Air Raid on Bari - December 1943
"Little Pearl Harbor"
BackgroundIn 1943, during the Italian campaign, the port of Bari in southern Italy served as an important logistics hub for Allied forces. Crucial ammunition, supplies, and provisions were unloaded from ships at the port, then transported to Allied forces attempting to capture Rome, and to push German forces out of the Italian peninsula.
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The AttackThe attack started at 7:25 p.m., when two or three German aircraft circled the harbor, dropping Düppel (foil strips) to confuse Ally radar. The German bomber force surprised the harbor, and was able to successfully bomb the harbor and its contents with great accuracy.
Hits on two ammunition ships caused explosions which shattered windows in a close proximity to the harbor. A sheet of burning fuel spread over most of the harbor engulfing, nearby ships. Twenty-eight merchant ships stocked with more than 34,000 short tons of ally cargo were sunk/ destroyed; three ships carrying more than 7,500 short tons were later taken over. Twelve more ships were damaged and the port was closed for three weeks; it was restored to full operation in February 1944. All Bari-based submarines were undamaged because of their tough exteriors being able to withstand the German attack. |