No letter today. Just this:
* TIDBIT *
about the 1944 Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
about the 1944 Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius last erupted between March 18-23, 1944. At the time of the eruption, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) 340th Bombardment Group was based at Pompeii Airfield near Terzigno, Italy, just a few kilometers from the eastern base of the mountain. The tephra and hot ash damaged the fabric control surfaces, the engines, the Plexiglass windshields and the gun turrets of the 340th's B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. Estimates ranged from 78 to 88 aircraft destroyed.
Dr. Leander K. Powers served in Italy during World War II and his diary provides an interesting chronology of the March 1944 eruption:
Dana Craig from the 486th Bombardment Squadron of the 340th Bombardment Group experienced the eruption of Mount Vesuvius first-hand:
Dr. Leander K. Powers served in Italy during World War II and his diary provides an interesting chronology of the March 1944 eruption:
Saturday, March 17, 1944
"While we were just finishing supper, someone called to say there were huge red streams of lava flowing down the sides of Mount Vesuvius. It was a sight to behold. Never had we seen such at night — usually a faint red glow at the most. As we watched the streams, like giant fingers flowing down the sides, we could see a glow in the sky. All during the night and Sunday there were quakes of the earth with tremendous roars - similar to thunder - from Vesuvius. The windows rattled, and the entire building vibrated."
Sunday, March 18, 1944
"On Sunday night, the roars became more frequent and grumbled like a lion’s roar. Streams of fire were shooting thousands of feet into the air, and the countryside was lit up for miles around. Oft times the entire top of the mountain looked as if it were a blazing inferno. It’s really uncanny, yet amazing to look at this phenomenon. The vibrations of the building were truly uncomfortable."
Monday, March 19, 1944
"I learned that a stream of lava was flowing down the side toward Naples, so we rode over to see it. It was the most phenomenal thing I have ever witnessed. A huge mass of fiery coals some 20 feet high and 200 yards wide destroying everything in its path. There were many people evacuating their homes, which we saw destroyed as the lava pressed on. At night, the sky and countryside was bright for miles around. Flames were shooting into the sky for thousands of feet."
Tuesday, March 20, 1944
"Tuesday night, the entire town vibrated, and there was a roar almost unexplainable. Lava rocks could be seen all over the mountainside."
Wednesday, March 21, 1944
"Wednesday morning, we could see smoke boiling from the crater for miles into the sky. This continued all the afternoon. We heard that the road to Salerno was covered with cinders and traffic was greatly impeded."
"While we were just finishing supper, someone called to say there were huge red streams of lava flowing down the sides of Mount Vesuvius. It was a sight to behold. Never had we seen such at night — usually a faint red glow at the most. As we watched the streams, like giant fingers flowing down the sides, we could see a glow in the sky. All during the night and Sunday there were quakes of the earth with tremendous roars - similar to thunder - from Vesuvius. The windows rattled, and the entire building vibrated."
Sunday, March 18, 1944
"On Sunday night, the roars became more frequent and grumbled like a lion’s roar. Streams of fire were shooting thousands of feet into the air, and the countryside was lit up for miles around. Oft times the entire top of the mountain looked as if it were a blazing inferno. It’s really uncanny, yet amazing to look at this phenomenon. The vibrations of the building were truly uncomfortable."
Monday, March 19, 1944
"I learned that a stream of lava was flowing down the side toward Naples, so we rode over to see it. It was the most phenomenal thing I have ever witnessed. A huge mass of fiery coals some 20 feet high and 200 yards wide destroying everything in its path. There were many people evacuating their homes, which we saw destroyed as the lava pressed on. At night, the sky and countryside was bright for miles around. Flames were shooting into the sky for thousands of feet."
Tuesday, March 20, 1944
"Tuesday night, the entire town vibrated, and there was a roar almost unexplainable. Lava rocks could be seen all over the mountainside."
Wednesday, March 21, 1944
"Wednesday morning, we could see smoke boiling from the crater for miles into the sky. This continued all the afternoon. We heard that the road to Salerno was covered with cinders and traffic was greatly impeded."
Dana Craig from the 486th Bombardment Squadron of the 340th Bombardment Group experienced the eruption of Mount Vesuvius first-hand:
"I'm assuming that your March 22nd date for the eruption is right. On the day prior, Vesuvius was belching smoke. It was an overcast sky with the threat of rain. About midnight, I went out of my billet to answer the call of nature. While outside, in a mild drizzle, I was hit on the head by what I thought was a small rock. Suspecting some sort of joke, I went inside for a flashlight. When I returned, the light revealed a layer of damp cinders on the ground. We knew at that time that Vesuvius was erupting. We began to feel the earth shake as though a bomb had gone off. After each quake, a few minutes would pass before the debris blown out of the crater would start to hit the ground. About daylight, the rear of our building started to cave in. We then began to see the larger rocks coming down. By this time everyone was wearing his steel helmet and heavy sheepskin jacket for protection from the falling material. I can't recall ever having breakfast that morning. It wasn't very long before we were loaded into trucks and evacuated to Naples."
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
These B-25s from the 447th Squadron
of the 321st Bombardment Group
passed very near the erupting volcano
on their way to bomb targets.
Three different perspectives
of Mount Vesuvius erupting in March of 1944
(Photos from NARA in College Park, MD)
These B-25s from the 447th Squadron
of the 321st Bombardment Group
passed very near the erupting volcano
on their way to bomb targets.
Three different perspectives
of Mount Vesuvius erupting in March of 1944
(Photos from NARA in College Park, MD)
