Northward across the Mediterranean
pointed the Allied path toward victory. Modern
three-dimensional war was giving the lie to ancient
history’s lessons against Mediterranean
northbound invasion. Precept had not reckoned
with air power. The Ninth Air Force moved into
the island-conquering, pre-invasion phase without
rest from Tunisia. Coordinating with the North
African air, land and sea forces, the Ninth shared
heavily in the actions that brought the fall of
Pantelleria the impregnable, and in rapid succession,
Lampedusa and Linosa.
The Fifty-Seventh was ordered to
prepare for the impending invasion of Europe,
with Sicily as the first stepping-stone, and “A”
party moved to Bou Grara, L.G., Tunisia to waterproof
vehicles and equipment for an amphibious landing
operation. Meanwhile “B” party operated
from Cape Bon, bombing Pantelleria and Lampedusa,
and assisting greatly in the surrender of their
garrisons. Cape Bon was a “scroungers paradise”
as the evacuating enemy forces left equipment
everywhere. Every fifty feet along the road lay
a German truck, jeep or trailer, and the men in
the Group soon were riding around in eight-cylinder
reconnaissance cars and Renault convertible coupes.
German generators hummed in the camp nightly,
supplying power for lights and music furnished
by Herr Rommel’s radios. It was amusing
to tune a German radio to the German propaganda
station in Berlin and hear Sally-talk about the
“Butchers of the Fifty-Seventh.” Later
in the month the two parties met at Causeway,
Tunisia, and after a few short days “A”
party moved to a rocky camp on Malta, “the
Gem of the Mediterranean.” There the men
saw the sights, watched the tremendous quantities
of invasion material pile up, slept on the ground
under pup tents, and awaited D Day.
Fighters of the Ninth during May
flew 2,182 sorties on 162 missions. This was during
a period when many American fighter pilots with
hundreds of operational hours accumulated in the
long desert drive were being returned to America
to teach or to head new units being trained for
war.
The Eighth Army invaded Sicily on
July 10 and nine days later “A” party
landed at Pachino, Sicily, driving through the
surf onto the beach in typical newsreel style.
Soon the entire unit was flying from one of the
Gerbini airstrips south of Catania, hitting enemy
movement in the northern end of the island. The
airfield was close to the fierce battle-taking
place on the plains of Catania and the Group sweat
out several night attacks of the Luftwaffe, luckily
escaping one, which destroyed many men and airplanes
on an adjacent British field. The unit lived in
an orange grove and for the first time had fresh
vegetables with meals. Wine was plentiful there
at Scordia and a huge barrel was on tap outside
of the mens’ day room every evening.
GERMAN ME-109’S ACQUIRED:
A veteran of 114 fighter plane combat
missions Captain James Hadnot, while on leave
to the U.S., listed as one of his most unique
experiences his flying of three captured German
Me-109’s taken on Sicily.
He said in a news interview, “During
the Sicilian campaign one German airport was captured
so quickly the Germans didn’t have time
to destroy three of the Me-109’s on the
field. After these planes were painted a bright
yellow and given Army markings for easy identification
they were turned over to the 57th for trial.”
As soon as he mastered the technique of flying
them – and according to Jimmy they take
special handling – he in turn instructed
other pilots in their use. The planes were not
modified in any way, the instrument markings were
left in German and on occasions German gasoline
was used in them for more accurate competitive
performance.
Using the captured German planes
selected pilots flew them in combat and simulated
“dogfights” with pilots in American
planes so our men would be familiar with the abilities
and weaknesses of the Me-109’s.
Before mid 1943, the African Campaign
was the “only game in town” from the
U.S. public’s point of view. With that campaign
over, the Pantelleria operation finished and the
Sicily action drawing to a close, the public’s
attention was being drawn to England where American
forces had been building up. The softening up
of the enemy had begun in preparation for D-Day,
which was to occur a year later. The Ninth Air
Force was being transferred to England with much
of the press corps following them. The 12th Air
Force, which had entered Africa through Morroco
on the west coast, had supported the American
ground forces entering Africa, also from the west,
near the end of 1942, remained in the Mediterranean
to support the Italian campaign. On August 22,
1943, the 57th was transferred to it.
