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{{Infobox military conflict<br />
|conflict=Operation Herring<br />
|partof= the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]]/[[Italian Civil War]] of [[World War II]]<br />
|image= Paracadutisti italiani salgono a bordo di un C-47 all'aeroporto di Rosignano (20 aprile 1945).jpg<br />
|caption=Italian parachutists departing from Rosignano on 20 April 1945<br />
|date= 19–23 April 1945<br />
|place= Key Axis positions behind the [[Po River]] Valley<br />
|result= Allied victory<br />
|combatant1={{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}<br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br />{{flag|United States|1912}}<br />
|combatant2={{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}<br />{{flagicon image|War flag of the Italian Social Republic.svg}} [[Italian Social Republic]]<br />
|commander1={{flagicon|Kingdom of Italy}} Captain Carlo Gay <br />{{flagicon|Kingdom of Italy}} Lieutenant Guerrino Ceiner<br />
|commander2=Unknown<br />
|strength1= {{flagicon|Kingdom of Italy}} 226 parachutists<br />{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} 1+<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} 14 [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47s]]<br />
|strength2= {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}<br />
7,000 soldiers<br>200 APCs, tanks, and other vehicles<br />
|casualties1= {{flagicon|Kingdom of Italy}} '''Italy:'''<br /> 30 killed<br />10-12 wounded<br />{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''United Kingdom''':<br />1 killed<br />
|casualties2= 481 killed<br />1983 captured<br />44 vehicles destroyed<br />
|notes=<br />
|campaignbox={{Campaignbox 1945 Spring Offensive}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Italy}}<br />
}}<br />
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'''Operation Herring''' (Herring 1) was the last [[World War II]] [[Airborne forces|airborne]] combat drop in Europe.<br />
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==Background==<br />
The [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[Spring 1945 offensive in Italy|April 1945 offensive]] on the [[Italy|Italian]] front, which was to end the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]] and the war in Italy, was to decisively break through the [[Germany|German]] [[Gothic Line]], the defensive line along the [[Apennine Mountains|Apennines]] and the [[River Po]] plain to the [[Adriatic Sea]] and swiftly drive north to occupy [[Northern Italy]] and get to the [[Austria]]n and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] borders as quickly as possible. However, German strongpoints, as well as bridge, road, levee and dike blasting, and any occasional determined resistance in the Po Valley plain might slow the planned sweep down. Allied planners felt that dropping [[paratroops]] onto some key areas and locales south of the River Po could help wreak havoc in the German rear area, attack German communications and vehicle columns, further disrupting the German retreat, and prevent German engineers from blowing up key structures before Allied spearheads could exploit them. Lieutenant General Sir [[Richard McCreery]], commander of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|8th Army]], had a number of Italian paratroopers at hand for the task.<br />
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==History==<br />
In March 1945, the airborne forces of the Allied-aligned [[Italian Co-belligerent Army]] comprised: the 114-strong Reconnaissance Squadron "Folgore", which was made up of 12 [[section (military)|sections]]/[[squad]]s under [[Captain (land and air)|Captain]] Carlo Gay,{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} and; a 112-strong contingent, led by [[Lieutenant]] Guerrino Ceiner from the [[184th Paratroopers Division "Nembo"|184th Airborne Division "Nembo"]]: four [[platoon]]s, each made up of three sections/squads.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}<br />
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After being assigned to Operation Herring, the Italian paratroopers received a rapid but thorough training update under the supervision of a British [[Special Operations Executive|SOE]] officer, [[Major]] Alex Ramsay, who was reportedly pleased by the Italian paratroopers' performance.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}<br />
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[[File:Paracadutisti italiani verso la zona di lancio dell'operazione Herring.jpg|thumb|left|Italian parachutists en route to the drop zone of Operation Herring]]<br />
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The mission would entail eight drops on as many areas south of Po River, southeast of [[Ferrara]], the [[Mirandola]] area, and [[Poggio Rusco]] and the [[Modena]]-[[Mantua]] highway. It would last 36 hours. Every paratrooper was to be equipped with an Italian [[Beretta Model 38|Beretta MAB]] [[submachine gun]] with 400 rounds, high explosive charges, four [[hand grenades]], dagger, maps, and food for 48 hours.<br />
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On the night of 19/20 April 1945, the Italian paratroopers, plus at least one British paratrooper who had joined them,{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} jumped from 14 [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|Douglas C-47]] [[transport]] aircraft of the US [[64th Air Expeditionary Group|64th Troop Carrier Group]].<br />
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During the drop, they were scattered considerably,{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} a few were captured upon landing,{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} and 16 ''paracadutisti'' barricaded themselves in a farmhouse, after becoming surrounded by German forces; all but two of the Italians died while fighting until running out of ammunition.<br />
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Other groups of ''paracadutisti'' proved to be more effective, inflicting heavy damage and suffering light casualties. Two squads from "F" Squadron (18 personnel) captured two small towns, [[Ravarino]] and Stuffione, took 451 prisoners and held out until the arrival of Allied ground forces. Some ''paracadutisti'' were effective to the point of notoriety – several German prisoners were reportedly murdered in cold blood by their captors.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} The Germans reciprocated by killing some Italian prisoners, as well as a few civilians.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}.<br />
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==Aftermath==<br />
[[File:Prigionieri nazisti catturati dai paracadutisti italiani dell'operazione Herring (Mirandola, aprile 1945).jpg|thumb|German prisoners captured by Italian paras ([[Mirandola]], April 1945)]]<br />
Operation Herring lasted over 72 hours instead of the 36 initially foreseen, but it turned out to be a success. With some help on the part of the local [[Partisan (military)|partisan]] groups, according to some sources 481 German soldiers were killed, 1,983 surrendered, 44 vehicles were destroyed and many captured including some [[tank]]s, [[Armored car (military)|armored cars]] and guns, 77 telephone lines severed, three bridges taken intact, an ammunition storage site blown up. The price the Italians paid for the success was 31 dead (including a British paratrooper [[sergeant]]) and 10-12 wounded. An Italian lieutenant and a private were posthumously awarded the [[Gold Medal of Military Valor|Gold Medal for Valor]].<br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Airborne forces]]<br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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==References==<br />
William Fowler (2010): The Secret War in Italy; Operation Herring and No 1 Italian SAS, Ian Allan, {{ISBN|9780711035287}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
{{commons}}<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140221004616/http://www.squadronef.it/ Squadrone F] - Detailed website dedicated to Operation Herring (in Italian)<br />
*[https://comandosupremo.com/operation-herring/ Italian Paratroopers in Operation Herring]<br />
{{coord missing|Italy}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Herring}}<br />
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Italian Campaign|Herring]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations of World War II involving Germany|Herring]]<br />
[[Category:Airborne operations of World War II]]<br />
[[Category:April 1945 events in Europe]]<br />
[[Category:Battles in Emilia-Romagna|Operation Herring]]</div>Bot