[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Hamsterman

Thanks Nick,
Did a "quick" check on all things ANR. Am I correct that there were only two squadrons (1 and 2) but only the #2 squadron would have been operational on 6 November and would have been based at Aviano?

The IIº Gr. C. moved to Aviano on 4 November.

The Gruppi were more like USAAF Groups — consisting of three Squadriglie (squadron-sized units). Only the IIº Gr. C. (Roman numerals for Gruppi, Arabic for Squadriglie) was operational at this point. The Iº Gr. C. didn't return from training in Germany until January 1945.

In saying that you have nothing for them on 6 November does that mean you have the records and they didn't fly or you just don't have any records for that date?

I co-wrote a book about 25 years ago called "Air War Italy 1944–45". My two Italian friends did most of the ANR research but sadly the one I mostly corresponded with (he was the English speaker) has since died. He and his colleague had interviewed many ANR veterans and had a big collection of diaries, photos, letters and documents. They did not uncover any operational flying for 6 November 1944. Of course, an operation shows up much more clearly when there are claims and losses and it's not even clear if anyone fired a shot at the 310th BG in that "unaggressive pass".

I didn't find anything in Allied Signals Intelligence reports, daily operations summaries or ULTRA decrypts. I can't say we didn't possibly miss something during our years of research (and anyway, Axis documentation is fragmentary) only that we didn't find evidence of an ANR action on the 6th. There was no public internet then—you wrote letters and travelled to archives—so we didn't have those online mission reports for 310th BG for example.

No 202s. What about 205s? Would those also have been phased out by that time?

Bf 109s only: 42 (of which 27 were serviceable) on 2 November.

Any idea why the bomber crews would have described three white stripes on the fuselage? I can't find any ANR Bf-109s with any markings even somewhat resembling three white stripes.

Because, time and time again, airmen on all sides reported things "seen" in combat which weren't there, or misinterpreted what was there. They were trying, after the event, to make sense of fleeting impressions in situations where their lives had been in immediate danger.