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Posted on 12/31/2003 12:00:24 AM PST by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.
Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different veteran each Wednesday. The "ordinary" Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who participated in the events in our Country's history. We hope to present events as seen through their eyes. To give you a glimpse into the life of those who sacrificed for all of us - Our Veterans.
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On 6, November 1944 the Germans were holding the high ridges in the Northern Apennine mountains they called THE GOTHIC LINE. This defense line ran through the mountain ranges that reached, almost unbroken, from La Spezia on the north west coast of Italy to the City of Rimini on the Adriactic. Near the center and behind the German lines was the important transportation center of Bologna. Rail lines bringing war supplies from Germany, were for the most part routed through the Brenner Pass. Other rail lines from Austria were further east and led south into Venice and then into Bologna. These were the two main transportation lines that fueled the German machines in Italy.  It was estimated that 24,000 tons of supplies was flowing to the German troops each day. That was five times the minimum daily requirements needed to support the German troops that were locked in a winter stalemate with our Allied forces. On the 6th. of November 1944, Operation BINGO was put into effect. It's objective was to stop the flow of German goods coming to the fighting front by closing off the Brenner Pass. The four B-25 bomb groups belonging to the 57th. Bomb Wing were to carry the bulk of the load. Fighter bombers of the 12th. Air Force's Tactical Air Command and the Desert Air Force (British) would assist. Some help would come from B-17's and B-24's of the 15th. Air Force.  Bombs Away. A load of white phosphorous bombs heading down toward the gun emplacements protecting the the Orr Bridge at Brenner Pass. Photo courtesy of Dave Mershon, 487th. It was estimated that if electrical power could be denied the electrical driven locomotives that were used on the steeper grades, it would force the Germans to use more inefficient steam locomotives that would require part of the transportation effort to supply coal for these trains and also pull locomotives and rolling stock from their present activities. If this could be accomplished, it was estimated that it could reduce the carrying capacity in the Brenner Pass to around 10,000 tons a day. On 6 November, the B-25's struck targets in the Brenner; the electrical transformer stations between San Ambrogio - hit by the 310th., through Ala - hit by the 321st., and Trento - hit by the 340th. The targets were all hit and destroyed or damaged to the extent that electrical power was denied to trains as far north as Balzano. The 319th., newly changed from B-26's to B-25's, hit railroad bridges in the lower end of Brenner.  The defense of the pass fell to the 2nd. Fighter Group of the Italian Facist Republic Air Force. These were Italian pilots flying Me-109's with German markings. With only about 50 planes these would not be the most effective deterrent. The primary defense fell to the German 5th. and 127th. Flak Regiments that manned the 366 heavy, anti-aircraft guns that were stationed from Verona, in the south, to Innsbruk, in the north. By the end of that day more heavy guns moved in around Ala and Rovereto. In addition to the German gunners there were still Italians fighting along with the Germans. However the batteries were manned independently by either Germans or the Italians. The Italian gunners used an Italian cannon coupled with the German Radar.  319th Bomb Group The German's main defensive weapon was the 8.8cm. Fliegerabwehrkanone, shortened to Flak. The 88 fired a 9.24KG (20.34 pound) shell to over 49,000 feet. It was coupled with the KG 40 gun director and the 41D gun laying radar. The gun director was a mechanical calculator with a stereoscopic height finder incorporated, capable of predicting a rectilinear or curvilinear course. The radar was capable of furnishing present azimuth, angular height and radar range to the gun director. Usually the gun batteries used radar tracking for range and optical tracking for direction. In cases where clouds or smoke obscured the bomb formations, radar controlled or barrage firing was used although it was not considered as effective as visual sighting.  Other guns were used also. The Italians made 90mm cannon, with a range of 26,000 feet and their 102mm cannon that reached to 40,000 feet were used to guard the Brenner Pass targets. While the larger guns were require to reach high flying B-17's and B-24's, lighter guns such the German and Italian 37mm cannon would reach up to 15,000 feet and the Italian 75mm ranged to 27,000 feet, were all effective against our B-25 Bombers who rarely flew above 13,000 feet. This meant any gun from a 37mm up could reach the medium bombers altitude. From the reports of the combat crews - they all did.  As the attacks increase on the Brenner Pass, targets of rail and road bridges, tracks and fills, the amount of flak guns increased. Batteries were added as far north as Bressanone. On the 11th. of November a flight of B-25's had 18 aircraft holed and one crash due to flak damage. Of the 16 attacks made during November, 11 had drawn flak. Of 300 sorties 20 B-25's were holed and one B-25 crashed. In December 69 more guns were moved into the Brenner Pass by the Germans, making a total of 435. Anti-flak operations became standard practice by the 57th. Fighter bombers dropping general purpose bombs and the bombers dropping 20 pound fragmentation bombs and twisted pieces of tin foil called Chaff or Window (to confuse the radar) were tried.  Returning from a mission. 7T, 7Z and other aircraft of the 487th peeling off to land. August 1944 Alesan, Corsican Photo courtesy of Dave Komigsberg, 487th. At the end of December the 319th. Bomb Group flew it's last mission, over Italy, and returned to the U.S. in January of 1945. This left the 310th., the 321st., and the 340th. Groups the only medium bombers in the theater.
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Have a safe and happy New Year!
in to y'all! Have a fun and safe New Years Eve and a happy and prosperous 2004!
*HUGZ*
I didn't know they had that avaialble!!!!!:-(
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Happy New Year
 U. S. Army Sgt. Carlos Llanes, left, and Spc. Koki Lane celebrate New Year's Eve dancing to salsa music during a party thrown for soldiers of the 101st Airborne division Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at their base in Mosul, Iraq. Llanes is from Miami, Fla. and Lane is from Gresham, Ore. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)  Required to have his weapon with him at all times except during physical training, U. S. Army Pvt. First Class Michael Varga waits, with his M-4 rifle, for the clock to strike midnight and the new year while attending a party for the soldiers of the 101st Airborne division Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at their base in Mosul, Iraq. Varga, from Chicago, is with the 18th Airborne long range surveillance corps. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)  An M-4 rifle belonging to a soldier with the 101st Airborne division rests on a table amidst New Year's Eve celebration party favors during a party thrown Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at the division's base in Mosul, Iraq. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)  U.S. Army Sgt. Ben Press of Traverse City, Mich., right, blows a horn while celebrating New Year's Eve with Sgt. Karl McCarn, left, and Spc. Terry Ludwick, center in green hat, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at their base in Mosul, Iraq. The three soldiers are with the 1438 Engineer unit of the 101st Airborne division. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)  U.S. Army soldier plays pool in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces, now converted into a recreation center, at a military base during a New Year's Eve party, in Tikrit, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)  U.S. Army soldiers dance inside one of Saddam Hussein's palaces, now converted into a recreation center, at a military base during a New Year's Eve party, in Tikrit, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)  U.S. soldiers dance during the New Year's Eve party at the recreation center of the main U.S. army barracks in the Iraqi town of Tikrit, some 250 km north of Baghdad, December 31, 2003. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk  A U.S. Army soldier holds a baby on top of a Humvee during a New Year's Eve party for orphans and poor children in a suburb of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, December 31, 2003. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra  A young boy feeds a U.S. Army soldier during a New Year's Eve party for orphans and poor children, in a suburb of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, December 31, 2003. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra  A U.S. Army soldier fits a wool hat on a boy during a New Year's Eve party for orphans and poor children, in a suburb of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, December 31, 2003. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
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Bill Gertz, Breakdown: How America's Intelligence Failures Led to September 11, Regnery, 2002, page 63:
Turner, who had no professional experience with intelligence, decided to cut 830 positions within the CIA Operations Directorate. The cuts were announced in impersonal notices sent out on Halloween--October 31, 1977. "It has been decided that your services are no longer needed," the termination notes stated. For the Clandestine Service, the cuts were a blow from which it never recovered. Every director of Central Intelligence since then has tried in vain to "rebuild" the operational capability of the CIA.
Comrade, you have gutted the American intelligence services. Here is a big donation for your Habitat for Humanity. Normally I have to torture men to betray their cause, but you, you do it naturally, and even throw in your wife.
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