Reading a book on Ferraris & it mentions the bombing of the factory in Marenello in 1944. There's a photo of the ruins. Anyone have any specific info on the bombing of the factory? Exact dates, what squadrons were involved & that sort of thing.
Hello, Ferrari's website says that the factory was bombed twice, once on 4 November 1944 and then in February 1945 (no date given for theelatter). The Combat Chronology USAAf for 1944 (Part 2) has this entry:SATURDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 1944 TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy: 130+ B-25s of the 57th Bombardment Wing strike communications in the W Po Valley, cutting at least 4 bridges; fighters and fighter-bombers of XXII Tactical Air Command concentrate on communications targets and trains in the Po Valley and defenses in the battle area S of Bologna; Regards, Vitellino
Hello friends, at the time Ferrari was heavily involved with the fascist "Salò Republic", his factory produced special industrial machinery for others firms as Fiat, Breda, Ansaldo and many other industries involved in axis war production. After the war, his political tendencies where "forgotten" due to his races merits....
That's impossible. During War Enzo Ferrari own only a small Company named Auto Avio Costruzioni wich produces small parts for aircraft factories like Officine Reggiane. Scuderia Ferrari, the racing team, was born in 1949. Tube frame with alloy plate covers and 12 on line cylinder engines DB601) were inspired from aircraft tecnology but without a direct derivative. Modena area is a Red Area where communist party was strong and without RSI control but under german administration. At least 2/3 of Reggiane production for Luftwaffe was sabotaged directly in the factory.
Pminotti, you are wrong. Auto Avio Costruzioni was founded in in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari when he left Alfa Romeo. From 1939 to 1943 Auto Avio Costruzioni was in Modena, in 1943 the factory was transferred to Maranello to avoid allied bombings. Futile attempt, because the factory was bombed twice... From 1939 to 1943, as told, the Auto Avio build machine tools (especially grinder machines) for the major italian firms as Breda, Fiat, Reggiane and others, but from 1940 start to build also "supercars" as the Auto Avio 815. Only in 1943, after the armistice, the Auto Avio (under german control) build ONLY minor aircraft, motor and gun parts. Modena was NOT a "red area", communists was only a part of the strong partisan movement, formed by the 5 parties of the CLN. The partisan rule the mountains, where they are occasionally pushed aside by major but brief nazi-fascist roundup, but in the plains and in Modena the RSI (strictly under german control) had full control of the power, at least in the day. At night, the GAP make "hit and run" attacks without control of the territory. In this link you can see a Grinder Machine built by Auto Avio in 1942 (http://www.officinaemilia.unimore.it/site/home/officina-emilia/documenti/documento98015758.html), note that he bring the "Scuderia Ferrari" logo....
