The B-25 bombers were escorted by P-47s belonging to the 57th Fighter Wing’s 66th Squadron. The P-47s’ job was changed to flak suppression after the hostile fighters failed to appear
The Italian Campaign had become less important by the end of 1944 compared to the French campaigns, and the Allied forces lacked the strength to breach the Germans’ mighty Gothic Line. These fortifications were supplied by rail through the Alps, trains arrived hourly and delivered 600,000 tons of supplies each month, sufficient to keep the German Army operational.
However, in one of the most significant but little-known air campaigns of World War II, American air power would overcome the mighty Gothic Line in the harsh winter of 1944–1945. Operation Bingo would brutally cut off the Germans’ supplies and starve them rather than launch a direct attack. It would not be simple, though. A tremendous array of heavy flak defended the rail routes, and every raid was anticipated. The men suffered from hypoxia and frostbite despite wearing electric flying suits, as the conditions were extremely cold.
In his book Gothic Line 1944–45: The USAAF Starves Out the German Army, Thomas McKelvey Cleaver describes how, on February 13, 1945, twelve B-25s from the 486th Bomb Squadron took off for San Ambrogio in the Brenner Pass to bomb a rocky mountain outcrop that would cause a landslide and obstruct the main road. Despite the cold, the sky was clear beside a ground haze.
The bombers were escorted by P-47s belonging to the 57th Fighter Wing’s 66th Squadron. The P-47s turned to flak suppression when they could find no opponent fighters.
Leading the fighter flight was second Lt. Donald C. Spalinger, who dove onto the gun positions in an attempt to silence them or at least divert their attention away from the bomber formation. He dropped his bombs and pulled out of the dive, diving straight down the throat of the guns.
As 2nd Lt. George M. Blackburn, his wingman, followed him in, he noticed white smoke trailing from Spalinger’s “jug,” as shown in the artwork included in this post. He called out to him, “Bail out! Bail out!” but got no response. The engine was now shooting flames. The aircraft kept climbing until it halted, then dropped wildly off its left wing and disappeared from the sky.
Although the mountain was heavily bombed by the aircraft, it remained still and the major route through San Ambrogio remained unobstructed. The 486th Bomb Squadron’s two B-25s were unable to make it back to base. The mission was a total bust.
Gothic Line 1944–45, The USAAF starves out the German Army is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by Anastasios Polychronis
