Mission Number: 13

Date: 22 Jan ’44

Target: Terracina, Italy Road

449th A/C Over Target: 26

Tons of Bombs Dropped: 65 GP

Flak: H-M-A

Enemy A/C Destroyed: 1(Damgd)

449th A/C Lost: 0

Results: Good

Thirty-one B-24-H’s took off at 0725 to 0744 hours to bomb a road defile near Terracina. Twenty-six of these A/C were over the target at 0954 hours. Five aircraft returned early. Results of the attack are good. Visual observation indicates a few hits in the water by the target. Most bombs appeared to strike the hillside just above the road. Several hits were observed to the left of the aiming point. A few hits were claimed directly on the road. Preliminary photo analysis reveals six direct hits on the road and forty hits on the hillside above the road. Scattered hits were photographed at the edge of Terracina town and in the ocean. The road is probably blocked by hits and by possible landslide. Sixty-five tons of five hundred pound GP .1 and .025 bombs were dropped at 0954 hours from 19,000′ to 21,500′.

None of our aircraft are missing.

There was one attack by ME-109’s. The attack occurred in the target area. Four enemy aircraft came in at two o’clock high in pairs. They had red spinners, iron crosses painted black and white above and below the wings, brown fuselages, and bright underside. They attacked in pairs. They made one pass, breaking out between five and six o’clock. Two B-24’s, one of which was attacked, returned the enemy fire. One ME-109 is claimed as damaged. Tracers were seen to hit the right wing of one ME-109. A magnesium-like flash appeared after which pieces were observed to fly from the wing. One possible JU-88 was noted NW of target area from 21,000′ at 1004 hours. It was colored dark green. One A/C reported twelve enemy a/c identified as ME-109’s at 0932 hours. Co-ordinates were given as 4045N – 1400E. Six radial-engine, unidentified A/C were reported at 0958 hours at 9,500 feet in the target area.

Flak was reported in the target area. It was observed as heavy and moderate, of fair accuracy. One crew reported eight heavy guns between the railroad and canal close to the town. They also observed eight to twelve guns NW of Terracina just outside the town. No other flak was reported.

Five A/C returned early for the following reasons: 1 A/C gunner suffered an acute attack of appendicitis; 1 A/C – number 4 engine out; 1 A/C – runaway prop, gas cap loose and losing gasoline; 1 A/C – oil leak; 1 A/C – gasoline leak.

Weather over target CAVU – slight haze.

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