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THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E0 12958

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THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW EO 12958

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Squ dr vn F.i st or y 1,.2$t h Bomb a r d men t Sqi r on ( ' ) De cember 1'

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The f i r st f e da3rs of December , 1943 eer® at range ones f or t hefj , rNR

" CC1 ; 1 ust a s wer e t hose a year ago rvhen t he uni t w .s l ear ni ng t ?:e t echni qt;e of com- ( m

•b a t t r e raax'd ws. *. Alow t Y:e s i t ua t i on wa s r ev er sed . The un i t had

_z r vv en i t se l f `

' 0 on e of t h e r ost s uc ce s s f il . and ef f i c i ent a i r c or p s out f i t s i n t r.e t h ea t er . Th er e

/

Sver e 3 53 of f i c e r s a.nd mer_

t oge t h er on ce s ga i n (n o mea n a ch i ev eme nt c on s i d e r .n g 2

t h e st or y of t rie pr ev i.ou s f our mont h s )

, l ea r n i n h oz t o r e l a x n ow t h a t t h E wer e

on n on - comb at st a t u s . I t r s st r an ge t r ;; i n ; t o f i ? 1. a r ou t n e on t h c l i ne , i

.n

t h e of f i c e , and i r_t r e .

i r irho s e e nd r e s a l t ;va s n ot "3 i ., or t i e s a Ga i n st ' ' .

Someh ow or ot h er we wer e a pa.r i ., a d e t a ch e3 f r i nge f ^ cm t hi s c or n er of t Ye

t a pe st r y of gl obr l . rar ,

To b e st at i or:ed n ea r t r c c omf or t a and "oppor t t n i t i e s n of Ph i l l i owi l l e

adc? :: t o , st r ang e .: pl

.e . 5an t pi ct u r e , Tr e f ood i apr oved , t h Er E :7Gs w per -

.z ent r un vray , and f ac l f o h e at i n g cou l d b e f i l ched f r o a a c or k pi l e out i n

h ack of t h c ar e a . Th ough 'evr t h ou ght of i t f or l ong , i t Hra s :, t r e rnendot s st ep

a a ?y ?'r on P Er ' ea t -{, r i n g t s Cr os s , an mast of a L , Fien ze l TE;- ; me . Tha t i t

ou l n ' t l ;,s t l on! f o ° s ome or i s ,vs.s t o b e E1 , eet Fd .

n l r c ac ; t r cr c ;vr s a # r i ou s f or r.i n or s cr e l on s , a l e r t s , t r e.n s ; o s i t .i c

of al e r t s , 3n t ' E u sus.l shlaf f l i n g of e ch e l on s . Th e 42? t l- anti 3SOt h , b ol st Er -

ed b; tG" cr e8 s f r om t r e , 79t h and 3 l st rh o h d be en t r an s f e r r ed wer e Cor s i ca

b oun d . Th e 3Sl st wa s t o r e ns.i n t o ob t a i r. an i t r c.i n z fti i].

I s u a.dr on ' s compl e -

ment of "G" cr E , s rY.o ire r e s oon t o a r r i v e vr ;yt r t y: e i r a i r pl a n e s . Sub se qu ent ]

c adr e s of b ot h t he 38 1 st an d 1,2 t Y? r ema i r:ec 1: c:h i nd t o t r a i n "G" cr ews , : .,rr -._--_a r ent l y ea ch s qu.a

dr on wa s t o } e r ef i t t c .' r l t Y:E cann on - b ear i ng a i r pl an e s . ._, :_Ch , I nd i a , h er e re c ome : °

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T H IS PA G E D E CLA SSIFIED IAW E O 12958


. . . , . .. • .•. , •' 1. .2

t h >l omb a r d ment Squ adr on T i st or De cQmb er 1- 3I , 191. ,,. • • '

,_

On t r e nor ni n g of f e ce mb e r 7t h , +?-E ,r oun d e ch s l on of 6 of f i c er s and

].lr

' enl i st ea nen de la r t Hd wi t h 4 8 v eh i c l e s r st ti rea r t rn 3 f or t h e st a ,i ng ar ea

a t Li ze r t e . 11Z6 ch op pi n u p of t r e vr_i t st ;; r t cd on ce a ga i n i n ea r n e st . " e

l e f t b e f or e :a wn , upr oot ed a a i n- - t h e sa ne b e n by n cJ; a s emi - nor ma l st.at e

of a f f a i r s . I t s e emed bv t ; e st Er i a ;; t l- at e r s.c? s pent a n i bht a t t r c b s r r en

st a,Ci ng ar Ea a e ar ouk 1 ..rb a , t o a r d wl: i cr, we we r e h eaded t o s pend t h e n i ght .

s we dr ov E t hr ou 6l- l .? ' 'ed j e r : a c}- a i r_, a f Ew of s horlue r wh e t Y cr :e ' d ev er

s c t `.' ^ J e i l l s a ga i n . Ai n Dr a i .:m, a pi c t ur e s que Fr cr_ol . vi l 7

_a ge per che d a t op

t h e s e rn ou nt a i n 9 , he d b e e:n. a c ool ha n f r om hea t - b o n ::i n g ' s cr o s s l a st

su mmer .

n t h e s " e r n oon of t h e e i g ` t h : e r ov E- t r r ct: ;r: b omli - t or n t i .,e r t e . The

st r e et s wer e c l ca r ed : ow, a nd mi l i t s r y per s onu e l tive r e ev E•r nrh er e ab ona , but i t

tiva s s t i ll a sr e l l of s. c i t q , a s b aa l y cr a c l_ed a s i t h ad r ner. ?a st Spr i n g , 0!Zo

l ook a t our a s s i gn ed s ; ot i n t l-E: st a i n tr es. anc; rre fcne w we ' d "r a . i t " .

I t 7ra s a pl a c e i t r s.i cdL t i i1

.,1 v i ev; a r.d mor E b Eati i f u 1 pr o s pec t s f or a

n i ce r e s s of muc e rh en a dr i zz l e ca rn e . .nd.

i t ca me - - b;Y t h c bu c?se t af .il l . r ov ; h

we rre r e sb.rieclu l s d t o dr i ve r i gl-.t on t o a v c s se l f or s1_ _pLnent a s s oon a s we

a r r i ved. , wE n i cul ' t t ake i t t oo s e r i or .s

l 3 . "e pr e pa r ed t o h ol e i n un f,l vde

we r c a c ce pt ed by s ome Cor s i ca - b oun3 ws t e r e x rr a s s .

Per h a ps t •} . r iost =EC FNmi n f ea t u r F t h st Ag ?nt a r Pa 11ad t o of f er t o

count er b a l an ce t r e qLGl i t ;;* of t b e m . ck ,a s t Y:e evi ce l c:nt qug l i t y s.n3 q a nt i t y

of t r E f ood . Tt onl y pr ov ed t o t l: e c-,fn i c s t ti .,t t oo mu cr of t h e lrc t r a t i on a

ar e sk or t st oppe d a t pa r •t, a r ea s . A y ear i n l i t t l e:, ou t - of - t ;e - way wa st e l an a s

ra s l':u r d t o f or get . Our Ch r i st ma s menu w<Gs t o t ha t da t e on e of t k e h i gr

no i nt s of t h e rra r . ha t mea l and t Y:e ma i l ea l l Ch r {st rn;, s h ve f a nn ed t h e f l a gg-

i n g ent r u s i s.sr . .f t er t . _; os t cl

_r ee we e'_ s oa s i l en ce i t we s j u s t vha t t h e

' id o ct or ' r d er ed . ' ' " • -

- 123..



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BoMbar dment Sq .adr on Ei st or y • r ecember 1L31, 1 43 •. . .. • . •

On t.h e 23r d we pl ann ed t o embar }: on ce a ga i n , but t h e pr epa r a t i on : e nt

o4 er b oar d on t h e ol d dr y r u n gan g ? l ank . i t h t r.e out f i t con.nen i ent l y s ca t t e r ed

a t ]1 08 on t h e r or n i n g of t h e 26t h , t h e or der ca me t l:r ou gh f or ha l f ou r nu rnb e r t o

b e r Ea dy f o emb s.r k h r 1l .00 . At 1 530 , 3 of f i ce r s , 70 enl i s t e d me n and 16 v eh i c l e s

st a,r t ed t o l oad on h ' IST No . 1 25 . Th e r e ma iyn.

de r wer e l e f t b ehi nd t o ca t ch

another thE "next day"., which by this tirtte was a threadb .rebrusho$P,

H . SLST 1,25 wa s an Amer i c an - bu i l t LST i:"a nn ed b y t h e Er i t i sh l avy . Ida ny

of t h e men sl e pt on t Y:E: d e ck s . Some pr e f er r ed t o do s o- - t h e i t t er s i f y ou l i ke .

.Tn e f ood ara.s a s b ad a s we h ad expe ct ed . Tl-:i s t i me we cat l dn ' t ob 3e ct - - we had

br ou ght our own . Tany a rnan env i ec' t h e i r f r i end s i n t ?-:o T1avy j u st f or t h c f ood

he sar accorded the ship's crew. They werE a nardxrorking lot for tre ehip was

undernanned. .it in light-fingeredness they far outst.rinped our tioys. The

f l ot i l l comma nder vra s ab oa r d 1_ u t t h e l e s s s a i d of h i m, t h e h et t e r , l e wo i h d

an ch or a t 210 0 on t h e ev en i.ng of t h e 2 7t I and we r e on ovr wav , f our LST ' s a n:

s Liberty Ship preceded by two mine sweepers.

T}:a t . a f t e r noon , on e af t h e L„ ' I' ' s and. E hi b er t y Sh i p s l i pped i

.nt o Ca gl i a r i

and 3 I 'T ' s went rh.at s e e med t h e i r l one l y rTay . So meh ow or ot h er t r e t wo t i ny

mi n e s ree per s u p ah ea d di dn ' t 9Fem t oo f or m_da.bl e an s s cor t . Qn i de l y s pa ced

occasior_s a single fighter plane wvulu come into view. Jn the ecening of the

29t h , we pul l ed i nt o t h e i sl an d ha r b or of b ea u•t .fh l ; it de l e na . I n t h E d i st a n ce

vv e c ou l d se e Ca pr a i a , t h E l i t t l e i s l an d • rher E i t i s r e por t ed t ha t n" , ss ol i n i

ha d b e en t a?-en an d dr a ma t i ca l l y r e scu ed b y t l- e Ger man s ri t h t h e a i d of br i be d

St a l i a n f f i c e r s . , i n t o vJh o s e cu st ody h E rra s pl.a ced .

The next mornina we pu'led anchor at J'700, A jacio bound. T -is time re

l ef t a mi n s s vre e per and t h e 3r d LST b eh i nd . Th e n e rt day sh e pr oces de d t owa r d s

Ba st i a on an i l l - f a t e 3 r un . Sh e wa s b l own i n t wo b - a mi n e s ome d i st . ce S

of Eor g o wi t h s l o s s of on e h a l f her h .im9.n cr. r go of 300 QTT per s onn e l . Th e

- 121 -



- - -. . ., .. , , . ,

1, 28 h Bombar dment Squadr on Hi st or y De cember 1; 31 , 1 43•., . • '

l a t t e r h ad b een b i v ou a ced n ext t o u s a t Ei ze r t e . S ch i s t h e st u 'f of f a t e .

All things considered, the trip was unevEntful--perfect, from trle official

tpoint of view. e dropped anchor in the beautif l.

harbor of A aecio at 1400

hours. By 1700 hours, the first motor convoy headed for the staging area at

Me zzouv i .a per ha ps '] mf l e s Nor t h we s t of t h e - t own .

Th e 3l st day f oun d u s bu s i l y en ga ged ,b vt h s et t i n g u p af t e r t h e h a st y

ca mp pr e par a t i on s of t h e n i ght b e f or e , a nd t r y i n g t o f i nd ou t i f w e wer e t o

sh ove of f t h E n ext da r . As u suia l t h e end pur po se s v e r e di v e r s e . Th e per s onn el

mov ed t o a j a cc i o a l mo st enma s s e New l ' ea r ' s E e . Tr e ev en i ng Na s s .r pr i s i n gl y

qv.i e t . At 1 0 :30 nre wer e ba ck at t h e b a se , a l l of u s s oun c , a nd mos t of u s

s oh er . Thu s wa s t h e pa s s i n g of Ann o Domi ni 19J+3 . . ,or vv er e t h er e an y t ea r s

over its passing.

As a un i t , wE had b e en l u c cy dUr i n g t hs pa st y ea r i n man y y s . Our l os s e s

ivere lower than any of the other squsdrons in the group, and t e had a larger

numb er of enem y k i ll s . Si n ce t h e b eg i n n i ng of t h e y ea r , wh en e f i r st st a r t ed

i.nto combat,the feeling had grown in the squadron tY st our unit was something

more than 3ust another squadren; fin fact, aentiment could be found quite pre-

valent that the !}28th S uadron was, in a large part, the 310th Group. Of co urse,

it was always difficult to get members of the otr er three squadrons to a3mit

this, but occasionally, in a confidential raood, or perhaps when not quite sober ,

and therefore not inhibited, they Rou .d sigh and confess that yes the 1.,.2

8th

rs,E parobab l y , a l l i n a l l , t h s b e st s qua dr on i n t h e gr oup .

Tr ough we ha d b een f or t un a t e a s a un i t , t h er e ar e v er y f e r, i f a ny , a mong

the squadron 's personnel that regret that 1943 is over. fe ha4e come trrough

s a r e of t Y:e r ou gh e s t l i v i ng c onc i t i on s any o f u s h av e ever seen , r ch pr ob ab l y

reached their worst at Ring 's Cross, where for two reeks thE win d blew at 25

milES per hour , and it was 120 ddgreee in the shade SurEZy 19 !{.will be better,c . -

L ti . . . _ - i -125-


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