INTERRUPT ROAD COMMUNICATIONS BY DROPPING FLARES, INCENDIARIES AND BOMBING IN AREA B8228,… — Operations

Operational Record

Target: Interrupt road communications by dropping flares, incendiaries and bombing in area B8228, C3305, H0677 Central Sicilia.
Duty: Interrupt road communications bombing area B8228, C3305, H0677 Central Sicilia.
Committed: 7 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack: 2307 hrs to 0028 hrs LT.
Airborne: 1958 hrs
Returned: 2345 hrs
From: Soliman Ben Hagen
Map: SICILIA 1:500,000. Sheet No. NE 36/12
Day / night: Night
Casualties: Nil
Bombing: Medium level. 2500/5000' above ground level. 42 x 250 GP 43 Det. (Rods). 9 x 4.5 Recce Flares No. 6. 150 x 4 lb Incendiaries. 28000 Pamphlets (Mussolini 28 Nov 40). 250 x .5
Air defences: LAA slight and inaccurate from CALTANISETTA. 1 Blue S/L inaccurate from C3805.
Results: The pamphlets were thrown out over the entire target area.

Aircraft searched the roads and wadis at times from 200' above ground level for enemy transport. Flares were dropped. Little movement was seen. 7 bombs and incendiaries were aimed at ROADS between LEONFORTE and PETRALIA. 9 bombs and incendiaries were aimed at ROADS between SERRADI-FALCO to ENNA. 24 bombs and incendiaries were dropped from VALLELUNGA to ENNA. 2 bombs were dropped near ROAD at RAFFADALI. Incendiaries started a fire giving off explosions and bombs straddled 10 MT at CALTANISETTA VILLAGE. A near miss was scored on 6 MT in bend of road at LEONFORTE and a direct hit on road at ENNA. 6 bombs burst across a cutting at G9088. Top gunner of one aircraft strafed large trucks at RAFFADALI and started a fire.