Bari is a busy little port town on the southeastern coast of Italy. It’s our first stop after leaving Venice on a cruise of the Greek Isles. While doing some pre-visit research, I stumbled upon Bari’s secret history. It’s no longer a “secret,” but it’s certainly not well-known, either.
When we left off last time, we were in a store in Bari’s shopping district, attempting to buy a purse. Bari isn’t a tourist stop for Westerners, so virtually no one here speaks English. For me, this was a good opportunity to practice my Italiano.
Say What?
The conversation with the cashier started off well enough, but then she said, something that sounded to me like…
“Vuoicheperunpacchettoregaloperte?”
Whoa! Her words came out so fast, it was like they spewed out from a machine gun. I had no idea what she’d said. But I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
Me — ” Potrebbe parlare un po’ più lentamente, per favore? Il mio Italiano non è bene.” (“Could you speak a little more slowly, please? My Italian, she’s a not so good.”)
Cashier — “Oh… Di dove sei? (“Oh… Where are you from?)
Me — “Ci sono degli Stati Uniti.” (“We’re from the United States.”)
Cashier — “Oh. Capisco. Ecco la più lentamente… Vuoi – che – per – un pacchetto -regalo – per – te?” (“Oh… I get it. Here it is more slowly… Would – you – like – me – to – gift -wrap – it – for – you?)
Me — “Oh…. Capisco ‘pachetto’, ma non capisco ‘regalo’.” (“I understand ‘pachetto’, but I don’t know what ‘regalo’ means.”)
Bottom line: my Better Half got a purse and I got an italian lesson in Bari.
We strolled around Bari some more. It wasn’t long before we got thirsty. The heat, you know. Of course you do!
Perhaps there might be a place nearby where we could sit in a comfortable chair and enjoy un piccolo bicchiere di vino. (A little glass of wine).
Bari’s Secret
But before we get too comfortable, you might want to know something else about Bari. It’s famous, or perhaps “infamous” for something that happened here in WW II.
Bari was a crucial part of the Allies’ war effort. The American 15th Air Force and Montgomery’s 8th Army were stationed close by. From Bari, B-17’s from the Fifteenth could raise havoc all over Europe.
The port of Bari was key to supplying the Allies in that part of the world. Bari served as the depot for aviation fuel brought in by sea.
On November 28, 1943, a supply ship carrying a secret cargo arrived in Bari. No one except a select few knew what the cargo was. We know now, though.
The cargo was mustard gas. Two thousand 100-lb bombs full of it, to be exact. The Allies secretly brought it over to be prepared in case the Germans used it. German use of mustard gas was a huge concern at the time.
In November, 1943, the port at Bari was jam-packed with 30 allied warships and supply ships of all kinds. The port was a beehive of activity. Floodlights were set up so supply ships could be unloaded round the clock.
Due to the massive workload, the secret cargo wasn’t scheduled to be unloaded until December 2nd. Well, guess what? At 7:20 in the evening on that day, December 2nd, with the harbor lit up like it was daylight, the Germans attacked by air.
Little Pearl Harbor
The attack took the harbor full of ships by surprise. Sometimes this attack is called the “Little Pearl Harbor” because of the unfortunate similarities. It was a massacre.
Numerous ships were hit, including the ship carrying the secret cargo. Mustard gas blew up and spread everywhere. Treatment for mustard gas was available, but almost no one knew that’s what they were dealing with. It was a disaster on top of a disaster.
The discovery of mustard gas would have been a propaganda gold mine for the Germans, so the whole episode was kept secret. Long after the war was over, the disaster at Bari is no longer “secret,” but it’s not widely known, either.
Meanwhile, we’re still thirsty. We found a café where could sit on a covered patio, people-watch, and bask in the warmth of the southern Italian afternoon. The waitress there was beyond nice. She even spoke a little English. The café was slow, so we ended up having a great time talking to her.
We weren’t ready to leave, but when we could see the tender coming to get us, it was time to go. Next stop: Katakolon, Greece.
To be continued…
