12^th AIR FORCE

57^th BOMB WING

340^th BOMB GROUP (M)

MISSION FEBRUARY 25, 1945

486^th and 488^th Squadrons February 25, 1945

Photo Credit: Herman Voss

Sesto Calende, Italy today

486^th BS Mission sheet credit: Herman Voss

Feb 25, 1945

488^th

First mission was to Vipiteno rail bridge, Italy on the Brenner route with six planes. The flak was intense and we had three planes holed.

489^th

Today stark tragedy struck, not once but three separate times when three of our planes were hit by flak over the target, a rail bridge less than fifteen miles from the Italian-Austrian border. One plane sustained a direct hit in its loaded bomb bay while it was making the bomb run; it blew up. Another plane was hit by flak and crashed into a mountain side. The third plane to be lost to us had one engine shot out and when last seen was headed for neurtal Switzerland, where we hope it will make a safe landing. Losses in Action on mission to Vipiteno RR/B: Herrin, Butler, Hurd, Jefferys, Manwell, Griffin, Matchette, Spann, Westra, Beckwith, Crecenzi, Firsch, Gearhart, Beverly, Clayton, Schoenholtz, Van Overberg, Taylor.

Text Credit: Dan Setzer and 57^th Bomb Wing website