Hi Max, to answer your questions, my father flew all his combat missions from Grosseto Italy, and from his letters home, did a lot of flying in Havocs (B, G, and K models) to Naples, Follonica, Rosignano, Villa Franca, Pisa, and other cities to get needed provisions. He even brought back vegetables and cigarettes for the men. He mentions the prices of the goods to his future wife, as her father was a farmer on weekends and a lawyer during the week! Probably trying to impress the old man.. (my future grandpa).
Looking at his logbook, October 18th and 20th 1944 he flew in an A-20B, he flew twice on February 22 and once on February 24 1945 in an A-20B all out of Grosseto, and on March 4th in an A-26B (gun nose) and on March 5th 1945 in an A-26C (plexiglass bombardier nose). These flights were not credited toward combat, so it could of been to keep his flight time current, or to get provisions as above, or training, as these were his first flights in the A-26. Wish he was around, I could just ask him! He then was grounded due to hearing/vertigo problems, and joined the 57th FG (Thunderbolts) who were on the same base at Grosseto as a flying control officer. I met his turret gunner on his last 4 A-20K missions at the 47th BG reunion last year in Nashville TN, in May. Saw my name tag and said, "Your names O'Boyle? Sit down, I have to tell you about your father!" Man, did I listen... His favorite story was when my father got vertigo (Otitis Media) coming back at night from a mission. That one was dicey. Luckily they made it. Father requested landing instructions at Grosseto, ten minutes later John said over the intercom: "Were over the Mediterranean!" Somehow they made it back. John said he liked flying the night intruder missions, as he felt safer from flak and fighters. Here I met John in May, found out he lives 45 miles from me, then he passed away October 8th. Just like that. Just got to know him. It felt fateful that I met John, made it seem like my father was alive again meeting all the 47th BG veterans.
I know the Invaders flew missions with the Havocs when they only had the A-26B model available, as the A-20J or K was used as the pathfinder navigator ship, with the BN (Bombardier Navigator) acting as navigator for the whole box of planes.[image][/image] This is explained in superb detail in the book "Attack Bombers We Need You" by Ralph Conte, with the 416th BG out of England and France.
The A-26's in Italy, at Grosseto, may have done the same, although with the C model available, they may have gone out at night on there own. I have just three pictures of A-26 Invaders at Grosseto, which are not the best. In the pics of them landing, 4 Invaders and a B-25 are in the background parked. I will try to include them here and in the next posts... Mark
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