Invasion of Italy

Bocce Balletin: Our Team 12 beat Team 6 today - 12-10.
SALERNO.
Thursday, September 9, 1943. Tunis, North Africa.
I will quote from my Diary:
Briefing at 0450 this morning. This is my 45th mission today - my second after returning from a week’s R&R in Cairo. Our target area was Cantello, Italy - north of Naples. The specific target was a bridge to cut off the retreat of the German army. We were without any fighter escort. I flew with Capt. Kutschera, leading the squadron in #773 - “Scrubby Ole Goat”.
We had to turn back 100 miles out over the Mediterranean. Our No. 4 engine threw a cylinder head through the ring cowling. Then, the No.3 engine started acting up, So I salvoed the twelve 500 pound bombs into the water, to lighten our weight.
So, I missed seeing the invasion of Italy at Salerno.
Friday, September 10, 1943. 46th mission. Vinchiaturo, Italy - a rairoad bridge. Briefing at 0550 this morning, and then off to the land of olives, grapes, spaghetti and Jerries. I led the Squadron, and the second wave, with the Major piloting. We experienced bad weather al the way to Italy. Then, we lost an engine just off the coast of Italy. We turned back after we lost our wing squadron in the overcast. We started losing altitude, so I got rid of the bombs over the water. Our new Colonel led the Group for the first time today. Time of mission 06:30.
Major “Pappy” Haynes finished his 50th mission today, and “buzzed”
the field upon his return.
Wednesday, September 15, 1943. My 47th mission was to Battapaglie, Italy. The specific target was a highway that the Germans were using.
I was at a Group bombardiers meeting, when they announced a “Briefing” in 20 minutes - at 1430. I hurried back to my tent for my equipment, and on to “Briefing”, which was brief. Intelligence just had a map of the target area.
We got over the target at 6pm. Visibility was very poor - very hazy this time of day. I didn’t pick up the target until we were on top of it. We continued the bomb run for a few minutes, and then did a 180 degree turn, and headed back west in the oposite direction. Visability was even worse flying into the sun. I set up the bombsight to drop them on a road, but I missed the target. Four Me-109’s hopped us , but no damage done to our
B-17.
I saw some flak as we were leaving the target area, but it turned out to our warships firing on German dive bombing of our ships in the Gulf of Salerno. There was quite a bit of activity in the Gulf and on the beach.Our 5th Army is desparate, and the situation is critical
I flew with Moe and the Major in “096”. I led the Squadron, I am about the only “original” bombardier left. At 8,000 feet, on our return trip, I saw a most beautiful sunset behind the clouds. It was dark when we landed (our first night landing in combat.) and the traffic pattern was a rat race!
Mission time 05:00.
Redbird and Wolf finished their 50 missions today
September 16, 1943. My 48th mission - Target- Caserta, Italy. Rail marshalling yard. Briefing was at 0930 this morning. I led the Squadron in “096”, with the Major and Mac. The weather was good and our bombing was quite good. I didn’t see any fighters, but we encountered some accurate flak as we left the target area. We bombed the marshalling yard and some bridges.
Mac turned back about a half hour from the Italian coast. Their No. 4 engine as feathered and I saw him salvo his bombs. The crew is still unaccounted. Fred O. and Bob J. finished their tour of duty today.
We carried 16 300 pound bombs. Mission time 06:00.
49th Mission. Saturday, September 18, 1943.
We hit the airdrome with thirty eight 100# frag and incendiary bombs, and did a pretty good job. There was supposed to have been 200 planes in the field and dispersal areas - mostly HE-111’s, according to the aerial photo taken a couple of days previously.
The weather and visibility were fairly good. The flak was moderately heavy and quite accurate, although we didn’t receive any holes in the plane. I didn’t see any German fighters. Mission time - 06:30.

ALLIES INVADE Italy.
“”1943: Turning the Tide “(cont.)
On September 9, 1943, Gen. Mark Clark’s Fifth army invaded Italy with a landing at Solano - near Naples. Our 2nd Bomb Group bombed the area before - during - and after the landing.
I will paraphrase from the book listed above.
The beachhead was deadly. The U.S. troops faced a surprise crossfire from the German gun crews.
Four days later, the Germans fought back with a tank-led counterattack. This German strategy drove the allies back to the Mediterranean, where they started.
The Allied offensive drew 13 Nazi Divisions away from the Russian Front. The Italian Campaign might have proceded faster except for political problems. After Sicily fell to the Allies, the Italian Fascist regime arrested Mussolini, then, they asked for peacre terms. The Allies insisted on “unconditional surrender”. This stalled any agreement for 39 days. In the meantime, German reinforcements swarmed into Italy.
RCL = 6/15/09.