The Group of Allied bombers consisted of British and American warplanes started operation of bombing Travnik on the 4th of January 1944, because in this city were placed barracks with a large number of soldiers loyal to Germany.
The pilots were instructed to use railway line during the attack as a landmark, and that military operations are performed on both sides of this line that ran through the center of Travnik. On this route were located all major buildings in the city, including army barracks.
When planes came to Travnik, they got quite surprised. Travnik was covered with a fog through which they could not see the roadlines in the city, but the pilots decided to “unload” bomb on the part of the railroad out of town, that they were able to see.
However, it was not a railroad that led to Travnik. It was the local forestry railroad on a nearby hill Vilenica. Not knowing that it was a local railway line outside the city area, aviation followed this line, but it bombed both of its sides. These bombs mainly fell on uninhabited area outside the city, and did not cause any bigger damage.
However, one of the bombs fell on Zitarnica, one at the cinema “Lasva” next to the bookstore “Svjetlost”. Two brothers Masinovic died in the bombing. If there was no fog, it is certain that Travnik would suffer severe damage.
(Source: faktor.ba)
