Il bombardamento del 19 agosto
THURSDAY, 19 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
About 70 B-24’s bomb the marshal- ling yard at Foggia, Italy. P-40’s fly coastal reconnaissance over the toe of Italy and bomb roads and buildings.
WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force):
In Italy, 150+ Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-17’s bomb the Foggia marshalling yard, while almost 100 medium bombers hit marshalling yards at Sapri and Salerno; the bombers, and escorting P-38’s claim 34 enemy planes
shot down, against 8 losses; Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) A-36’s attack the Cantanzaro marshalling yard; P-40’s on sweeps over the Italian toe attack a train near Melito di Porto Salvo and strafe a small numberof trucks. The 12th Photographic Squadron (Light), 3d Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, ceases operating from Gela/Ponte Olivo, Sicily with F-4’s and
returns to it’s base at Ariana, Tunisia. The 86th and 97th Bombardment Squadrons (Light), 47th Bombardment Group
(Light) transfer from Torrente Coumunelli to Gerbini, Sicily with A-20’s.