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Description of  Air War Over Italy

The Allied advance through Italy 1943-1945 is less known than the parallel campaign in France and the air war is perhaps the least known aspect. Containing the Allied advance as long as possible and protecting the industrial cities of northern Italy from bombardment were top priorities of the Luftwaffe. With a Luftwaffe general, Albert Kesselring, in overall command the Luftwaffe was able to coordinate its activities with the ground forces more efficiently than on some other fronts.Germany regained control of the situation more quickly and put up a more determined resistance after the capitulation of the Italian government than had been anticipated by the Allies. Maintaining air superiority over the battlefield and hampering German supply and reinforcement became of prime importance to the Allied air forces. This detailed account draws on official sources and detailed research, and is supported by a superb selection of photographs of aircraft types and actual operations.