This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Sgt Duane Kimbrow (Skip)
to remember
Hatton, William Joseph (Bill), 1st Lt.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Hudson County
Last Address Soluch AAB, Libya Whitestone, New York
Casualty Date Apr 05, 1943
Cause Non Hostile- Died while Missing
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Libya
Conflict World War II/Asian-Pacific Theater
Location of Interment Mount Saint Mary Cemetery - Flushing, New York
Wall/Plot Coordinates Plot Section: 10, Row: with a Rosette, indicating
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Air Offensive, Europe Campaign (1942-44)/Operation Strangle
From Month/Year
March / 1943
To Month/Year
January / 1944
Description Operation Strangle was a series of air interdiction operations during the Italian Campaign of World War II by the United States Fifteenth and Twelfth Air Forces to interdict German supply routes in Italy north of Rome from March 24, 1943, until the fall of Rome in spring 1944. Its aim was to prevent essential supplies from reaching German forces in central Italy and compel a German withdrawal. The strategic goal of the air assault was to eliminate or greatly reduce the need for a ground assault on the region. Although the initial goal of forcing the enemy to withdraw was not achieved, the air interdiction of Operation Strangle played a major role in the success of the subsequent ground assault Operation Diadem.
Two principal interdiction lines were maintained across the narrow boot of Italy. This meant that no through trains were able to run from the Po Valley to the front line, and that south of Florence substantially all supplies had to be moved by truck. The operation employed medium bombers and fighter bombers over a 150-square-mile (390 km2) area from Rome to Pisa and from Pescara to Rimini.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1943
To Month/Year
December / 1943
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories The was the first and last mission of this crew which became lost on their return from their bombing mission over Naples. They dropped their bombs over the Mediterranean on their return, according to the records. More information can be found on the resource websites quoted.