page_title: Operation Herring
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Operation Herring / History
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Paracadutisti italiani verso la zona di lancio dell'operazione Herring
context_page_description: Operation Herring was the last World War II airborne combat drop in Europe.
context_section_description: In March 1945, the airborne forces of the Allied-aligned Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano (Italian Co-belligerent Army) comprised: the 114-strong "F" Reconnaissance Squadron, which was made up of 12 sections/squads under Captain Carlo Gay, and; a 112-strong contingent, led by Lieutenant Guerrino Ceiner, that had defected from the Axis-aligned 184ª Divisione paracadutisti "Nembo": four platoons, each made up of three sections/squads.
  After being assigned to Operation Herring, the Italian paratroopers received a rapid but thorough training update under the supervision of a British SOE officer, Major Alex Ramsay, who was reportedly pleased by the Italian paratroopers' performance.
  The mission would entail eight battle 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 MAB submachine gun with 400 rounds, high explosive charges, four hand grenades, dagger, maps, and foodstuff for 48 hours.
  On the night of 19/20 April 1945, the Italian paratroopers, plus at least one British paratrooper who had joined them, jumped from 14 Douglas C-47 transport aircraft of the US 64th Troop Carrier Group. 
  During the drop, they were scattered considerably, a few were captured upon landing, 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.
  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. The Germans reciprocated by killing some Italian prisoners, as well as a few civilians.
caption: Italian parachutists en route to the drop zone of Operation Herring
exif: {}