SAAF Foggia, Italy 1944

[tomo pauk]

Hi, fakhappy,

I'm interested if SAAF attacked anything in the ex-Yugoslavia.

 

[pzulba]

Tomo

From my Dad's log

4 Oct '44 Supplies to Yugoslav Partisans 12 containers from 800feet

11 Oct '44 Supplies to Yugoslav Partisans 12 containers from 2500feet

21 Oct '44 Bombing Maribora Marshalling Yards Yugoslavia 5500 feet, 10 x 1000lb bombs, 10/10 cloud medium flak

4 Nov '44 Supplies to Yugoslav Partisans - Kladusa 12 containers from 400feet

6 Nov '44 Yugoslavia Podgorica bombing Troops 11 x 1000lb at 12000feet

8 Nov '44 Yugoslavia Sjenica bombing Roads MT 10 x 1000lb at 6500feet

18 Nov '44 Yugoslavia Sarajevo Marshalling Yards bombing 10 x 1000lb at 17000feet Flak

23 Nov '44 Yugoslavia Rogatica bombing Troops 12 x 500lb at 12000feet

25 Nov '44 Supplies to Yugoslav Partisans 12 containers from 7000feet

6 Dec '44 Supplies to Yugoslav Partisans

18 Dec '44 Yugoslavia Bombing Ground STRAFING MT on roads 12 x 500lbs

19 Dec '44 Sarajevo Marshalling Yards 12 x 500lbs 8500feet slight flak

25 Dec '44 Supplies to Yugoslav Partisans 12 containers from 800feet

2 Feb '45 Supplies to North Yugoslav Partisans FLOTSAM AREA 12 containers from 1400feet

3 Feb '45 Supplies to North Yugoslav Partisans FLOTSAM AREA 12 containers from 500feet

Above Night Ops in RED DAYLIGHT Ops in BLUE

Ops 4 11 Oct - 34 SAAF - All others 31 SAAF primarily with Capt then Maj Carter

Trust the above is of use

PZULBA - Out of Africa Retired

 

[pzulba]

Hi Pzulba,

I'm interesting in all about 31 and 34 SAAF Squadrons. Especially I'm looking for infos about their missions to Poland. A few mounths ago I found a Liberator's KH-152 "F" crash site in south Poland. This happened at October 16/17, 1944. I have a contact with families of Pilot and Air Gunner... maybe your Dad flew with them..

regards from Poland.

Apologies for delayed response

From my Dad's log book, he flew with Lithgow as follows:

28 June 1944 - Aleppo to Cairo 3h 30m

6 July 1944 - Cairo to Castle Benito to Foggia 12h 40m

This would have been when 34 SAAF repositioned from Syria (where they had been on 'flag waving ops' to encourage the Turks) to Foggia

PZULBA - Out of Africa (Retired)

 

[seesul]

thank you flakhappy. you were over pardubice on aug. 25 and 4 days later the whole 20th sqdn of the 2nd bg was erased from the sky over my town.
'thanks' to this loss my friendship with with 'jersey joe' could begin...
don´t you have any pics of amendola to post?

Flakhappy- have you heard about this whole squadron loss back then? This squadron flew from Amendola as well...

 

[flakhappy]

Seesul; Sorry for the delay. I knew that the 2nd BG had some big losses at about that time. My group, the 97th lost 7 planes at once on Sept. 13, 44, over Blechhammer in Silesia. I was in another sqdn. and saw only a lot of smoke and bits of airplane passing my windows. It was either a direct hit on a bomb bay or one plane dropped its bombs on another. I don't think it was ever resolved. A 2nd BG pilot brought a severely damaged pla ne back to base on Sept. 21, 44, after it was hit over Debreczen, Hungary. He flew the plane home and landed it using only wing controls and the throttles. A flak burst had blown a hole through the plane's waist, killing the radioman and both waist gunners. The plane was held together by a four-foot strip at the top and about a six-foot strip at the bottom. The tail wheel collapsed on landing and the waist buckled,causing the plane to skid to a stop riding on the ball turret. I was on the field and helped release the ball gunner from his turret. He had ridden home unable to move the turret or to communicate with the rest of the crew. He was pretty wild-eyed when he crawled out.

 

[flakhappy]

Seesul: I see that I didn't answer your post entirely. I had seen present-day air photos of Amendola and am impressed that the entire layout of the Italian base is almost as it was in 1944, except for the palm trees, modern amenities, etc. Our bivouac area was pretty dismal 65 years ago. Six-man tents, etc.

 

[lingo]

Two squadrons (at least) of RAF Wellingtons were based at Foggia during 1944/5. The book 'Out of the Italian Night' by Maurice Lihou has a great deal of information about the location.

 

[flakhappy]

One of the RAF Wellingtons crashed into my squadron's bivouac area at Amendola, hitting several tents and killing several ground crewmen. It was in June, 1944, just before I joined the 97th Group.

 

[seesul]

Seesul; Sorry for the delay. I knew that the 2nd BG had some big losses at about that time. My group, the 97th lost 7 planes at once on Sept. 13, 44, over Blechhammer in Silesia. I was in another sqdn. and saw only a lot of smoke and bits of airplane passing my windows. It was either a direct hit on a bomb bay or one plane dropped its bombs on another. I don't think it was ever resolved. A 2nd BG pilot brought a severely damaged pla ne back to base on Sept. 21, 44, after it was hit over Debreczen, Hungary. He flew the plane home and landed it using only wing controls and the throttles. A flak burst had blown a hole through the plane's waist, killing the radioman and both waist gunners. The plane was held together by a four-foot strip at the top and about a six-foot strip at the bottom. The tail wheel collapsed on landing and the waist buckled,causing the plane to skid to a stop riding on the ball turret. I was on the field and helped release the ball gunner from his turret. He had ridden home unable to move the turret or to communicate with the rest of the crew. He was pretty wild-eyed when he crawled out.

Welcome back Flakhappy!
Guess you mean Sweat Pea Story... http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/b-17s-took-beating-11209.html
Btw, did I tell you we will have a 65th anniversary commemoration of the 20th Sqdn loss over my town this year?
A friend of mine, mentioned in my signature, is going to visit us again. He was among 49 survivors of the 9 crews that went down that day...
Some pics from his last visit are here http://forum.armyairforces.com/tm.aspx?m=127054&high=rudice
And also relatives of one airmen who was KIA are going to visit us as well. His name is Russell Meyrick, bombardier... more here http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/b-17s-took-beating-11209-2.html

 

[flakhappy]

sorry, Seesul. I first posted this response in the wrong thread. That's a fine story that fills in some of the blanks for me about the 2nd BG plane. I know it is injaccurate only in on respect: the ball gunner didn't get out of the turret until after it landed. I and a couple other guys opened the turret and pulled him out onto the tround. In the picture you can see the ball door lying open on the ground. I have a picture of that plane taken from the other side. By the way, the plane at the top in the group of pictures is the famous "All American" from the 97th BG, 414th Sqdn. struck by an attacking Me109 over a Tunisian target.

 

[seesul]

I know it is injaccurate only in on respect: the ball gunner didn't get out of the turret until after it landed. I and a couple other guys opened the turret and pulled him out onto the tround. In the picture you can see the ball door lying open on the ground. I have a picture of that plane taken from the other side.

That is vey interesting! Would you like to tell your story to 2nd BG historian? If so I´d send you his e-mail via PM...

 

[flakhappy]

That is vey interesting! Would you like to tell your story to 2nd BG historian? If so I´d send you his e-mail via PM...

Sure, Seesul. Fire away. If I can add a touch to the record, that's fine.

 

[seesul]

Thank you for your interest!
I just sent you a PM.

 

[mr2bob]

greetings, Seesul. Thanks for the images. I and my wife visited the present Italian base at Amendola in 1990. Much more civilized, but even so, much the same as in 44. As you probably know, we were heavily engaged in attacking Hitlelr's oil, first at Ploesti, and then the synthetic plants in Silesia, which became a passion for us because they were so important to choke off. My crew lost two men KIA, one POW (Bucharest) and I was with another crew, made up of "bastards" from other crews, that crash-landed in then Yugoslavia. We walked out, with the help of a band of Tito's followers who were paid in food and ammo. for every crew they helped. Lovely time. We had a good bomb group, (the first in the 8th AF, back in Aug., 42). Bombed two targets in Czechoslovakia, as I recall: the Skoda Works at Pilsen and a huge railroad marshalling yard.

Hello Flakhappy, I read some of your posts on the clean blue web site and you mentioned you flew B17's out of the Foggia airbase during the last half of 1944. What caught my eye was you were shot down over Yugoslavia and picked up by the Partisans. My Dad was also stationed in Foggia during the last half of 1944 and 1945. He also was shot down over Yugoslavia and picked up by Tito's people. His name was Bob Carey and was a tail gunner on a B17G with the 97th BG, 342 SQ. I believe his plane was called the Bitter Bitch. I didn't see where you said what Bomb Squadron you flew with. I just want to thank you for your service and how pleased I am reading your posts.

 

[catscrds]

Hi, I am trying to get information on my Uncle Frederick Beach who was stationed at Foggia, Italy. He was killed in action while flying his 13th mission in 1944. The story I heard from my mom was that another group was supposed to fly but something happend and they needed volunteers to go on this mission. They were hit by flak. The pilot, Mc Cabe, and co pilot got out and thought they saw parachutes from the others. My uncle is buried in a group grave at Jefferson Barracks. I would love to get any info you might have on the base there and anything else. I am still trying to get the group he belonged to. I only know that he was a part of the 603 Bombardment Squadron. they flew B-17's. He was a part of the Europe, African, Middle East Campaign and American Campaign. Thanks so much for any help! Cathi

 

[seesul]

Hi, are you sure about the 603th BS? It was a part of 398th BG but this group was stationed in England.
And youruncle is not included in the list of KIA of 398th BG. 398th Killed in Combat Missions

 

[seesul]

Check this Combat Crew Gallery Page 8
9th pic from top...there´s Lt Fred O. Beach in this crew...is it not him?

 

[soalebm]

I would like to know about the layout of the airfield and any memories of life on the base. If you would like to email me i can send you some questions. I have been working on this research project for almost three years and still have very little about Amendola. My email is [email protected].
Thanks,
Brandon

I was in the 99th at Foggia #2-Tortorella, moving up from Tunis during Dec43 I completed my tour of 50 missions/sorties in mid Feb44. I don't know how else I can help
Jules Horowitz
pilot 348th Sqdn

 

[seesul]

I would like to know about the layout of the airfield and any memories of life on the base. If you would like to email me i can send you some questions. I have been working on this research project for almost three years and still have very little about Amendola. My email is [email protected].
Thanks,
Brandon

Brandon, check this http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/stories/one-more-book-about-15th-usaaf-last-roll-call-23651.html
It´s a book written by a tail gunner who served in 97th BG stationed in Foggia. I got this book and you can find some good info there. In their websate you´ll find an e-mail of this tail gunner´s daughter Wandy. She would get you in touch with her dad.
And one more book http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/av...about-loss-20th-sqdn-aug-29-1944-a-19602.html
I´m sure this book will help you a lot!

 

[Stefaan]

Hi Caroline.
I am in SA and doing research on the SAAF as well.
Can you please email me at [email protected].

As for Foggia.
Mainly used by 205 BG which had 31 and 34 SAAF Sqdn, operating B-24's.
3 Wing had Marauders, and 12 sqdn used ther Marauder with 24 sqdn.The other sqdn, 21, used Baltimores at first, and the the Marauders.
Their were quite a few Bases in the area beibg used, not just one.
Stefaan