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I CONFINI DELL’ORIZZONTE
TRUNCONI
Il più vasto campo d’aviazione della Sardegna in guerra 1940 – 1944
The BORDERS of the HORIZON
TRUNCONI
The boundless airfield of the Sardinia
at war 1940 – 1944 |
Villacidro - Trunconi, the boundless airfield of the
Sardinia during WWII. The title resumes a phrase of the war correspondent,
Mirko Giobbe that, on this airport wrote an article on “LE VIE DELL’ARIA”
(The ways of the air) of 18 October 1942: “It is a field that has the
dimensions of the horizon, a lot seems immense and spacious.” In effect
the airfield of Villacidro (Trunconi) for engaged surface was the vastest
of Sardinia. From this
base, and from the other one not a lot distant from Decimomannu, left the
reconnaissance aircrafts and the bombers that tried to block the supply
that the Home English Fleet, was strained to carry from Gibraltar to
Malta. After the starting successes the Italian Air Force (La Regia
Aeronautica) was not able to contrast the Anglo-American forces.
In the beginning of 1943 the airfield was ceded to the German Luftwaffe
that was forced to abandoning it some days after September 8th
(surrounding of Italy). In November arrived the Americans and, to the
beginning of 1944, also the French of the Free France. In Sardinia,
Decimomannu and Villacidro, were allocates all the medium bombers B-26
Marauders and from here left all the missions with which the American and
French Marauders hammered the railway and street bridges of peninsular
Italy in order to cut the supply to the German troops that opposed one
valiant and strenuous resistance to the advance of the Anglo-American
armies. At last it does not go forgotten that the Dragoon Operation (the
landing in South France - Provence) was prepared and supported from the
missions that left from Villacidro and Decimomannu. The book not only
report the history of the airport but also it take care of the human
aspects of the life that in these airfield Italian and Germans before,
Americans and French then, lead not so much miles from the village of
Villacidro, therefore physically near but at the same time distant: “… but
we lived, they and we, in two worlds separates each other from some
centuries. They dragged themselves in a vegetative existence, to the
margin of the events that only just grazed them… here have been the
Germans… replaced from the Americans and from the Frenchmen, not matter
also these aliens will leave the place sometime” (George Courtin, Les
Marauders Français).
Ignazio Fanni is born in Villacidro in 1943. Graduated in pharmacy, since
from the times of the high school he has had a great interest for the
history.
After some experiences of study and job abroad, from 1988 he is owner of
one of the pharmacies in Villacidro. In the premises of its pharmacy he
has organized the Farmamuseo “Sa Potecarìa” (Potecarìa means Pharmacy in
Sardinian Language), a collection of furnishings, tools and instruments
relating the “sanitary art” in general terms and pharmaceutical in
particular.
This book is fruit of a search during nearly five years, of documents and
testimonies from Italian, American, English, French and German military
archives.
The author has had the opportunity to put itself in contact with various
airmen that, during WWII, has passed a more or less long period at
Villacidro. Some, very kindly, have send photos diaries or stories that
have contributed to the realization of the book. A great thanks to all
them. |
The Allies Arriving into Sardinia
Photo 1 & 2 - October, November 1943
American troops in Cagliari Harbor
The Allies Leaving Sardinia
Photo 3 - September 1944: American troops leaving
Sardinia from Cagliari Harbor
VILLACIDRO: A WARTIME AIRBASE IN SARDINIA.
A few months before Italy's entry into W.W.2 a number of auxiliary
airfields were established m Sardinia, among them one at Villacidro, near
Cagliari.
A large part of a plain existing on the spot was leveled, some 10 km
(about 6 miles) off the little town. A large airstrip was created that
allowed take-offs and landings to be carried out in any directions. The
result was the largest airfield in Sardinia throughout W.W.2.
On 3 june 1940,8° Stormo B. T. (land-based bombers), led by colonnello
pilota Vittorio Ferrante, and which formed - together with 32°Stormo based
at Decimomannu - the 10 a Brigata Aerea under generale Cagna, was flown
into the new air base from Alghero.
8° Stormo was formed by two Gruppi: 27°Gruppo with 18° and 52° Squadriglie
and 17 aircaft, and28° Gruppo with 10° and 19° Squadriglie and 15
aircraft, their equipment consisting of S.79 three-engine bombers. Its
personnel included 429 men, among them 43 CO and 38 NCO pilots.
Facilities were quickly procured and arranged to make the base fully
operational. The main runways featured lengths ranging from 1,300 to
nearly 2,000 m (about 1,421 and 1,830 yds., respectively), plus a number
of decentralized airstrips had been mode available where aircraft could be
parked. In summer, however, wind and taxiing aircraft lifted clouds of
dust, whereas in winter the clayey ground melted and sensibly hampered
aircraft ground movements.
By l0 June 1940 the air base was fully operative. From there, in the
following days, the S.79s took off and attacked French targets in Corsica
(airfields at Valinco, Ajaccio and Calvi)and the Bizerte harbour in
Tunisia. The mission over the last target found the harbour fully lit, so
the Italian bombers could carry out their jobs easily and, undisturbed.
On night missions, all aircraft took off individually, so that no mass
attacks were carried out. After France surrendered, the units
starting from this base were able to cause heavy losses among British
ships sailed from Gibraltar in attempts at bringing supplies to
beleaguered Malta. In the afternoon of 21 June, 52° and 10°
Squadriglie under Generale Cagna took off from Villacidro and succeeded in
sinking a British warship.
On 9 Juny, Italian secret agents operating in Spain reported that the
British "H Force" had left Gibraltar bound for the eastern Mediterranean.
The formation included battleships Hood, Revenge and Valiant, aircraft
carrier Ark Royal and 16 miscellaneous destroyers and heavy cruisers.
On 9 July, about 07.00 p.m., 40 bombers from 10a Brigata, including 8°
Stormo from Villacidro and 32° Stormo from Decimomannu, led by generale
Cagna intercepted the British naval force near the island of Ma/orca and
for more than one and half hours, attacking in successive waves, bombed
the enemy units. Battleship Hood was heavily damaged, aircraft carrier Ark
Royal had its flying deck heavily hit with the loss of 7 aircraft aboard.
Some escorting destroyers were also heavily hit. One S. 79 was shot down,
5 others were damaged but the rest could be flown back to their bases. For
this exploit, 8° Stormo was awarded a silver medal.
On 1s August, 10a Brigata, led by General Cagna, took off bound for the
island of Formentera to intercept a British convoy mode up of three
battleships, two aircraft carriers and 16 cruisers and destroyers. Out of
8° Stormo, 18°, 52° and 10° Squadrìglie took part in the attack.
Battleship Resolution and a destroyer were hit. Some S.79s,
including the one with General Cagna aboard, were shot down with the loss
of their crews.
One week later the air base command was transferred from Colonel
Ferrante to Colonel Bonini. In the next month the 10" Brigata command
moved to Cagliari and 8° Stormo was deployed elsewhere. The air base was
practically demobbed and a small force led by a lieutenant was left to
guard its facilities.
But less than two months later the s.79s of 28° Gruppo, 8° Stormo B.T.,
reappeared and maggiore Michele Banchio was appointed the new base
commander.
In April I941 all refitting works to the already existing facilities were
resumed and erection of new buildings was started, while28°Gruppo was
being moved to another air base. Only a few aircraft were left on
the spot and the base activity dropped to a minimum. Maggiore Banchio was
replaced by tenente Gasole. In the meantime 51° Gruppo, equipped with
three engine Cant Z 1007 bis had been flown in. In November the air base
command was entrusted to maggiore Bonacossa, the former leader of 51 °
Gruppo A.O. (Eastem Africa) equipped with 10 Ro.37 recce machines from 28°Squadriglia.
In January 1942 the base command was entrusted to tenente colonnello
Manenti, who had arrived there with 51° Gruppo B.T./R.S. (R.S.standing for
strategical reconnaissance unit), made up of 212° and 213" Squadriglie,
both equipped with Cant Z 1007 bis. In the following months the Villacidro
airfield was temporarily made the base of famed units, such as 9°, 11°,
32" and 37° Stormi. These units successfully took part in the famous
air-sea battles waged in mid-June and mid-August 1942.
Thè 51° Gruppo carried out, in both encounters, reconnaissance and
shadowing missions against the British air and sea forces. Its
activity was fiercely opposed by British fighters, which shot down many
aircraft in the course of hard clashes. Part of the Italian crews
involved could escape with difficulty, but casualties were nevertheless
high.
On 12 August a strange aircraft wholly yellow-painted was taken of from
Villacidro. This was a special one-off crewless radio-controlled flying
bomb in the history of aviation. It was being guided towards the British
fleet but, owing to a defective capacitor, the pilotless aircraft went out
of control and ended up crashing against the Little Atlas mountains. The
bewildered local French authorities in vain searched for the corpses of a
crew among the wrecks.
Throughout 1942 Luftwaffe units began increasingly pouring in Villacidro,
in particular Ju 88-equipped KG.26, 60 and 77 (KG stood for Combat Wing),
although the base command was left in Italian hands. Italian and German
crews jointly operated against enemy forces. In December 88" Gruppo
B.T. joined the air base, but more and more aircraft were missing from
their missions while the German presence was growing increasingly
pressing.
January 1943 saw the Germans taking everything in their hands and starting
the project and execution of new works. Then more German units poured in:
KG.30 and 60 permanently, other units only occasionally. At this point,
the Allies started to seriously consider the elimination of that airfield.
On 17 February two American medium bombers formations were bound for
Villacidro airfield. One of them, 17th Bombing Group, personally led by
Tokyo raid-famous general Doolittle, reached the air base but could not
bomb it because of bad visibility. The other unit, 310th Bombing
Group mistakenly flew into another valley and bombed the built-up area of
Gonnosfanadiga, where its fragmentation bombs caused several casualties
among civilians.
On 16 March, 88° Gruppo left Villacidro and on 31st of the some month
several B-17 Flying Fortresses dropped over 3,000 fragmentation bombs and
caused heavy damage. More similar raids followed on 15 and 27 April, on
11,19, 20, 21, 26, 27 May and on 7 and 18 June. In that month about 1,500
German flyers were staying at Villacidro.
On l0 July the Germans, both because of their increased distrust towards
their Italian allies and for fear of possible landings by Amerìcan
commando units in Sardinia, began burying mines all over the airfield. On
10 September, before loading men and equipment aboard their trucks, the
Germans had their mines blasted, thus making all runways useless.
In November the first American ground personnel of 17th Bombing Group and
the engineers of 51st Service Squadron began arriving at Villacidro.
Runways were restored and both bombers - the B-26 Marauders - and their
crews started pouring in.
January 1944 saw the arrival of French air units. These were the 31e,
first, and the34e, later, Escadres de Bombardement Moyen. Both units were
armed and supplied by the Americans and under the 42nd Bombing Wing.
Both American and French bombing units started a systematic destruction
work aimed at bridges and railway junctions all over northern Italy in
order to disrupt the supply lines of the Germans, who were effectively
hampering the Allied armies' advance along the Italian peninsula. Among
others, 17th Bombing Group took part in the bombing of Montecassino abbey
and the support of allied landings at Anzio. Precision bombing missions
were also carried out against targets in Florence and some areas in Rome.
On 19 May 1944 général De Gaulle reviewed Free France troops camped near
the air base.
The airfield structures and facilities were generally improved and
everything was taken care of to make living easier to the new occupants.
In September and October 1944 both Americans and French left the
Villacidro air base and moved to other bases closer to the front line.
Sardinian shepherds and peasants repossessed the airfield area, and today
very little has been left in memory of the fervent activity that had
developed there only half a century before.
OPERATION "CANARINO"
Throughout W.W.2 Italian bombers were plagued by the lack of reliable bomb
aiming devices, the availability of big-calibre bombs and poor
bomb-carrying capacity.
On the basis of these considerations, colonnello Ferdinando Raffaelli
conceived an unusual solution, consisting in loading the highest possible
quantity of explosives aboard a single crewless aircraft and
radio-controlling it onto its predetermined target, that was thus to be
destroyed by a direct impact.
This solution offered many advantages: it allowed a crew to be spared, and
a higher load of explosives to be carried since no fuel was needed for a
return flight. Moreover, old machines nearing the end of their useful life
could be advantageously used to this purpose.
Two aircraft were made available for this unusual type of mission.
Initially, two S.79s were chosen, one as the flying bomb (and therefore
called A.R.P. for radio-controlled aircraft) and the other as the
remotely-guiding aircraft (in turn called E for radio-controlling
aircraft). Later, the P.-machine was replaced by a Cant Z 1007 bis.
The procedure to be adhered to was as follows: the A.R.P. was taken off
and set on its pre-determined route by a pilot who subsequently abandoned
the aircraft and parachuted to the ground. The P. machine followed at a
distance of About 5OO m (1,650 ft) that grew to 4,000 m (13,120 ft) in
proximity of the intended target. The flight was to have been carried out
at speeds between 320 and 370 km/h (200 to 230 m.p.h.) at an altitude of
6,000 m (20,000 ft) over a range of about 1,200 km (750 miles).
To improve the visibility of the A.R.P. from the R-aircraft, the former
was painted yellow overall, hence the "Canary" nickname.
A particular care was taken in the choice and installation of the
appropriate sending and receiving devices.
On 12August 1942, at 01.00 p.m. the two aircraft took off from the
Villacidro air base. Maresciallo Badii took off on the A.R.P., set it on
its planned route, then parachuted to safety. Colonnello Raffaelli
followed with its CantZ 1007 bis radio-controlling the S. 79 flying bomb,
bound for the British fleet near the Tunisian coast.
But off the island of La Galite, probably on account of a defective
capacitor on the S.79, the latter escaped the radio-control from the
R-aircraft, began turning westward, flew beyond Tunisian borders and
crashed on the sides of a Little Atlas mountain at an altitude of 1,800 m
(6,000 ft) and 70 km (43 miles) off the town of Philippeville. Following
this failure, the P-aircraft had to be hurriedly flown back to its base.
Disconcerted French authorities in vain searched, on the following day,
for the corpses of the crew and concluded that all people aboard must have
"vapourized".
Later, specific drones were designed and built, to be directed by Macchi
C.202 fighter. In the spring of 1943 a few examples of the A.R. had been
made ready by Aeronautica Lombarda. A first use was planned by August
1943, but no attempt was mode since the armistice with the Allies was at
the door.
(translation by R. Abate)
http://www.villacidro.net/zzz/storia/1939intr.htm
http://www.villacidro.net/zzz/storia/1939-43eng.htm
http://www.farmamuseo.it/pagine/farmamuseo.htm |
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