Incursione non compresa nel perimetro della ricerca.
- Mission Number: 24
- Date: 14 Feb ’44
- Target: Prato, Italy M/Y
- 449th A/C Over Target: 37
- Tons of Bombs Dropped: 80 GP
- Flak: None
- Enemy A/C Destroyed: 0
- 449th A/C Lost: 0
- Results: Poor
Forty B-24H’s took off at 0857 to bomb Prato, Italy, M/Y. Three returned early, one returned its bombs, the others jettisoning. Thirty-seven dropped 80 tons of 500-lb GP .1 and .025 on various targets in addition to the primary target as listed below. Two of these returned their bombs while three jettisoned their bombs. The list of tonnage and targets follows:
- Prato M/Y / 11 ships / 27.5 tons
- Pisa M/Y / 14 ships / 35 tons
- Pontedera A/D / 3 ships / 7.5 tons
- Pisa A/D / 3 ships / 7.5 tons
- On tracks or road / 1 ship / 2.5 tons at 4358N – 1108E
Total 80.5 tons.
The above bombs were dropped from 1213 to 1235 hours from 20,000′ to 22,000′.
The flight was made without escort and without other groups. Upon reaching the target area, the target was found to be partially covered presenting a poor bombing opportunity. The attack on the primary target was made on an axis of 7° T.
The other targets listed above were struck on the route out of the target area back to the reciprocal course for the base.
Photo coverage was not obtained. Of five cameras: one froze, one returned early, one did not take any pictures. The pictures from the other two did not show any bomb strikes.
Visual observation claims good hits in M/Y at Prato.
Results of the Pisa M/Y and adjoining trackage were claimed to be good. One stick of bombs is claimed to have dropped down middle of yards. Other observers claimed many hits in yards and on tracks leading in.
At the Pontedera A/D one stick was observed to strike the runway while a few scattered hits among installations were claimed.
At Pisa A/D four bombs were observed to strike the runway while other bombs burst between the runways.
Fighters: None.
Flak: None. [No losses, damage or casualties.]