Strafing the airfield Bergamo
 

Hello folks,

does anybody know which allied Fighter-bombs unit was strafing the airfield of Bergamo (Nord Italy) on 25th April 1945?
On ground was by the way destroyed one Ju 188 from KG 200.

With regards

Miro

Re: Strafing the airfield Bergamo
 

Hello Milo,
This is from "5th Bomb Wing - History of Aircraft Assigned" by Richard E. Drain.

92 BG 25th April 45 - mission 410 - Linz, Austria Main Station
97 BG 25th April 45 - mission 482 - Linz, Austria Marshalling Yards.
99 BG 25th April 45 - mission 394 - Linz, Austria Marshalling Yards ( No bombs dropped ).
301 BG 25th April 45 - mission 468 - Linz, North Main M/Y.
463 BG 25th April 45 - mission 221 - Linz, Austria M/Y.
483 BG 25th April 45 - mission 214 - Linz, Austria M/Y.
These were all B17 Groups.
I have no details to hand on the B24 Groups, but I expect that you should be looking for Boston/Havoc/Mitchell/Marauder Groups.
Also the Fighter, P38/P47/P51.
Then the possible RAF and French forces too.

Alex

Re: Strafing the airfield Bergamo
 

Hello,

Could this be what your after?

24 April 1945.

It is possible that 24 April (1945) saw (Kommando) Carmen's finale. Lt Raymond L Knight* led P-47s of the 346th FS on a reconnaissance and, finding nothing at Ghedi or Villafranca, went to Bergamo. In this attack and another the same day they claimed destruction of flak positions, a building, three single-engine types and nine Ju 88s; 'All of the enemy aircraft must have been fully gassed up, for all of them burned and four of the Ju 88s blew up with a terrific explosion, which indicated full bomb loads.'
Compare this with the account of Carmen's Ltn (Josef) Thurnhuber**: In mid-April 1945 the whole crew stood on the roof of their quarters and watched an attack on their airfield by American fighters, during which their Ju 188 was shot up. One of the bombs that had been loaded on the plane for a planned attack on a bridge exploded and tore the machine apart.'
Having no more serviceable aircraft, Thurnhuber and his men set off home overland, reaching Southern Germany by way of the South Tyrol. That night, 4 and 6.(F)/122 at last left Bergamo, ordered to Sluderno and Bolzano, In the event just two went to the latter airfield and six across the Alps to Innsbruck-Hotting,

* An audacious and successful strafer, Knight was killed the next day, when his flak-damaged aeroplane failed to make it home across the Apennine mountains. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour.

** Given to Dr G. W. Gellermann (NB's translation).

See:
Air War Italy 1944-45 The Axis Air Forces from the Liberation of Rome to the Surrender.
Beale,Nick, D'Amico,Ferdinando & Gabriele Valentini.
Shrewsbury:Airlife,1996
p.206

NB. Kommando Carmen was detached from its parent unit, 2./KG 200

Col.

Re: Strafing the airfield Bergamo
 

Hello gentlemen,

that are absolutely outstanding answers for my research about the scene over there.
Then must be the date correct to the 24th April 1945.

Again many many thanks for your kindy help.

Miro

Re: Strafing the airfield Bergamo
 

Miro,

Notwithstanding what has been quoted from "Air War Italy 1944-45", I think you should read the Citation for Raymond Knight's Medal of Honour (not Wikipedia's interpretation, the actual wording of the Citation):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_L._Knight

Col.

Re: Strafing the airfield Bergamo
 

Thank you very much for the input.

Miro

Re: Strafing the airfield Bergamo
 

If Wikipedia—or the internet, or email—had existed when we wrote "Air War Italy", the job would have been much easier!