Foggia in Guerra

A Very Good Day!

“On 25 August our Group rendezvoused with the other two P-38 Groups at a point over the water just north of Sicily. We all were flying at minimum altitude over the water. We proceeded at minimum altitude, with Groups in trail, and crossed the Italian peninsula down south, around the ankle of the so-called Boot. We all had dropped our external fuel tanks before crossing the coast of Italy. As we skimmed over the hills, and fields, there were people working in the fields, and they all stopped, looked up, and waved. I’m sure they didn’t know we were U.S. aircraft. We crossed over Italy and flew over the Adriatic Sea. As soon as we crossed the coast we turned parallel with, and just off, the Adriatic Coast of Italy, and headed north, still in trail. Colonel George McNichols, Commander of the 82nd Group, was leading this entire effort. Our Group Commander, Colonel Garman Mediterranean, didn’t make the mission. As we flew up the coast, we flew over many small boats and a few small ships. Every P-38 pilot that passed near them fired at those that fired at us. At a pre-determined point, Colonel McNichols gave the signals for all P-38s to make a 90-degree turn in place. This maneuver now had us all line abreast as we crossed the coast, and were immediately over the enemy airfields. This raid was against all the German satellite airfields around Foggia, Italy, with several hundred German aircraft on the airfields. WE HAD A FIELD DAY! Aircraft, hangers, equipment, and people were all over the place. We’re at tree top level, and had managed complete surprise. I fired at so many aircraft, and things on the ground that I ran out of ammo. We were briefed to make only one pass, and to continue on across Italy at low level and return to Africa. I later learned that our three P-38 Groups had a confirmed total of 150 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground! A very good day!”

“il 25 Agosto, il nostro gruppo si incontrò con gli altri due gruppi P-38 a nord delle coste della Sicilia. Stavamo volando tutti a quota molto bassa

sull’acqua. Procedemmo, con i gruppi in scia, e attraversammo la penisola italiana da sud,all’incirca all’altezza della caviglia del cosiddetto stivale.

Intanto avevamo sganciato i nostrri serbatoi di combustibile esterni prima di attraversare la costa. Appena passammo sulle colline, le persone che lavoravano nei campi si fermarono e

guardarono in alto. Sono sicuro che non sapevano che eravamo americani. Attraversammo l’Italia e volammo sul Mare Adriatico. Appena attraversammo la costa, eravamo in posizione parallela

all’Italia. Il colonnello George McNichols, comandante dell’82° gruppo, stava conducendo quest’operazione. Il nostro comandante, il colonnello Mediterranean di Garman, non partecipò alla missione.

Mentre volavamo sulla costa, passammo vicino ad alcune barche che ci spararono contro, e noi prontamente rispondemmo. Ad un certo punto, il colonnello McNichols fece virare di 90° il gruppo P-38.

Così, ci trovammo tutti affiancati e ci dirigevamo verso un vicino campo nemico. Questa incursione era contro tutti i campi di aviazione tedeschi che erano a Foggia. Volammo a livello degli alberi,

li avevamo colti completamente di sorpresa. Io sparai ad un aereo, e a molti oggetti, tanto che avevo finito le munizioni. Successivamente ci riunimmo per effettuare un passaggio di controllo, per poi continuare sull’Italia

e ritornare in Africa. Mi dissero poi, che avevamo distrutto circa 150 aerei nemici!

Un giorno molto buono!