20,000 feet.
51 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group swept the Viterbo-Cassino area between 0850/0925 hours from 12/15,000 feet. 48 P-47s of the same Group again penetrated the area at 1545 hours.
In all of the above missions, no enemy aircraft were encountered and all our aircraft returned to base.
March 16 - Troop Concentrations: San Giorgio, Italy
47 B-17s of the 2nd and 97th Bomb Groups escorted by P-38s set off to attack a ground support target. The 2nd Bomb Group found the target obscured by 10/10th clouds and the 97th Bomb Group was recalled before reaching the target area.
March 17 - A/C Components Factory: Fischamend Markt, Austria
114 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups finding all targets completely overcast either jettisoned or returned bombs to base. About 40 enemy aircraft were encountered, 5 of which were destroyed. One B-17 of the 301st Bomb Group was lost, cause unknown.
91 P-38s of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter groups provided penetration escort and 36 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group furnished the withdrawal. One P-38 went down because of engine trouble and the pilot was seen to bail out.
March 18 - A/Ds: Udine & Villa Orba, Italy
78 B-17s of the 2nd, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups dropped 79 tons of twenty pound fragmentation bombs on Villaorba A/D, Italy between 1013/1021 hours from 21/27,000 feet. Approximately 50 enemy aircraft attacked the bombers in the area between Flume and the target foor approximately one hour. Bombers claim 16 enemy aircraft were destroyed and 5 probably destroyed. Four B-17s were loat. Eight enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground and seven were damaged.
35 B-17s of the 97th Bomb Group dropped 34.5 tons of bombs on Udine A/D at 1021 hours from 21,500 feet. 30/40 enemy aircraft were encountered, 7 of which were destroyed. One enemy aircraft was destroyed on the ground and 2 were damaged.
85 P-38s of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups and 41 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group flew a sweep of the Udine area from 0910/1012 at 22,000 feet. The aircraft of the 82nd and 325th Groups were encountered by 30/35 enemy aircraft with dog fights following. There two groups claim 11 enemy aircraft were destroyed, 9 by the P-47s and 2 by the P-38s. Two P-47s and 1 P-38 were lost. P-38s of the 14th Fighter Group encountered 12 enemy aircraft. Attacks were inconsistent and ineffective; however, one ME-109 collided with the tail of a P-38. The P-38 returned damaged to base and the ME-109 was destroyed.
P-38s from the 1st Fighter Group circling Udine A/D destroyed one JU-88 as it was taking off and in straffing runs over the area claim the destruction of 4 JU-88s, 4 JU52s, 1 Caproni and 1 DO-17 on the ground. They further straffed and damaged a hangar, 2 railroad trains, 2 radar stations and a seaplane base where 6 Italian seaplanes were destroyed. One P-38 was destroyed.
March 19 - A/D: Klegenfurt, Austria
99 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups took off to attack Steyr. Due to 10/10th weather enroute, Klagenfurt town and A/D was bombed. Penetration and withdrawal was furnished by 84 P-38s of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups and 31 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group. 40/50 enemy aircraft were encountered. The bombers destroyed 5 and the P-38 escorts destroyed 2. Five B-17s were lost, 3 to enemy aircraft and 2 others from a collision in air. The target was smoke obscured making an accurate estimate of damage from bomb strike photos difficult. Hits were seen on the Hangars, administration buildings and dispersals and there were heavy concentrations on the landing area and residential districk adjacent to the airdrome. Out of a total of 32 fighters and 7 bomber/transports present, 13 fighters and 3 bombers/transports are claimed destroyed.
March 20
Non operational
March 21
Non operational
March 22 - M/Ys: Verona, Italy
115 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups were dispatched to attack Verona main marshalling yards. 71 P-38s of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups furnished escort. 13 B-17 and 7 P-38s returned early. 98 B-17s dropped 294 tons of 1,000 pound bombs at 1550/1559 hours from 21/23,000 feet. Two aircraft jettisoned and one aircraft returned bombs to base. 15/20 enemy aircraft, using rockets, were encountered in aggressive attacks. Flak was moderate to intense and very accurate. The bombers claim one enemy aircraft destroyed and the fighters claim one as being destroyed. Two B-17s were lost. 35 P-38s of the 82nd Fighter Group missed rendezvous with the B-24s and escorted the B-17s. No bomb strike photos are available but visual observation show many bomb bursts in the target area with a string through the middle of the yards and many explosions concentrated mainly in the NW end of the marshalling yards and in the warehouse area. Smoke and dust made visual observation most difficult.
55 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group provided escort for the B-24s going to Bologna and Rimini marshalling yards. There were no encounters.
March 23 - Ball Bearing Factory: Steyr, Austria
106 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups and 29 P-38s of the 1st Fighter Grooup were airborne but were recalled because of non-operational weather.
March 24 - Ball Bearing Factory: Steyr, Austria
101 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups as well as 103 P-38s of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups and 54 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group took off to attack the primary target. 3 B-17s dropped bombs on target of opportunity, all of the rest turned back due to non-operational weather. One B-17 was lost as a result of a collision.
March 25
Non operational
March 26 - Ball Bearing Factory: Steyr, Austria
27 B-17s of the 97th Bomb Group dropped 67.5 tons of incendiries on Fiume Fort at 1133 hours from 20,000 feet. Results were unobserved. 8/10 enemy aircraft were encountered firing rockets ineffectively. All B-17s returned to base.
74 B-17s of the 2nd, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups took off but returned to base because of non-operational weather.
58 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group and 114 p_38s of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups took off to provide escort for the above mission. 4 P-47s and 12 P-38s returned early. The remaining P-47s escorted without inciddent. The P-38s saw in all about 90 enemy fighters and encountered 25 of these. Three flights of the 82nd Group, diving down on 12 enemy aircraft, claim the destruction of 5 with another probbly destroyed.
March 27
Non operational
March 28 - M/Ys: Verona, Italy
109 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups, escorted by 51 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group and 35 P-38s of the 82nd Fighter Group, dropped 324.25 tons of 500 pound bombs on Verona marshalling yards between 1159/1204 hours from 21,700/25,000 feet. Some 10/15 ME-109s were encountered by the bombers including some rocket firing aircraft. Fighters encountered upwards of 50 enemy aircraft consisting of ME-109s, FW-190s and MA-202s. Attacks by enemy aircraft engaging 325th Fighter Group were aggressive while attacks on the 82nd Fighter Group were not aggressive. Bombers made no clims and suffered no losses. Fighters claim 7 enemy aircraft destroyed. One P-47 and one P-38 were lost. Bomb strike photos show this to be a very successful mission.
28 P-38s of the 1st Fighter Group escorted B-24s to Verona marshalling yards and saw at least 50 enemy aircraft but there were no encounters and no losses.
48 P-38s of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups escorted B-24s to Mestre marshalling yards and encountered 25/30 E/A. They destroyed two.
March 29 - M/Ys: Turin, Italy
103 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups, escorted by 44 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group, dropped 306 tons of 500 pound bombs on the Turin marshalling yards. Bombers encountered 15/25 enemy aircraft, made no claims but one straggling B-17 was shot down by enemy aircraft. A second B-17 was lost to unknown causes. P-47s met bombers south of the target and encountered 3 long nose FW-190s which were destroyed without loss. Bomb strike photos show excellent coverage of the assigned target area.
36 p-38s of the 82st Fighter Group escorted B-24s to Milan marshalling yards. No enemy aircraft were encountered and there were no losses
62 P-38s of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups escorted B-24s to Bolzano marshalling yards. The 1st Fighter Group encountered 12 ME-109s and 4 FW-190s which were intercepted flying in front of the B-24s at the same level. The 14th Fighter Group was jumped by 25 enemy aircraft who made coordinated attacks. Fighters claim 3 enemy aircraft destroyed, one probably destroyed and 6 dmaaged. One P-38 was lost to enemy aircraft and one other lost to unknown causes.
March 30 - Sofia, Bulgaria; A/D: Imotski, Yugoslavia
114 B-17s of the 2nd, 97th, 99th and 301st Bomb Groups bombed Sofia marshalling yards. The bombers encountered some 20 enemy aircraft, chiefly ME-109s and FW-190s but most of these were drawn off by the fighters who furnished excellent escort. The bombers claim one enemy aircraft was destroyed. Two B-17s were lost to a collison and one B-17 was lost to unknown causes. The escorting P-38s, 96 of the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups, claim 7 enemy aircraft destroyed, 1 probably destroyed and 13 damaged. 24 P-47s of the 325th Fighter Group, flying top cover, destroyed a MA-205, the only enemy aircraft they encountered.
39 B-17s of the 463rd Bomb Group on their first mission, dropped 117 tons of 500 pound bombs on Imotski airdrome. Results were unobserved. There were no early returns, no encounters and no losses.
March 31
Non operational