12^th AIR FORCE

57^th BOMB WING

340^th BOMB GROUP (M)

MISSIONS AUGUST 19, 1944

AM MISSION CLOUDS COVER TARGET

PM MISSION

487^th and 489^th Squadrons August 19, 1944

Photo Credit: Dan Setzer, 57^th Bomb Wing Web Site

Orange, France today

487^th BS Mission sheet credit: 487^th BS Pilot 1^st Lt. David Konigsberg

Capt. Charles M. Cook - Pilot of 7M

Capt. James A. Littlefield – Pilot of 7J

486^th BS Mission sheet credit: Herman Voss

487^th

August 19, 1944

Twelve crews were alerted this morning at 05:00 and finally took off at 06:30 to bomb a rail bridge at Orange, France. The formation reached their objective at 08:50, but found the target completely obscured by clouds and returned to the base with their bomb load intact. A stand-down was then declared until 14:00 hours at which time the same twelve crews were alerted and took off at 15:45 with the same target as their goal. The formation reached the target at 18:00 hours and dropped their 48,000 lb. bomb load from 9000' with very good results. The first box had a long pattern extending across and covering the central portion of bridge. Second box pattern covered north portion of bridge as far as the north shoreline of the bridge. Heavy, moderate but inaccurate anti-aircraft fire was encountered over the target, but no damage was caused to our formation – all planes and crews returned safely to the base. Credit: Dan Setzer and 57^th Bomb Wing website