22/23 MAY 1944 (Pages 36-37)

Operations Record Book, No. 244 Wing RAF

Venafro, Italy

23 May 1944

In the early hours of the morning a mixed bag of Ju 88s and 87s stooged overhead, but though bombs were dropped in adjacent valleys, none were near us.

Note: if accurate, this entry documents a hitherto unknown operation by 1./NSG 9, at least six of whose Ju 87s had been withdrawn from Tuscania a week earlier. The only operations known from ULTRA to have been planned that night were as follows:

KV 4857
Bombing operations against Fondi and Itri at about 02.30 hours [local time]. Approach and return flight overland. Marking of front line absolutely essential.

KV 4863
Flak warning. Bomber formation returning to Udine at 04.30 hours [local time].

Bombers returning to Udine were far more likely have been Ju 88s (possibly of KG 76) than Ju 87s. When in the north, NSG 9's aircraft used Caselle-Torino as their base.