Mission Number: 6
Date: 15 Jan ’44
Target: Prato, Italy M/Y
449th A/C Over Target: 23
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 57-1/2 GP
Flak: None
Enemy A/C Destroyed: 0
449th A/C Lost: 1
Results: Poor
Thirty-three B-24-H’s were airborne for the attack on the M/Y at Prato, Italy. Nine returned early, two are down at friendly airdromes and will return to this base. Twenty-three aircraft attacked the target. One of our aircraft is missing. 57-1/2 tons of 500 pound GP .1 and .025 bombs was dropped on the target at 1231 hours from 21,000 – 22,300 feet. Results are poor with regard to the M/Y. Photos from the lead ship of the formation show no hits in the assigned target area. They also disclose one hit on the railroad right-of-way five-thousand feet SE of the target and one hit and one near miss on the woolen mills seven-hundred feet south of the assigned target area. Visual observation indicated hits in the town. Some aircraft bombed on the town of Pistoia and claimed hits. Of the aircraft returning early eight jettisoned bombs into the sea; one returned its bombs to the base.
No enemy aircraft were encountered.
No flak was encountered at the target. One aircraft reported flashes from four guns 9,000 feet NW of the target. No flak was seen. Another aircraft noted flak fifteen to twenty miles west of 4215N – 1455E. Its character was undetermined nor was the reason for the flak.
Aircraft returning early did so for these reasons: oil leak, generators out (one A/C), generators out (one A/C), prop governor out (one A/C), turrets inoperative (two A/C), oxygen pressure dropped (two A/C), high gas consumption (one A/C), lost formation (one A/C).
No damage was caused by flak or enemy aircraft.
Weather over target CAVU. Slight ground haze.
