| APO-520 | US ARMY |
| S-2 NARRATIVE REPORT | |
| MISSION DATE: APRIL 19, 1945 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MISSION NBR. 268 TARGET: Avisio, Italy - Railroad Viaduct I. CHRONOLOGY Thirty-nine B-24 type aircraft took off at 0715-0753 hours to bomb the Avisio Railroad Viaduct in North Italy. One aircraft returned early, due to engine failure and jettisoned 2 tons of bombs in the Adriatic. Thirty-eight aircraft dropped 74 tons of 500 lb RDX bombs on the primary target at 1146-1149 hours from 23,000 - 25,000 feet. One of the aircraft that dropped on the target experienced a rack malfunction at the I.P. (46.33N-11.00E) and jettisoned a partial load of 1 ton. Thirty-eight aircraft returned to base at 1447 hours. None lost. None missing. None at friendly fields. II. ROUTE AND ASSAULT Rendezvous and route were flow as briefed. Bombing was by squadrons in trail attacking on an axis of 172/175 degrees. The visual method was to be employed, but an effective smoke screen at the target necessitated the use of the offset method. A right rally was accomplished by all squadrons and the route to base was flown as briefed. 12 P-38's made rendezvous at 1200 hours in the Pistoia area (42.55N-10.55E). III. RESULTS Due to an effective smoke screen over the target complete photo assessment is impossible. All bomb strikes of three squadrons are obscured by smoke. Bombs from one squadron however are seen hitting the north end of the viaduct and 1 or 2 hits are seen on the tracks. IV. ENEMY RESISTANCE A. Fighters: None. B. Flak: None.
Crews report that the flak was most accurate on the rally. The first squadron over the target made a less sharp right rally than the three squadrons following and consequently was an easier target to track as in evidenced by 7 aircraft damaged in that particular squadron and none in the others. V. OBSERVATIONS None VI. CONCLUSION
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