Bombing Missions 15th AF, 15th AF

All :

I am posting two photos , would appreciate present time
photos of what these targets may look like. The bridge
at piatra was repeatedly bombed by the 15th AF in
May, June and July 1944. I have no details on when
this bridge was finally put out of commission.


The second bomb plot photo calls it Turnul Severin
though the 459th seems to aim at a barge or
something similar on the river. The first salvo
seems to have hit the water or a target in the
water rather than Turnul Severin M/Y .



Alex

This post has been edited by yugit on December 28, 2011 12:31 pm

Can't really figure out the Piatra pic, either something is off or who knows..




On a side note 50+ years later that recon pic is still better than what google can provide with its satellites for that region

This post has been edited by muggs on December 21, 2011 08:33 pm

Muggs, thank you lots for your post and help

BR
Alex

Piatra is in fact the old name of Piatra Olt station and city.

The bridge still exists today, on the old railway which connects Bucharest and Craiova. As the current main line to Craiova, which conects Bucharest and the south eastern part of romania (Oltenia province) was finished only after the war's end, back then, the old railway going through Pitesti and Piatra Olt was the only main railway connection between Oltenia and Bucharest.

This explains the bridge's strategyc importance and the actuall attempt to destroy it.

And a satelite photo from the actual area.

The bridge is in the image's right part, near "Balta Milcov".



This post has been edited by romrail on December 22, 2011 07:08 pm

Thanks romrail, at first i thought it was a Piatra near the Danube but there was no bridge in that area, unfortunately again the imagery for this area is a bit outdated and of bad quality

Muggs....thanks for your efforts...voila...that's it !

Perhaps you can check availability on current
photos ( from the ground rather than aerial from
google ) on Fata Motrului shot by the Luftwaffe
on Sept 7,44 depicting a rail bridge. It says on
it aprox. 52 Km air distance to Turnul Severin.

Second depicts an amo dump at Costana with the Legend beneath:

1-3 Amo Dumps
4- Costana Railway Station ( capacity 0/23)
5- Railway bridge

The arrows states 67 Km air distance to Targoviste


It was shot by the Luftwaffe on July 10, 1944



Alex K

This post has been edited by yugit on December 28, 2011 12:31 pm

Wrong.
It doesn't states 67 km distance to Targoviste ( South Romania)

More precise 67 km distance to Tschernowitz ( Cernauti)
Also on the map is "Suczawa" ( Suceava)
The map show an ammo depot ( Costana) in North of Moldavia.

Quite so... Actually this "Costana" is in Ukraine by now, no longer in Romania!

my reading error ...I didnt know it belongs now
to Ukraine

Thanks
Alex K

Hello again!

Until some gropund photos of the objectives shown in this topic will appear, I think that the "google" aerials, even if they are a bit outdated and not very sharp, are helpful.

Concerning the railway bridge on "Fata Motrului", I'm posting below an aerial of the area.

romrail, the sattelite image you posted is of the bridge over the Jiu on the stretch of road between Filiasi and Arginesti. The Arginesti Forest is much older than 70 years and it should have appeared in the aerial photo.

Fata Motrului is more to the west, after one passes through Butoiesti. See below.


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yugit, please mention the source for the images you post. You know the forum rules.

Victor and Romrail, thanks for your addition. I am attaching herewith
June 11, 44 Focsani airfield bombing with request for any present
ground photos of whatever may be left in there , eventually the
unscaved plane ID which is visible NE.

Legend :

1.Repair Shops
2.Hangars
3.Barracks
4.similar as above
5.buildings

Galati airfield June 2, 44


Oradea ( unknown area) Sept.6,44



Craiova (unknown area June 24,44)

Note last salvo is heading towards what was believed to
be the target ,the rail repair shops and M/Y.


Thanks

Alex K

This post has been edited by yugit on December 28, 2011 12:31 pm

You're right Victor!

Looks like I've messed up the bridges and posted the wrong one. Yet I suspect that since the bridge over Jiu river was located on the same main line between Craiova and Turnu Severin it might have been also a target of the bombings.

I do stare at the map of that particular region for a living, so it's easier for me

yugit, please mention the sources for the images, as I asked in the previous post.

Regarding the Craiova photo, I have highlighted with red the bombed area on the current map. With yellow you will see the present-day railroad track and the train station on it. The bombed area is currently the Electroputere factory/shopping mall (just opened this November). In the vicinity is the Ford plant, so one can joke by saying the Americans were clearing the ground for it.

My opinion is that the target was something different and not railroad related. Maybe some barracks or military depots.



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