Bombing of Foggia

The Bombing of Foggia in World War II took place on can be heard. A train has arrived from Bari
several occasions in 1943, by Allied aircraft. The bomb- a few minutes before. Many travellers have
ing caused 20,298 civil victims during nine air raids. been caught by surprise as they entered the un-
The aim of the Allied Forces was to prevent the use of derpasses. Others believe that they can shel-
ter from the fury of the bombardment in the
the transport network and airelds at Foggia. The trans-
port network was an important focal point in the deploy- same underpasses. Instead they go to a certain
death...
ment of German and Italian troops used to counter the
Allied attacks on Southern Italy and the invasion of Sicily
in July (Operation Husky). It has been claimed that the For a short period Foggia became a ghost town in which
raids were too extensive and caused excessively high lev- looters sought valuables worn by the casualties and bur-
els of deaths and casualties amongst the civil population gled abandoned buildings.
(about a third of the population were killed. The air raids
continued after an armistice had been signed between the ... There are some who decide to exploit
Allies and Italy due to the concentration of German forces the tragedy. In the night the ying fortresses do
in Foggia who were not party to the armistice. not return. Instead the thieves arrive. They are
jackals who pounce upon the dead, rummag-
The city of Foggia was awarded the Italian gold medal ing in their pockets and taking money, rings
for civil value on November 22, 1959, for having suered and gold chains. They enter the half-ruined
20,298 victims, and of the Italian gold medal for military houses, lling boxes with linen, and running o
value on April 25, 2007. with furniture and jewellery. Every night they
return to plunder the city. No one intervenes.
People are afraid that they are armed.
1 The bombing
Although an Armistice between Italy and Allied armed
Foggia was attacked on nine occasions. Thousands of forces was declared on September 8, allied forces con-
homes in residential districts, the airport, the railway sta- tinued bombing until September 15 ostensibly to prevent
tion, and numerous squares and streets were totally dev- German troop movements.
astated. After the extensive bombing raid of August
19, 1943, which caused over 9,000 victims, the British
prime minister Winston Churchill stated Foggia has been 2 Chronology of events
Coventrated, in reference to the destruction suered by
the city of Coventry in the Coventry Blitz on November May 15, 1943: Allied forces occupy Tunisia.
14, 1940.
May 2830-31: Destruction of the airport and rail-
A chronicle of the bombing of Foggia was written by way station of Foggia. (462 victims)
Luca Cicolella in a book called "...e la morte venne dal
cielo ("...and death came from the sky), published in June 21: Second air raid. (91 victims)
1973 and 1983, which also contained the Report made by
July 10: The rst Allied landings on the island of
the Monsignor Fortunato Maria Farina and sent to Pope
Sicily.
Pius XII.
July 15: Air raid on the railway station. (1,293 civil
victims)
[22 July 1943] The station clock says
9.43. The sky suddenly darkens. Forty Flying July 22: Another air raid on the railway station, with
Fortresses and more than fty ghter planes de- strang of the whole area. (7,643 victims)
scend upon Foggia. When the bell of the Town
Hall tolls to give the alarm, the massacre has July 25: The fall and arrest of Mussolini.
already begun. The rst bombs fall on the sta- August 16: Air raid on the outskirts of Foggia.
tion, smashing the buildings with extraordinary
violence and closing the entrances to the under- August 19: Carpet bombing of the entire city.
passes from which heart-rending cries of pain (9,581 victims)

1
2 2 CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

August 2425: Thousands of bombs launched over

the city, also during the night, until the morning of
the 25th. (971 victims)

September 8: Badoglio announces the armistice be-

tween Italy and the Allies (signed at Cassibile on
September 3).
September 9: A smaller air raid, despite the recently
signed armistice. (21 civil victims)
September 1718: The last air raid on the city of
Foggia. (179 victims)
 3

3 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

3.1 Text
Bombing of Foggia Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Foggia?oldid=740395809 Contributors: Stefanomione, Koavf,
Josh3580, Philip Stevens, Nick-D, Srnec, MilborneOne, Cydebot, JamesLucas, Kirrages, The Anomebot2, Kevinsam, DH85868993,
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