In support of an official event 

The Museum will be closed Sunday, May 25
In addition, the Fourth Hangar will be closed Saturday, May 24

Access to the Presidential Gallery will be limited from May 15 to June 5

Effective immediately, the William E. Boeing Presidential Gallery will have limited guest access due to scheduled event preparations. The only accessible exhibits during this time include: Douglas VC-54 Sacred Cow, Flying the President Exhibit, USAF Established Artifact.
We anticipate full gallery access will resume by 5 June 2025.

Italy Invaded

While the AAF was bombing Germany from England, the Allies invaded Italy. The AAF and RAF hammered airfields, bridges, railroad yards and sea ports through Sept. 2 to weaken the enemy.

In the process, Axis air forces in southern Italy were significantly reduced. The first landing was made on the toe of Italy on Sept. 3, and six days later, two more landings from the sea were made at Taranto and Salerno.

Allied airpower was used in a tactical role to support the landings by attacking enemy military and transportation facilities and by flying in paratroopers to the Salerno beachhead.

By the end of the month, German forces had been driven northward from southern Italy and Allied air units moved in to occupy the airfields previously used by the enemy, dominating the Italian sky as they advanced.

Click here to return to the World War II Gallery.