Us Official Photographs

B-17 Flying Fortresses over Pola Italy

Pola, Italy, 225 miles northeast of Rome, is an important Nazi submarine base and shipping port on the east coast of the Adriatic. On Jan. 9, B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army 15th Air Force blasted the harbor areas and nearby factories in a six-minute blitz. Heavy damage was done to submarine pens, adjoining shops, coal quay and sheds, warehouses, the torpedo depot area. A torpedo boat and a merchant vessel were also damaged. This photo shows some of the bombs from the Fortresses overhanging the harbor area, while others have already reached their targets in bursts of smoke and flame.