April 16-17, 1944, bombings of Belgrade

[tegbridges]

I am trying to obtain more information on the April 16-17 bomb attacks of Belgrade by the 15th Air Force. My father, a downed B-24 pilot, was in Dulag 172 that day, directly across from Belgrade's marshalling yard. Wayward bombs both days landed on my father's camp, inadvertently killing Itallian and Serb POWs. I am writing a book about my father's WWII.
Here is what I would like to know:
*Has anyone seen a good general summary for either day's attack?
*How many bombs were dropped each day?
*How many bombers participated each day?
*Has anyone come across good on-the-ground accounts of the devastation in Belgrade? I've found Professor Simic's account and one at http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/semlin/en/
*What was the primary target on April 16? (Belgrade was the secondary target)
*What was the target in Belgrade on April 16? (Many of the bombs landed in residential areas?
Thanks!
Tyler Bridges

[Larry deZeng]

Except for the separated entries marked "Rust" and "Checkertail", the following is from the Luftlage portion of the Oberbefehlshaber Südost daily reports:


16 April 1944
Approx. 150 4-engine bombers attacked the city of Belgrade, with the bomb carpet marched through the center of the city (few military losses, but considerable civilian casualties). Airfield at Pancevo hit (little damage) and the airfield at Zemun (2 aircraft totally destroyed, 3 damaged, runway and taxiway damaged). Additional damage report: 3 aircraft destroyed at Zemun airfield, repair shops 50% destroyed and hangars damaged. In Belgrade, 13 German and 318 Serbian dead, great damage to buildings in city center. At Pancevo airfield, runway damaged, 2 aircraft totally destroyed.
Own Luftwaffe: Schlachtfl. employment in Croatia with weaker forces.
Fighters shot down 10 enemy ale plus 3 probables, while Flak shot down another 4. 1 Ju 52 with 17 men aboard was shot down by an Allied escort fighter.
(OBSO daily report 17.4.44)
Allied fighters strafed Uljan, 2 men badly wounded. (T-314:562/397).

"15th AF B-17s bombed industrial targets, airfields and an aircraft factory in the Belgrade area." (Rust)


17 April 1944
Renewed attack on Belgrade (17.4.44), by approx. 300 4-engine a/c. Rail lines and bridges (great damage to the marshalling yard, railway bridge over the Sava damaged, heavy damage to buildings in city center). Estimate of attacking aircraft later increased to 530 bombers and escort fighters. Zemun airfield was also hit again during this raid, with heavy damage.
Fighter-bombers attacked Rogaz Bay destroying 1 boat and damaging 2 others. In another F-B attack on the Split R-R station, 4 men were wounded.
10 F-Bs attacked Knin destroying barracks and damaging headquarters buildings. 3 trucks were destroyed. (314:562/403)
Own Luftwaffe: stronger Schlachtfl. employment against Partisans in Croatia. 1 Allied a/c certain and 3 probables shot down by fighters over Bulgaria. (OBSO daily report 18.4.44)

"15th AF B-24s bombed the marshalling yard at Sofia, while B-17s bombed industrial targets, airfields and the marshalling yard at Belgrade." (Rust)
During the 15th AF attack on Belgrade, 325th Fighter Group flew escort with 38 P-47s. Lt. Emmons shot down two aircraft (type not given) bringing his score to 8, while Lt. G.B. Edwards and F/o p.J. Kastner each downed a Bf 109. One further enemy ale was claimed as "probable". The Group lost no aircraft. (Checkertail, p.45).

For the other details such as primary target, number of bombs dropped, raid assessment/after action reports, post-strike reconnaissance photos, etc., you will have to get that from the 15th AAF records at AFHRA Maxwell.

L.

[tegbridges]

Thank you for taking the time to help, Larry. I appreciate it. What is "Rust" and what is "Checkertail"?

Thanks, Tyler

[Larry deZeng]

Two books that have a brief mention of the Belgrade missions:

McDowell, Earnest R. and William N. Hess. Checkertail Clan: The 325th Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy. Fallbrook (CA): Aero Publishers, 1969. Card cover. 98p. Heavily illustrated. Rosters and mission lists. Index.

Rust, Kenn C. Fifteenth Air Force Story: …in World War II. Temple City (CA): Historical Aviation Album, 1976. ISBN: 911852-79-4. Card cover. 64p. Heavily illustrated.

L.

[tegbridges]

Thanks again, Larry!
Tyler

[ChristianK]

Hi Tyler, attached are some additional statistics from "Bombing the European Axis Powers" by Richard G. Davis. I guess you can use them.

Regards,
Christian