5th BW Missions September 1943
September 2 - M/Ys: Bologna, Bolzano & Trento, Italy
B-17s made a heavy attack on the railroad line leading south from the Brenner Pass into Italy. They knocked out a railroad bridge at Bolzano, 30 miles south of the Pass, cutting the railway line, and then cut the railroad with direct hits at Trento, 25 miles south of Bolzano, where a road bridge was also destroyed. This mission took the Fortresses on a 1,500 mile round trip, their longest journey so far from Africa into the European mainland. Another group of B-17s rained bombs on Bologna, previously the most northerly point bombed by the Fortresses, and caused huge fires and explosions in the big railroad center.
September 5 - A/D: Viterbo, Italy
B-17s returned to Viterbo airdrome north of Rome for the second time in six days. They showered dispersal areas with thousands of fragmentation bombs and completed the operation by post-hole digging with high explosives on the runways.
September 6 - A/Ds: Naples, Italy, M/Y: Villa Literno, Italy
Flying Fortresses bombed several targets in the Naples area. Gaeta Harbor, 45 miles northwest of the much bombed city, was the first; the Literno Marshalling Yards, 15 miles northwest of Naples, was the second; the third was a railroad between Caserta and Maddaloni, 15 miles north of Naples; the fourth was the Minturno railway yards; and the fifth was Capodichino and Fomigliano airfields on the outskirts of Naples.
September 7 - S/LGs: Foggia, Italy
Fighting their way through a swarm of Axis fighters, a large force of B-17s plastered the big enemy air base at Foggia on the eastern side of southern Italy with fragmentation bombs. The bombs dropped among parked aircraft and hits were also scored on hangars and barracks. A force of 55 to 70 fighters intercepted the Forts and engaged in a 35 minute battle during which thirty eight of the Axis planes were shot down.
September 8 - Germany Army Hq: Frascati, Italy
The Flying Fortresses levelled the town of Frascati, 15 miles southeast of Rome, Headquarters of Hitler's forces on the Italian mainland. Practically every building in the town was being used by the Germans. Attacking in three seven-minute waves, the B-17s dropped several hundred tons of high expplosives on the town leaving the entire town area ablaze. Observers reported the town demolished. A force of 40 to 50 German and Italian fighters came up to meet the Fortresses and engaged in a 30 minute running battle during which 28 of the enemy planes were shot down.
September 9 - RR/HWY/BDGs: Capau & Cancello/Arone, Italy
Aiding the ground troops of the American 5th Army which invaded the beaches at Salerno, just below Naples, on the Italian mainland, Flying Fortresses went after important bridges and railroad tracks being used by the enemy to bring up troops and supplies to stem the Allied invasion. One flight of Forts bit and demolished a highway bridge and a railway bridge at Capua, just north of Naples, cut railway tracks and caused an explosion in a factory. Another B-17 formation destroyed approaches to a long highway bridge at Cancello, noth of Naples.
September 10 - Highways & Bridges: Benevento & Mignano, Italy; Airdrome Instalations: Frosinone, Italy
Flying Fortresses continued their merciless pounding of Italian communications yesterday in a effort to block all traffic in the area north of Naples. In this region, the main artery of communications for Southern Italy, the B-17s destroyed and damaged road bridges, important highway junctions, and railroad centers. For the second day in succession not a single enemy fighter was seen by the B-17s and there was very little anti-aircraft fire.
September 11 - M/Y: Benevento, Italy
The railroad yards and rail bridges at Benevento, 40 miles northwest of Naples, felt the full force of the Forts as German communications continued to receive a fierce pounding. Approaches to the main railroad bridge were damaged and the railroad yards were covered with bombs. The unescorted Fortresses met only one enemy fighter.
September 12 - HWT/BDGs: Benevento & Mignano, Italy; Airdrome Installations: Frosinone, Italy
The Fortresses continued their attack on enemy communications systems in the nNaples area by hitting road defiles and bridges at Benevento and Mignano. One formation attacked the airfield at Forsinone and ruptured the serviceability of the field.
September 13 - Road Junction: Torre Del Greco, Italy; Highway: Sala Consilina, Italy
Again the B-17s went after enemy railroads, highways and bridges. At Sala Consilina, 50 miles southeast of the Salerno bridgehead, hits were scored on railroad lines and a highway bridge; another overpass and intersection were smashed. At Torre del Greco, south of Naples, two main highways received hits from the double wave of Fortresses.
September 14 - Highways: Battapaglia/Eboli, Poppeii & Torre Annunziata/Eboli, Pompeii & Tirre Annungiata, Italy
The Fortresses joined in the all-out blitz of one small strip of territory east of Salerno where defending German forces have been holding up Allied troops on the beachhead. The bombers were used as close-range mobile artillery on troop concentrations, gun positions and roads in the Eboli area just east of Salerno.
September 15 - Highways: Torre Del Greco, Italy & Battapagalia/Eboli, Italy
Continuing their attacks on German communications, the Flying Fortresses plowed up the highway between Battipaglia and Eboli for a couple of miles and hit railroad yards at Eboli causing large fires and violent explosions. Another wave of B-17s wrecked rail and road lines near Torre del Greco. No enemy fighters were encountered during the day.
September 16 - M/Y: Caserta, Italy
The B-17s widened the arc of their attack on enemy supply and communications today as they bombed a road system and an overhead bridge near Caserta, north of Naples. Another force of Fortresses attacked rail and highway bridges at Benevento again. Again there was no fighter opposition.
September 17 - Ciampino A/Ds: Rome, Italy
Unescorted Forts attacked the two important airfields at Ciampino a few miles South of Rome. The entire airfields and housing areas were blanketed with bomb bursts. Many enemy aircraft were caught on the ground including at least 25 FW-200s long range four motored German bombers. Obsevers could see small explosions and fires throughout the field from the parked aircraft. No enemy opposition was met.
September 18 - A/D: Viterbo, Italy
Flying Fortresses caught at least 50 enemy aircraft parked on the airdrome at Viterbo which they covered with fragmentation bombs and post-holed with high explosive bombs.
September 20 - Highway: Sarno, Italy
Flying Fortresses which were unescorted continued their pounding of German supply routes with an attack on communications at Sarno and Torre Annunziata, southeast of Naples. Railroads and highway intersections were the target for the pattern bombing. Again there were no enemy fighters.
September 21 - HWY/BDG: Benevento, Italy
The Forts went to Benevento again and took heavy toll of railroad systems and highway intersections. The unescorted B-17s were not attacked by enemy aircraft.
September 25 - M/Y: Bologna, Italy; RR/BDG: Bolzano, Italy
Flying Fortresses made their second trip to the Brenner Pass today. They attacked the important railroad junction at Bolzano blasting the approaches to the vitally important bridge which has been blasted previously. It was a 1400 mile round trip for the bombers. Another formation of Forts hit the railroad yards at Verona for the first time while a third force blasted a road near Florence. Another heavy force of B-17s hit the marshalling yards at Bologna and also planted bombs on locomotive shops and warehouses. Some of the bombers in this last formation bombed a highway near Budrio and a road between Bologna and Imila. A total of four enemy fighters was shot down during the day.
September 28 - M/Y: Bologna, Italy; RR/BDG: Bolzano, Italy
A large force of B-17s went up to the Bolzano railroad yards south of the Brenner Pass for the third time but failed to drop bombs due to a complete overcast.