BATTERY NO. 20 PANTELLERIA ISLAND — Operations

Operational Record

Target: Battery No. 20 PANTELLERIA ISLAND.
Duty: Medium level bombing attack on Battery No. 20 PANTELLERIA.
Committed: 12 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack: 1857 hrs L.T.
Airborne: 1610 hrs
Returned: 1742 hrs
From: Soliman North
Map: FRENCH NORTH AFRICA 1:500000 Sheet. NJ.32.SE. TUNIS. PANTELLERIA 1:25,000 PANTELLERIA Substitute 1A.
Day / night: Night
Casualties: Nil.
Bombing: Medium level bombing from 7500 ft. Course 280 deg. 41 x 500 lb. G.P. 6 x 500 M.C. 1 x 500 lb. S.A.P. 49 Det. 28 Pistol. .025 Delay. Tail fused.
Air defences: Approx. 20 bursts HAA, fairly accurate though to port of formation during bombing run.
Results: 1) Large black patch on the L.G. near Western boundary. 2) One fighter believed to have been P 40, was seen to go down in steep dive and burst into flames near F177052 to 1857... 3) One 'Lightning' seen flying on one engine on a parallel course above the formation after bombing. 4) Vic Leaders seem to have had difficult in keeping on a straight bombing run. Considerable drift to starboard was reported.

Target slightly obscured by haze. Formation bombed in vics in line astern. Apart from a few bombs bursting on the Northern tip of the target, all bombs fell in the sea, immediately NORTH of the target.