Air raid on Bari

The air raid on Bari (German: Luftangriff auf den Hafen von Bari, Italian: Bombardamento di Bari) was an air attack by German bombers on Allied forces and shipping in Bari, Italy, on 2 December 1943, during World War II. 105 German Junkers Ju 88 bombers of Luftflotte 2 surprised the port's defenders and bombed shipping and personnel operating in support of the Allied Italian Campaign, sinking 27 cargo and transport ships, as well as a schooner, in Bari harbour.

Air raid on Bari, Italy
Part of the Italian Campaign of World War II

Allied ships burn during the German attack on Bari
Date2 December 1943
Location
Bari, Italy
41°07′31″N 16°52′0″E
Result German victory
Belligerents
 Germany  United Kingdom
 United States
 Italy
Commanders and leaders
Albert Kesselring
Wolfram von Richthofen		 Harold Alexander
Arthur Coningham
Strength
105 Junkers Ju 88 A-4 bombers
Casualties and losses
One aircraft destroyed 29 ships sunk
harbor extensively damaged
1,000 military and merchant marine personnel killed
1,000 civilians killed
Bari
Bari, in the Apulia region of Italy on the Adriatic Sea

The attack lasted a little more than an hour and put the port out of action until February 1944. The release of mustard gas from one of the wrecked cargo ships added to the loss of life. The British and US governments covered up the presence of mustard gas and its effects on victims of the raid.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.