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

November 16, 1943 Mission to Eleusis Aerodrome, Greece

Squadron War Diary

486th Record is missing.

487th Another successful raid today, although “not as good as yesterday's.” Target was Athens/Eleusis A/D, with the 487th having frags for the dispersal area in the Northeast corner of the field. They took off at 1015 and dropped their frags – guess where – in the dispersal area in the Northeast corner of the field. Four squadrons of the 340th participated with as many from the 321st. Each squadron flew nine planes, in a new type of formation designed to give a wider front. No fighters were observed. Flak was intense coming off the target, but all planes returned safely. It was black, red, and white, all heavy. Some crew members observed fires still burning on the Athens/Kalamaki field bombed yesterday. (Note: A 487th bomb got one of the hangers on that field, unreported yesterday.)....

488th Target today Eleusis A/D, Athens. Clear and not too cool. Michalowski got a four inch hole in his ship. 321st Group failed to make the target although they were seen North of our formations.

[This is clearly not correct since the 321st gives a detailed report of the raid and photographs. See below.]

489th Nine planes bombed Eleusis A/D. At the briefing Col. Tokaz complimented the men on yesterday's raid. Our results were not as sensational as yesterday's, partly because the 486th Squadron cut in front and forced our bomb run further west than intended. However, fires were observed and the mission was considered successful.

Target in 1943

Target Today

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Additional Information In Peter Taghon's book, Der Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1, there is a passage that describes this mission from the point of view of the German Luftwaffe personnel who witnessed it from the ground.

Details can be found here:
German View of the Eleusis Raid

Squadron	War Diary
486th	Record is missing.
487th	Another successful raid today, although “not as good as yesterday's.” Target was Athens/Eleusis A/D, with the 487th having frags for the dispersal area in the Northeast corner of the field. They took off at 1015 and dropped their frags – guess where – in the dispersal area in the Northeast corner of the field. Four squadrons of the 340th participated with as many from the 321st. Each squadron flew nine planes, in a new type of formation designed to give a wider front. No fighters were observed. Flak was intense coming off the target, but all planes returned safely. It was black, red, and white, all heavy. Some crew members observed fires still burning on the Athens/Kalamaki field bombed yesterday. (Note: A 487th bomb got one of the hangers on that field, unreported yesterday.)....
488th	Target today Eleusis A/D, Athens. Clear and not too cool. Michalowski got a four inch hole in his ship. 321st Group failed to make the target although they were seen North of our formations. [This is clearly not correct since the 321st gives a detailed report of the raid and photographs. See below.]
489th	Nine planes bombed Eleusis A/D. At the briefing Col. Tokaz complimented the men on yesterday's raid. Our results were not as sensational as yesterday's, partly because the 486th Squadron cut in front and forced our bomb run further west than intended. However, fires were observed and the mission was considered successful.

Additional Information	In Peter Taghon's book, Der Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1, there is a passage that describes this mission from the point of view of the German Luftwaffe personnel who witnessed it from the ground. Details can be found here: German View of the Eleusis Raid

Crew Lists and Mission Reports

Crew List 488th

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