THE BIG SWING
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July 1944
This memorial, planned and realized by a private initiative, was completed in autumn 2025 and commemorates the 80th anniversary of the plane crash that occurred on the opposite side of the valley in February 1945. The crash site is located about six hundred meters south on a former landslide and is very difficult to access, which is why this location of the sculpture on the property of the Consorzio Strada Forestale Arbedo was chosen.
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A glance through the silhouette of the aircraft on the stele reveals the approximate location of the former debris field, which, due to the force of the explosion and the terrain, covered an area of several hundred square meters.
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Fortunately, all crew members survived by bailing out with their parachutes, and no one on the ground was injured.
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This is a brief summary of the events, which will soon be presented in full details on a separate website.
Solenzara, Corsica, February 7, 1945, just about three months before the end of the war in Europe.
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On the morning of that day, a North American B-25J-1-NC Mitchell twin-engine medium bomber takes off for its final mission; Ser. No. 43-4067 “The Big Swing” with the tactical number “76”, a veteran built in 1944 which had completed about 60 missions so far.
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The aircraft is assigned to the 448th Bomb Squadron in the 321st Bomb Group. The latter being part of the 57th Bomb Wing in the 12th Air Force, USAAF.
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On board are six men, their age ranging from 21 to 34, and their target on February 7 is a railway viaduct near Lavìs in the Trentino. As part of Operation "Strangle”, the objective is to disrupt German supply lines, thus permanently weaken the "Gothic Line" in Italy by attacking the logistic system along the Brenner Pass.
The flight path, lasting four hours, is carefully planned to avoid the larger concentrations of anti-aircraft defences. The formation of 18 aircraft initially assembles in the Ajaccio area and then, with good flying weather and only light anti-aircraft fire, follows a route via Genoa, Modena, Mantua, and Bolzano before beginning its approach to the "Ai Vodi" viaduct shortly after noon.
The formation is particularly vulnerable during this part of the flight, as all aircraft must maintain constant altitude, course, and speed for precise bombing, which allows the anti-aircraft gunners on the ground to optimally time their guns. In addition, these missions were regularly scheduled around midday, especially during the winter months, to minimize shadows on the ground and thus improve the visibility of the target placed on the bottom of the valley. Thus, no element of surprise.
At the signal of the lead aircraft, the entire formation drops its bomb load and begins the long journey home. At that moment, an 88mm anti-aircraft shell tears a large hole into the left wing of "76." It narrowly misses the main spar, but the aileron is seriousely damaged.
The shell then explodes, and shrapnel severely injures one of the bombardier's arms in the glass-covered nose of the aircraft. "76" veers from the formation, loses altitude, and slowly disappears out of sight of its squadron mates.
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A return to Solenzara, over the Po Valley dotted with anti-aircraft defences and enemy air bases, followed by a long flight across the Ligurian Sea, is out of question. The only alternative appears to be reaching Switzerland to the northwest. Steadily losing altitude and facing the towering Alps, the crew begins to jettison all disposable items to save weight, including the flexible heavy machine guns, while the top turret gunner attends to the injuries of the bombardier.
In the Monte Brè area, northeast of Lugano, "76" is spotted by eyewitnesses on the ground while flying north at low altitude. Shortly thereafter, as the Magadino Plain appears, the pilots must decide whether to make an emergency landing or to parachute. Due to the severe damage and despite legitimate doubts as to whether they have really reached Swiss territory, they are forced to choose the second option and give the order to bail out. Furthermore, the fuel supply is rapidly dwindling.
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The injured bombardier and the flight engineer are the first to leave the aircraft, followed by the pilot and co-pilot. The radio operator and the tail gunner have not received the order to abandon the aircraft and by coincidence notice their comrades' parachutes opening. The floor hatch is jammed and it is only with great difficulty and combined strength that the two manage to open it, eventually leaving the now pilotless aircraft at the very last moment. They succeed in doing so just seconds before “The Big Swing” crashes into the Arbino landslide at 1:10 p.m.
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All six crew members land successfully by parachute, the bombardier with his arm injuries, and the radio operator suffers from a sprained ankle.
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Numerous witnesses on the ground observe these events, so five of the six airmen are quickly located and brought to Bellinzona for initial questioning. The bombardier and the radio operator (who was not found until next the day, having landed on the rugged Arbedo landslide), are initially hospitalized. Ultimately, the whole crew is interned and subsequently returns to the United States a few weeks later via Corsica and Naples.
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For this crew, the war is over.
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The Big Swing
07.02.1945
North American B-25J-1-NC Mitchell
Ser.No. 43-4067, “76”
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448th BS, 321st BG, 57th BW, 12th AF
USAAF
Frana d’Arbino, Arbedo (CH)
46°12’04”N/09°04’44”E
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Stele, Tornant di Nanitt, Arbedo
46°12’23”N/09°04’50”E
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Solenzara air base, Korsika (FR)
41°55’28”N/09°24’10”E
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Ai Vodi viaduct, Lavis (IT)
46°07’35”N/11°04’59”E
Absturzbericht Bundesarchiv Bern
E 27 / 14753
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MACR (Missing Air Crew Report)
#12135
Pilot: Woodrow W. Sheffield, 2nd Lt
0-715400
29.01.1920 - 1964
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Copilot: William A. Sanders, 2nd Lt
0-2061523
02.11.1923 - ?
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Bombardier: Louis E. Reves, S/Sgt
34731457
23.09.1910 - 1994
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Engineer: Maxwell J. Lasskow, Sgt
32821325
24.11.1924 - 13.11.2015
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Radio: Evo J. Petruzzi, Cpl
33701988
1917 - ?
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Gunner: Joseph C. Brentar, Sgt
35058055
15.12.1923 - 24.06.2013
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CH/BMU 20250917
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