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

July 15, 1944 Mission to the Ferrara Bridges

Squadron War Diary

486th The afternoon mission had its tense moments but if any fear was present there was no outward manifestation. Over a period of time injury is relatively light and consequently much jovality and fun exists everywhere. If the missions were to become very hazardous there would be no flinching - only perhaps a more serious demeanor about the squadron. Results of the afternoon mission - Good.

487th Second mission of planes (12) took off at 17:00 hours to again attack Ferrara railroad bridge. The objective was reached at 18:46 and their 4800 lb. bomb load was dropped from 11600'. Most bombs crossed the bridge at the north end. Two spans were observed down in the water on the north end. Smoke pots were again used, but ineffectively. Anti-aircraft fire was heavy, scant and inaccurate. All planes and crews returned safely to the base without damage.

488th One in the afternoon to Ferrara again. 100%. Seven planes and one man seriously wounded. Stere got it in the hand and Vandermuelen got it through the side.

[Diary entry from July 16, 1944: Vandermuelen died at 0200 hours. The Ferrara bridges getting to be a jinx for us.

489th During this period [July 14 - 20] we have been unusually active, striking hard and relentlessly at targets in Northern Italy.

Author Personal Account

Joseph Heller This mission was a key part of "Catch-22." Here is what Heller had to say about it in an interview dating to 1970:

“..nine-tenths of Catch-22 is organized around three combat missions: the mission to Avignon, the mission to Bologna, and the mission to Ferrara. The first mission is the main one. [...] Now of course I was aware of this pattern; I had planned it at least a year before I began writing the novel.” (Sorkin, Conversations with Joseph Heller, 1970 interview with Richard Sale, p.80)

In the novel "Catch-22" Heller speaks about having to revisit the target:

“...when the bridge spanning the Po was still standing undamaged seven days after Colonel Cathcart had volunteered to destroy it. Nine missions his men had flown there in six days, and the bridge was not demolished until the tenth mission on the seventh day...” (Heller, Catch-22, p.136)

The 340th BG did return to Ferrara several times, but the time frame was not as compressed as in the novel. During July of 1944 the 488th BS flew five missions to Ferrara. On July 3rd the mission was against a fuel dump north of the city. There were two missions on the 13th and missions on the 15th and 30th targeting the bridges over the Po river.

Heller, himself, flew on the last three missions. The target was 'hot.' Accurate flak was reported on each mission. On the 15th seven planes were hit by flak and one crewman was killed.

(See also: Joseph Heller)

Target in 1944

Target Today

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On the crew list for the 488th Bomb Squadron below, the bombardier
in plane 8X is listed as 2nd Lt. J. Heller. This is Joseph Heller, the
author of the novel Catch-22.

Squadron	War Diary
486th	The afternoon mission had its tense moments but if any fear was present there was no outward manifestation. Over a period of time injury is relatively light and consequently much jovality and fun exists everywhere. If the missions were to become very hazardous there would be no flinching - only perhaps a more serious demeanor about the squadron. Results of the afternoon mission - Good.
487th	Second mission of planes (12) took off at 17:00 hours to again attack Ferrara railroad bridge. The objective was reached at 18:46 and their 4800 lb. bomb load was dropped from 11600'. Most bombs crossed the bridge at the north end. Two spans were observed down in the water on the north end. Smoke pots were again used, but ineffectively. Anti-aircraft fire was heavy, scant and inaccurate. All planes and crews returned safely to the base without damage.
488th	One in the afternoon to Ferrara again. 100%. Seven planes and one man seriously wounded. Stere got it in the hand and Vandermuelen got it through the side. [Diary entry from July 16, 1944: Vandermuelen died at 0200 hours. The Ferrara bridges getting to be a jinx for us.
489th	During this period [July 14 - 20] we have been unusually active, striking hard and relentlessly at targets in Northern Italy.

Author	Personal Account
Joseph Heller	This mission was a key part of "Catch-22." Here is what Heller had to say about it in an interview dating to 1970: “..nine-tenths of Catch-22 is organized around three combat missions: the mission to Avignon, the mission to Bologna, and the mission to Ferrara. The first mission is the main one. [...] Now of course I was aware of this pattern; I had planned it at least a year before I began writing the novel.” (Sorkin, Conversations with Joseph Heller, 1970 interview with Richard Sale, p.80) In the novel "Catch-22" Heller speaks about having to revisit the target: “...when the bridge spanning the Po was still standing undamaged seven days after Colonel Cathcart had volunteered to destroy it. Nine missions his men had flown there in six days, and the bridge was not demolished until the tenth mission on the seventh day...” (Heller, Catch-22, p.136) The 340th BG did return to Ferrara several times, but the time frame was not as compressed as in the novel. During July of 1944 the 488th BS flew five missions to Ferrara. On July 3rd the mission was against a fuel dump north of the city. There were two missions on the 13th and missions on the 15th and 30th targeting the bridges over the Po river. Heller, himself, flew on the last three missions. The target was 'hot.' Accurate flak was reported on each mission. On the 15th seven planes were hit by flak and one crewman was killed. (See also: Joseph Heller)

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

Operations

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