Page 261 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

U.S. NAVAL AVIATION IN liUROPE DURING WOk.LD WAR l 227
was esrablished at che American Ernbassy in Rome on 25 Aprii 1918. The ways
of me milicary were no differenr jn 1918 rhan rhey are in 1992, because si.x cimes
50 offi'cers arrived by era in a c Lake Bolsena in July for flighr training and aircraft
check-ours. Mosc of rhese pilors were senr for familiarizadon with me Caproni bom-
bers, which were being acquircd forche Northern Bombing Group in France. Ulti·
marely a coral of 73 American naval officcrs werc crained in bombers and pursuir
aircraft for che lralian campaign ac Bolsena.
The principal American naval operating base on the lcalian Adriacic wasr was
locaced at a former lta.liao Army airfìeld at PortO Corsini. The base was locared
on a triangular piece of properry ac che interscction of rwo na.rrow ca nals, one of
which connected the ciry of Ravenna wich che Adria tic. The strategie imporcance
of mis base was ics proximiry co the Auscrian naval base ar Pola. Tbe base was
commissioned on 24July 1918, wich lr. William B. Haviland, USNRF, in com-
mand. The Austrians wasred no time in greeting che new arrivals; a multi-aircraft
bombing mission targered che ca m p in a midnighr raid. Forrunarely, enemy inrelli-
gence provided che pilocs wich an erroneous locacion of che Americans' camp, be-
cause the ncaresc bombs landed no doser rhan 500 yards away.
lnìrìally, che !calia n Navy equi.pped che base wich chree Macchi M-8 seaplaoe
bombers and a nurober of M-5 seaplane pursuir aircraft. The Americans spem che
first half of August organizing che base, bu.ilding permanem srruetures, and era in·
ing che pilors and ground crews. On 21 Augusc, Lìeutenanr Haviland's force launched
irs fìrsr raid againsr Pola, utilizing one M-8 a.nd four M-5s. The Ausrrians mer this
raid wirh seven aircraft and a spirìced dogfight ensued. One American M-5 was
severcly damaged and ha d co dicc.h 5 km. to che wesr of Pola. A second M· 5 landed
on che wacer nearby and rescued che piloc. One Austrian A.lbarross was observed
rerurning w its base uailing smoke.
Thac nigbt, Auscrian air forces recaliated io force againsc Porco Corsini, des·
croying one building near the fuc.l srorage ranks, but inflicciog no casua.lties. The
Porto Corsini force engaged Lo the mosr concemrare:d and fierce figbting during
me ensuing four days of any America n nava.l aviacion unir during che war. Haviland
launched all available aircraft, hammering Pola porr faciliries and scoring a direcc
hit on an ammunirìon bunker. The Navy pilots foughr chrough anti-aircraft fire
and aerial dogfìghcs wirhouc losing a single ptlor or aircraft.
Sepcember and Ocrober 1918, were spent in raiding and scoucing ocher Aus-
crian porcs in addicion co Pola, bue none of thern were as fierce as che raids in
late August. By 22 October. the i!llied n~vlllllir for~;t;$ hlld re;1ched a high degree
of coordinacion; so ma c Porro Corsini and che lcalian N a val Air Force base at Venice
launched a combined caid oo Pola roralling forry chree aircraft. Pola suffercd sig-
nifìcanr damage in mat raid, and no aircraft were losc.
Austria agreed co an armistìce, and opèrarions ceased on 4 N ovember 1918.
For three long years, lraly had fought che Ausrrian Empire, and had made grear
strides i:n developing a credible aie force. As with che orher powers in che l:uropean