A WWII War Story

The 301st Bomb Group consisted of four Bomb Squadrons. The Squadrons were the 32nd, 352nd, 353rd and the 419th. Below is a story that appeared as a special in the Stars and Stripes Naples edition. (Special to the Stars and Stripes, Naples edition) A bit of history from the files of the 32nd Bomb Squadron Web page. Read other combat stories on their web page. Just click on their link at the end of this post.

301st Target hit by 301st

15th Army Air Forces in Italy, July 9, 1944
The 301st Bombardment Group, one of the two B-17 Flying Fortress Groups to feel the fury of German fighters and flak in this way, yesterday completed its 301st mission.

Crew members of the Veteran Bombardment Group overseas for two years jubilantly reported that their bombs had smashed directly into the 301st target’s airfield installations at ZWOLFAXING AIRDROME near Vienna, Austria.

Colonel John F. Batjer, Houston, Texas, commanding officer who led the mission, reported the crews had done one of the best jobs of their 23 months of combat from England, Africa and Italy.

The 301st bomb Group, which led both of the first bombing missions against Rome and sank the Italian Heavy Cruiser Trieste, has been cited twice. Once came when it blew up an ammunition convoy entering Bizerte Harbor during the closing phases of the Tunisian campaign and another when it participated in the coordinated attack from England and Italy against Regensburg, Germany. During its two years overseas, the Fortress outfit has destroyed 386 enemy airplanes in aerial battles and probably destroyed 162 others. Enemy targets have been covered during that time with approximately 34,000,000 pounds of high explosives.

The 301st Group was activated February 3, 1942 at Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington and left the States the following July for England. http://www.32ndbombsquadron.com/32ndacts.html