3/4 October 1944

3/4 October 1944 (Page 96)

I have not come across many accounts from people who came under attack by NSG 9.

The website http://www.milhist.net/913/4410.html tells how Battery C of the US 913th Field Artillery Batallion, 88th Infantry Division was moving to new positions due south of Castel del Rio (BO) on 3 October 1944 when it was bombed and strafed by "a light bomber" at 19.03 hours.

Three men of the battery were killed and seven more wounded. Two members of A Battery were also wounded. Sergeant Cheon's gun section had its gun truck destroyed by a direct hit and their howitzer had to be sent for repair.

This was a night of intense activity for NSG 9 with crews flying multiple sorties, so it is not possible to say which Ju 87 crew might have been involved in this particular attack.

Acknowledgement: thanks to Laurent Rizzotti for drawing my attention to this information.

ULTRA and NSG 9: October 1944

For a detailed discussion of ULTRA signals and their interpretation, click here.

7 October 1944	HP 2622 ZZ Intended night ground attack ops before centre or eastern sector of front from dusk to 05.00 hours night 7/8th cancelled by GAFUIT owing weather at 17.30 hours. 080639Z/10/44
16 October 1944	HP 3868 ZZ 2./NSG 9 transferred from Bettola to Ghedi I airfield on 16th. 19219Z/10/44
20 October 1944	HP 4081 ZZZZ According GAFUIT evening 20th: from 21st night ground attack to be reckoned with from Verona area. Target data requested. Comment: arrival Special Staffel Einhorn at Villafranca on 19th in HP 4011. Stab and 1. Staffel NSG 9 at Bovolone on 7th in HP 3010. 211749Z/10/44
21 October 1944	HP 4138 ZZ Announced by GAFUIT at 13.30 hours/21st: Ju 87s to operate night 21/22 from Verona area on road strafing in area in front of central “Alpine” sector. Operations from dusk to 19.00 hours. Secondly, above ops cancelled owing weather. 220709Z/10/44
	HP 4231 3./NSG 9 at Villa Franca/Verona on 21st. Comment: at Aviano on 7th, HP 3010. (Compare GAFUIT intenion of NGA ops from Verona in HP 4081)
22 October 1944	HP 4301 GAFUIT intentions for 22nd and 23rd ... (c) ferrying of one Ju 87 to Vicenza.

Wing Commander Lawrence Styles (Page 97)

There is an error in the caption of the lower photograph: "28/28 August" should read "28/29 August."