SG 4: 18 March 1944

Communication from BACKFISCH (1. Fallschirmjäger Division) on late evening of 17 March:

Ground attack of targets of primary urgency:

Railway bridge over Rapido east of Cassino railway station, at point 36 on map 1:25000.

Via Casilina road brige over Rapido at point 40. Depot at JJ9C25 and road traffic from there to Cassino.

Traffic on the Via Casilina.

The Division further requests fighter protection and recce.

SG 4's services were clearly in demand and this was a particularly intense day with at least five separate raids. At 0910 hours,18 Fw 190s took off to bomb Pasanelle and motor traffic on the road there, reporting a fire and a cloud of black smoke among the buildings. In a battle with six Spitfires, they claimed one shot down without loss.

Another nine Focke-Wulfs were up at 11.43 hrs. One turned back with damage to its landing gear while the remainder bombed an ammunition depot 2 km. north of Cassino. For once there was no contact with opposing fighters and the raiding force returned without loss. At 12.55 hrs, 11 Fw 190s set out: four of them bombing a bridge [IK3B] and seven road traffic [KK1A, 5C, 1C]. Although engaged by 12 Spitfires they came through without loss.

Eleven aircraft of II./SG 4 took off at 1725 hrs. but one aborted with a damaged undercarriage and dropped its unfused bomb into Lago di Vico while the other ten attacked traffic [SK 3D]. Twelve Spitfires intercepted but the Fw 190s claimed one probable for no loss of their own. Ten aircraft from the I. Gruppe were airborne at the same time but one developed engine trouble and jettisoned its bomb unfused. Nine Focke-Wulfs arrived over their target [IK 3D] but only seven of them bombed the traffic there. The other two suffered technical trouble and jettisoned their bombs unfused over friendly territory because of technical trouble. A combat with 4–6 Spitfires brought no success or loss. Twenty-two of III./JG 53’s Bf 109s were up to escort these late afternoon raids.

NOTES:

1. I've left the deciphered map references in square brackets—I still have some work to do in plotting these locations.

2. "Pasanelle" is another of the unreliable place names that litter Allied and German reports of the campaign.

SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE

Complied from German communications, including after-action reports, picked up by the Allies.