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World War II: German Raid on BariWorld War II | 3 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
Not everyone was so sure that the German air force was a broken reed. British army Captain A.B. Jenks, who was responsible for the port’s defense, knew that preparations for an attack were woefully inadequate. But his voice, as well as those of one or two others, was drowned out by a chorus of complacent officers. When darkness came, Bari’s docks were brilliantly lit so unloading of cargo could continue. Little thought was given to the need for a blackout. Subscribe Today
In the harbor, cargo ships and tankers waited their turn to be unloaded. Captain Otto Heitmann, skipper of the Liberty ship SS John Bascom, went ashore to see if the process could be speeded up. He was disappointed in his quest, but he might have been even more concerned had he known what was aboard SS John Harvey.
John Harvey, commanded by Captain Elwin F. Knowles, was a typical Liberty ship, scarcely different from the others moored in the harbor. Much of her cargo was also conventional: munitions, food and equipment. But the ship had a deadly secret cargo. Approximately 100 tons of mustard gas bombs were on board. The bombs were meant as a precaution, to be used only if the Germans resorted to chemical warfare.
In 1943 there was a possibility that the Germans just might use poison gas. By that point in the war, the strategic initiative had passed to the Allies, and Germany was on the defensive on all fronts. Adolf Hitler’s forces had sustained a major defeat at Stalingrad, and they had lost North Africa as well. The Allies were now on the Continent, slowly inching their way up the Italian peninsula.
Hitler, it was said, was not a great advocate of chemical warfare, perhaps because the Führer himself had been gassed during World War I. He was, however, ruthless and might be persuaded to use gas if he believed it would redress the strategic balance in his favor. Intelligence reports suggested that the Germans were stocking chemical weapons, including a new chemical agent called Tabun.
American President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a policy statement condemning the use of gas by any civilized nation, but he pledged that the United States would reply in kind if the enemy dared to use such weapons first. John Harvey was selected to convey a shipment of poison gas to Italy to be held in reserve should such a situation occur.
When the mustard gas bombs were loaded aboard John Harvey, they looked deceptively conventional. Each bomb was 4 feet long, 8 inches in diameter and contained from 60 to 70 pounds of the chemical. Mustard is a blister gas that irritates the respiratory system and produces burns and raw ulcers on the skin. Victims exposed to the gas often suffer an agonizing death.
The poison gas shipment was shrouded in official secrecy. Even Knowles was not formally informed about the lethal cargo. Perceptive members of the crew, however, must have guessed the voyage was out of the ordinary. For one thing, 1st Lt. Howard D. Beckstrom of the 701st Chemical Maintenance Company was on board, along with a detachment of six men. All were expert in handling toxic materials and were obviously there for a purpose.
John Harvey crossed the Atlantic without incident, successfully running the gantlet of German submarines that still infested the ocean. After a stop at Oran, Algeria, the ship sailed to Augusta, Sicily, before proceeding to Bari. Lieutenant Thomas H. Richardson, the ship’s cargo security officer, was one of the few people on board who officially knew about the mustard gas. His manifest clearly listed 2,000 M47A1 mustard gas bombs in the hold.
Richardson naturally wanted to unload the deadly cargo as soon as possible, but when the ship reached Bari on November 26, his hopes were dashed. The harbor was crammed with shipping, and another convoy was due shortly. Dozens of vessels were stacked up along the piers and jetties, each waiting its turn to be unloaded. Since the lethal gas was not officially on board, John Harvey was not about to be given special priority. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Airborne Operations, Historical Conflicts, World War II
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3 Comments to “World War II: German Raid on Bari”
BOMBARDAMENTO TEDESCO SU BARI 2 DICEMBRE 1943
Il pomeriggio del 2 Dicembre, un aereo da ricognizione della Luftwaffe, sorvola il cielo di Bari. Il suo compito è quello di fotografare il più possibile: area urbana, porto e aeroporto. All’esperto pilota tedesco, non sfugge il molo di “Levante” pieno di navi all’ancora. L’Autorità portuale è gestita dal Comando Inglese, che ritiene assurdo un attacco della Luftwaffe. Cadono in un Titanico e drammatico errore di valutazione. Infatti alle ore 19:25 provenienti dai Balcani 105 bombardieri sono sulla città.
Cominciano a piovere, le famose annunciatrici della morte alata, (milioni di striscioline in stagnola, utili a confondere i sistemi radar ). I fari contraerei del porto, sono già in funzione, subito imitati da quelli dell’aeroporto. La città è quasi incantata, la scenografia è d’autore: il buio della sera è squarciato da una serie di fasci luminosi, che a contatto delle striscioline di stagnola, creano giochi di variopinti colori. Come sottofondo, il cupo rombo dei bombardieri tedeschi, che sganciano le prime bombe sull’area urbana, ma l’obbiettivo sono le 36 navi ancorate. La contraerea è presente e penetra il cielo con i suoi 37mm traccianti. Questi proiettili, sviluppano (Grazie ad una carica di Magnesio inserita in un artifizio sistemato nel codolo della granata) un lungo e colorato percorso. Il cielo è intrinseco di ogni colore. Sul porto precipitano le prime bombe, alcune centrano le navi, altre cadono in mare.
Sulle navi colpite cominciano a svilupparsi numerosi incendi che producono enormi colonne di fumo. Ma a sostegno della popolazione interviene un imprevisto e determinante alleato. Il vento, all’improvviso cambia direzione e, spinge verso mare, ma non basta, i rioni adiacenti al porto, sono già invasi dai fumi. Ora il bombardamento diventa intenso, i boati delle esplosioni si susseguono a una velocità inverosimile. Alcune navi bersaglio sono già inclinate su di un fianco. Il Mare a causa della nafta e di altri combustibili è in fiamme e, questo provoca una visione quasi dantesca. In acqua ci sono le zattere dei numerosi equipaggi che dribblano la morte e cercano la vita. Il vento Aumenta d’intensità e, costringe i vapori ad allontanarsi dal centro abitato.
Nelle acque del porto numerosi marinai sono inghiottiti da vortici infuocati. Alcune navi cariche di ordigni esplodono insieme all’equipaggio. Aumentando di fatto, la drammaticità del momento. I fari sono ancora in funzione, la contraerea balbetta le sue granate antivelivolo e, continua a colorare a suo modo il cielo di Bari. Ma le bombe continuano a piovere e con esse la morte di tanti militari e civili. La città vive momenti di un puro sgomento, I baresi capiscono ciò che sta accadendo, ma hanno terrore di quello che sarà. Sono le 19:50, le bombe, precipitano ancora. Una nave esplode, nelle sue stive sono stipate 2000 bombe all’Azoiprite. Molte di queste sono proiettate in alto e, causa l’enorme temperatura, scoppiano lasciando scivolare il potente aggressivo chimico, nelle acque del porto. Nel frattempo, le bombe non scoppiate si sparpagliano nei fondali del porto e, sono tante. L’Azoiprite ormai è mischiata alla nafta incendiata e, il fumo che produce diventa un potentissimo veleno. Bari e, la sua popolazione ringraziano il vento che ha risparmiato alla città una storia più agghiacciante. Le vittime accertate fra militari e civili sono più di 2000. I feriti militari sono soccorsi al Policlinico, gestito dal Comando Neozelandese e, vengono curati in modo superficiale. Anche perché i medici ignorano del tutto il problema Yprite. Tanto che a numerosi marinai è diagnosticata “congiuntivite”. Per i civili non c’è spazio neanche per questi errori e, li lasciano al loro nero destino.
Giovanni Lafirenze
By Giovanni Lafirenze on Jul 16, 2008 at 2:58 am
Where exactly was the 15th Air Force headquaters in Bari, what was the name of the base and is it still there, and under what title?
By Nina on Aug 23, 2008 at 2:00 am
La quindicesima Forza aerea di base a Bari era così collocata:
5° Stormo a Foggia
47° Stormo Manduria (TA)
49° Stormo Lecce
55° Stormo Spinazzola (BA)
304 Stormo Cerignola
306 Stormo Lesina (FG)
per maggiori informazioni
http://www.biografiadiunabomba.it
By Giovanni Lafirenze on Sep 17, 2008 at 1:57 pm