| APO-520 | US ARMY |
| S-2 NARRATIVE REPORT | |
| MISSION DATE: JANUARY 20, 1945 | |||||||||
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MISSION NBR. 209 TARGET: Verona/Parona, Italy - Railroad Bridge I. CHRONOLOGY Twenty-seven B-24 type aircraft took off at 0731-0735 hours to destroy the Verona/Parona Railroad Bridge at 45.28N-10.57E. One aircraft returned early due to failure of prop governor. Twenty-six other turn back at Keypoint (45.38N-13.00E) due to unfavorable weather conditions at 1100 hours. Altitude at point of turnback was 26,000 feet. Twenty-three aircraft returned 45.5 tons of 1000 lb G.P. bombs to base at 1312-1405 hours. Three others jettisoned 6 tons in the Adriatic because of mechanical difficulties. The early returns brought back 2 tons. One aircraft landed at Iesi because of engine failure and death of a crew member. The nose gunner died when oxygen failed at 26,000 feet. One other aircraft landed at a local field to refuel and returned to base shortly after the formation. II. ROUTE AND ASSAULT Rendezvous with the 449th Bomb Group over Manduria on course to San Vito and route flown as briefed to Key Point where Wing lead ordered the formation to return to base. 5/10-8/10 undercast was experienced over the lower Adriatic to a point abreast of Pola. Solid undercast with tops at 25,000 developed from this point north. III. RESULTS None IV. ENEMY RESISTANCE A. Fighters: None B. Flak: None V. OBSERVATIONS None VI. CONCLUSION
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