Luftwaffe Attack on Korsika

[dsetzer]

Axis Sally promised the boys of the 340th Bombardment Squadron at Alesani airfield on Corsica a visit from the Luftwaffe.


On the night of May 12 -13, 1944 Lehrgeschwader 1, the famous Helbig Fliers, kept the promise. In a masterful two-phase attack they raided the British fighter squadron at Borgo-Poretta in the early evening. After the fighters were neutralized, they returned the same night and attacked the B-25 bombers stationed at Alesani.


They spent an hour and a half bombing and strafing the airfield. Of the 80 combat-ready bombers on the ground, they managed to put 65 out of commission.


The attack was flawlessly executed. It has been said that this was the last fully unqualified success of the Luftwaffe during the war.


Many accounts of the attack have been posted to the Internet from the viewpoint of the GI's who witnessed it.


Recently, however, Peter Taghon published eyewitness accounts of the attack from the viewpoint of the German crews who carried out the raid. They can be found in his book “Die Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1, Band II” published by VDM Heinz Nickel.


For those who can not read German, the publisher has graciously granted me permission to post a translation of those pages on my web site.


I find the differences between the American accounts and the German accounts to be very intriguing.


If interested, you will find the translation here:


http://home.comcast.net/~dhsetzer/taghon/Korsika_index.htm




.

[mapalm]

Many thanks for this very interesting and engaging reading of a first hand testimonial.

[dsetzer]

This could not be more timely.


Just today, April 30th, a video has been posted to YouTube by Don Kaiser that shows actual live footage of the aftermath of the Alesani raid.


We can see the destruction just as the GI's saw it in 1944, in color no less!


This is a 'must see':


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb918...e=channel_page




..