The FReeper Foxhole - Tragedy at Bari, Italy on December 2, 1943 - April 15th, 2008

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[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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Tragedy at Bari



Disaster in the Italian Campaign

Bari was an old city dating back to the Middle Ages, and located on the Adriatic with a population of about 200,000. It had become the main supply base for Montgomery's Eighth Army, plus the new Headquarters for the US 15th. Air Force.

On the 2nd. of December 1943, the port was crowded with 30 Allied ships. One of these, the Liberty ship John Harvey, carried a secret load of 100 tons of mustard gas bombs, a precaution in case Hitler decided to invoke the use of chemical warfare. The seeds of the ensuing disaster were planted, merely waiting to germinate.


Chaos at the port of Bari. The German raid closed the port for three weeks

The Port of Bari, all hustle and bustle.

Absorbed with the task of bringing the US 15th. Air Force into reality, with Major General James Doolittle in command, the Allies gave little thought to a German air raid on the bustling port of Bari. The harbour was crammed with shipping, stuffed with supplies, including aviation fuel for the US bombers crowding the Foggia air base 75 miles away.

Come sunset, on the evening of the 2nd. of December in 1943, with the urgent need to hasten the unloading of ships filling the port, the harbour was brilliantly lit so that cargo might be unloaded thoughout the night.


ME210

German reconnaissance flight during the afternoon of the 2nd. of December 1943.

1st. Lieutenant Werner Hahn had flown his Messerschmidt ME-210 over Bari at 23,000 feet on the afternoon of the 2nd. of December 1943. Unmolested by any AA fire, he made a second pass of the port, and turned North for home, to report that the proposed target was crowded with unloading ships, perhaps 30 plus.

Field Marshal Wolfram von Richthofen, in command of Luftflotte 2, had suggested to his boss, Field Marshal Kesselring, that an attack on Bari could slow down the advancing 8th. Army, and retard attacks from the newly arrived US 15th. Air Force.

He thought he might manage to gather 150 JU 88's for the attack, in the event, 105 was all he could muster. His aircraft were ordered to fly east to the Adriatic, then turn and approach Bari to the west, the Allies no doubt would anticipate any German air raids to come in from the North. The aircraft would drop Duppel, thin strips of tin foil to confuse the defensive Radar. Parachute flares would be dropped to light up the targets in the harbour at about 1930 ( 7.30 PM , ) then the JU 88's, would attack at a low altitude, hoping to avoid Allied Radar installations.

Mustard gas in Liberty Ship SS John Harvey.

The Captain of John Harvey was not officially informed that his ship would carry a load of lethal mustard gas bombs. These were 4 feet long, 8 inches in diameter, and each held 60/70 pounds of the chemical.

Mustard gas forms blisters, irritates the respiratory system, leaving the skin burnt, with raw ulcers.

Post WW2, in the Royal Australian Navy, I was undertaking an Atomic, Biological, Chemical, Damage Control course at a Sydney NavalEstablishment, during which I was instructed how to combat the effects of mustard gas. Some of this deadly chemical was introduced onto the back of my hands, I was certainly pleased I had paid attention on how to nullify it working, as I diligently scrubbed it off my hands to negate any ill effects of this awful weapon of war. Fortunately I was successful.

On board John Harvey, 1st. Lieutenant Howard D. Beckstrom and his six man team from the 701st. Chemical Maintenance Company were on hand in case of trouble from this deadly cargo. The ship had crossed the Atlantic Ocean without running into any U-Boat problems, then had stopped at Oran in Algeria, thence to Augusta in Sicily, until it made it into Bari on the 26th. of November. Her cargo including 2,000 M47A1 gas bombs filled with mustard gas, which remained a secret, meant she was not given any priority to unload, she must wait her turn.


A flight of German JU 88's in the raid on Bari, December 1943

The German air attack.

Arriving on schedule at Bari, Flight Lieutenant Gustav Teuber, leading in the first wave of bombers could not believe his eyes, the scene below, brilliantly lit, cranes busily lifting cargo from ship's holds, the east jetty crowded with ships.

The attack was a complete suprise, Liberty Ship Joseph Wheeler exploded from a direct hit, John Motley was hit in No. 5 hold, John Bascom next to her, shattered by a rain of bombs, was abandoned.

John Harvey on fire, suddenly blew up, disappearing in a mighty fireball, casting pieces of ship and her deadly cargo of mustard gas all over the harbour. Mustard gas gives off a garlic odour, and now it combined with oil in the harbour, a deadly and volatile mixture. People were noticing a smell of garlic in the air, already doing its deadly work.

Another Liberty ship, Samuel Tilden was sunk.

In all, 17 ships were lost, 5 American, 5 British, 2 Italian, 3 Norwegian, and 2 Polish, another 7 were heavily damaged. Here is a list of the 17 ship losses and those damaged in the raid.

Destroyed:

John Harvey (US Liberty, 7177 gt)
John L. Motley (US Liberty, 7176 gt)
John Bascom (US Liberty, 7176 gt)
Joseph Wheeler (US Liberty, 7176 gt)
Samuel J. Tilden (US Liberty, 7176 gt)
Fort Athabasca (British, 7132 gt)
Fort Lajoie ( British, 7134 gt )
Testbank (British, 5083 gt) ***
Lars Kruse (British, 1897 gt)
Devon Coast (British, 646 gt)
Bollsta (Norwegian, 1832 gt)
Norlom (Norwegian, 6412 gt)
Lom (Norwegian, 1268 gt)
Lwow (Polish, 1409 gt)
Puck (Polish, 1065 gt)
Frosinone (Italian, 5202 gt)
Barletta (Italian, 1975 gt)

*** SS Testbank collided with SS Ceramic off the coast of South West Africa, ( now Namibia ) on the 11th. of August in 1940, forcing Ceramic to seek repairs at Walvis Bay. Ceramic herself was later sunk by U-Boat U-515, in the Atlantic on the 7th. of December 1942, and now Testbank is sunk in this raid on Bari, indeed two ill fated ships.

Heavily damaged ship list.

Grace Abbott (American, 7191gt)
John M. Schoefield (American, 7191gt)
Crista (British, 2590 gt)
Brittanny Coast (British, 1389 gt)
Vest (Norwegian, 5074 gt)
Cassala (Italian, 1797 gt)
Odysseus (Dutch, 1057 gt)


Casualties.

There were over 1,000 military and merchant marine casualties, some 800 were admitted to local hospitals. 628 suffered from the mustard gas, of whom, 69 died within two weeks.

The port was closed for three weeks, it had been rendered into rubble.

Secrecy about the mustard gas.

Although US records did mention mustard gas, Winston Churchill insisted all British Medical records were purged and mustard gas deaths were merely listed as the result of: " Burns due to enemy action."

No doubt his insistence of secrecy could have caused more deaths, as victims, especially Italian civilians might have sought proper treatment for their injuries, had they known the real cause.

Conclusion.

This Bari raid was a disaster on two fronts. It was a Second Pearl Harbor, with 17 ships totalling 75,936 tons sunk, and another 7 ships with a tonnage of 27,289 tons heavily damaged by this sneak air attack by German aircraft, one of the Luftwaffe's success stories.
The Bari raid produced the only poison gas incident associated with WW2, made worse by the perceived need for secrecy in wartime.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[SAMWolf]

Looks almost like you’re putting in an inground pool.

[alfa6]

Looks almost like you’re putting in an inground pool.

Perish the thought:-) that's one headache I definitly don't want.

But the Mrs informed me today that the stock tank has to go. So if you can use an 8' x 2' round galvanized stock tank have I got a deal for you!

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Professional Engineer]

Let's here it for the Black Goo :-)

No matter how caefull you are....

No kidding. Bittygirl (who turned 4 today, HOLY COW!) got it all over her feet.

The trailer is looking good and so is "The Stiff"!!!

He's catching on to the use of tools! ;-)

Here is a Close up of the front yard after Mrs alfa6 has finnished the landscaping.

Ya'll do good work. I may need some pointers.

[Professional Engineer]

;-)

[Professional Engineer]

Both of them are having a blast.

Spiderboy ought to know enough about tools by the time we’re done to build a very nice catapult.

[Professional Engineer]

So if you can use an 8' x 2' round galvanized stock tank have I got a deal for you!

Hmmm, he thinks...

[Soaring Feather]

Hello alfa, and family!

Things are looking good around the homestead. Thanks for the pictures.

[Soaring Feather]

Awww, Bitty Girl, and Spider boy, the kids are growing so fast.

The travel trailer is coming along well, and Spiderboy is real handy with the tools.

[Professional Engineer]

Good grief they’re growing fast.

Spiderboy and tools are one of the reasons for building the trailer now.

[alfa6]

Thanks for the pictures.

No problemo, if I get home in time tomorrow night I will try and get an updated pic of the backyard.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[snippy_about_it]

The working stiff is one good young man. I didn’t see any tools in your hands dad? Of course the princess is just that so she’s free to move about her kingdom. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

bought another just like it, so Project Teardrop is moving again.

Egads you're brave! Be sure and put a fire extinguisher in that new teardrop!

[snippy_about_it]

The house is looking great. Hey you live at 1600 too! Is it Pennsylvania Avenue?

[alfa6]

Is it Pennsylvania Avenue?

Na, Pennslvannia Ave is across the river from me.

(squeeze here)

If you click the south button twice our house is on the corner of the next street west of 15th st:-)

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Professional Engineer]

Msdrby’s brother just got Spiderboy a Fender Stratocaster for an early b-day gift. Maybe he’ll be viewed 43 MILLION times...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8

[Soaring Feather]

Holy Smokes, the kid is tearing up the chords. I guess you mean that Spiderboy’s guitar is like the one we see??

[Professional Engineer]

Actually it is the same. Jimi Hendrix and a few others have used it too.

Really, I hope he does something more than make noise with it.

[Samwise]

Actually it is the same. Jimi Hendrix and a few others have used it too.

The very same?

[Professional Engineer]

Got if off e-bay for $100.

Good deal, eh?

[AnElusiveButterfly]

My Dear Uncle Louie , My Dad’s only Brother

was a 25 year old Merchant Marine and he lost his life

on one of those 17 ships , along with many other people

my Dad was only 19 &

in the United States Army at that time

& he is still here with us , at 84 ,

& he tells me that there were 18 ships...

If anyone has or knows of anyone who had family killed

during that bombing, I’d like to speak with him or her...