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

August 12, 1944 Mission to La Ciotat (Cap Nègre) Gun Positions

Squadron War Diary

486th Not assigned to this mission.

487th Not assigned to this mission.

488th From Mission Report: 1st and 2nd boxes laid compact patterns across their individual targets.

489th Not assigned to this mission

Squadron	War Diary
486th	Not assigned to this mission.
487th	Not assigned to this mission.
488th	From Mission Report: 1st and 2nd boxes laid compact patterns across their individual targets.
489th	Not assigned to this mission

Additional Background on this Mission:

Author Additional Research

Philippe Milioto The Free French commandos (commandos d'afrique) arrived with 22 LCA, over the time period from 0h30 to 1h in the morning of the 15 August 1944. They were brought there (Cap Negre), especially to destroy the three 155mm guns on top of the cape. The heavy guns were a real danger, for the western flank of the invasion, especially for American troops, landing in Cavalaire and Saint Tropez.

The 3 bombing missions on Cap Negre( 310th BG - 379th squadron, 321st BG - 445th squadron, 340BG - 488th squadron ) on August 12th , were very important, but when the french commandos arrived at the cliffs, they didn't know what were the real results of the bombings. On the site the German troops replaced the 155mm guns, which had been destroyed by the bombing, by smaller 77mm guns. The commandos didnt know about it. This commando mission was a succes, even if everybody got lost that night, due to a mistake on the part of the Canadian sailors who took them to shore.

Target in 1944

(Diagram courtesy of Philippe Milioto)

Target Today

View Larger Map

(Photo courtesy of Philippe Milioto )

Author	Additional Research
Philippe Milioto	The Free French commandos (commandos d'afrique) arrived with 22 LCA, over the time period from 0h30 to 1h in the morning of the 15 August 1944. They were brought there (Cap Negre), especially to destroy the three 155mm guns on top of the cape. The heavy guns were a real danger, for the western flank of the invasion, especially for American troops, landing in Cavalaire and Saint Tropez. The 3 bombing missions on Cap Negre( 310th BG - 379th squadron, 321st BG - 445th squadron, 340BG - 488th squadron ) on August 12th , were very important, but when the french commandos arrived at the cliffs, they didn't know what were the real results of the bombings. On the site the German troops replaced the 155mm guns, which had been destroyed by the bombing, by smaller 77mm guns. The commandos didnt know about it. This commando mission was a succes, even if everybody got lost that night, due to a mistake on the part of the Canadian sailors who took them to shore.

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

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

Crew List 488th


Operation Orders

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