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

March 15, 1944 Mission to the Town of Cassino

Squadron War Diary

486th The March 1944 War Diary of the 486th is missing from the record.

487th The March 1944 War Diary of the 487th is missing from the record.

488th Mission to Cassino at 0755. 340th led in the reduction of the town to rubble. There were to be eleven heavy groups and five groups of mediums and at 1200 hours the Infantry to move in behind a creeping barrage. Undershot target a bit.

Second mission to gun and stores emplacement at 1145 hours West of Cassino. No excitement on either job.

489th On 15 March 12 planes of this squadron, leading the Group, unloaded 1000 pounders on the town of Cassino, German bastion which had for a long time been holding up our forward troops. Good results were observed. By bombing the town, we were aiding the good progress of the ground forces in their effort to expell Jerry from this important gateway to Rome.

Today the heat was turned on Cassino. We ran two missions over this bloody target, where fighting has raged unabated for weeks. Allied troops had been removed from the immediate vicinity of the town in anticipation of a concerted aerial bombardment aimed at completely obliterating it.

Target in 1944

Target Today

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Squadron	War Diary
486th	The March 1944 War Diary of the 486th is missing from the record.
487th	The March 1944 War Diary of the 487th is missing from the record.
488th	Mission to Cassino at 0755. 340th led in the reduction of the town to rubble. There were to be eleven heavy groups and five groups of mediums and at 1200 hours the Infantry to move in behind a creeping barrage. Undershot target a bit. Second mission to gun and stores emplacement at 1145 hours West of Cassino. No excitement on either job.
489th	On 15 March 12 planes of this squadron, leading the Group, unloaded 1000 pounders on the town of Cassino, German bastion which had for a long time been holding up our forward troops. Good results were observed. By bombing the town, we were aiding the good progress of the ground forces in their effort to expell Jerry from this important gateway to Rome. Today the heat was turned on Cassino. We ran two missions over this bloody target, where fighting has raged unabated for weeks. Allied troops had been removed from the immediate vicinity of the town in anticipation of a concerted aerial bombardment aimed at completely obliterating it.

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

488th 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