INTERRUPT COMMUNICATIONS, BOMB ROADS, MT, IN AREA B8228, STEFANO – NICOSIA – LEONFORTE –… — Operations

Operational Record

Target: Interrupt communications, bomb roads, MT, in area B8228, STEFANO – NICOSIA – LEONFORTE – CALTANISETTA.
Duty: Roads, M.T., in area B8228 - STEFANO - NICOSIA - LEONFORTE - CALTANISETTA.
Committed: 8 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack: From 2250 to 2346 hrs LT.
Airborne: 1900 hrs
Returned: 2325 hrs
From: Soliman Ben Hagen
Map: SICILIA 1:500,000. Sheet No. NE 36/12
Day / night: Night
Casualties: Missing Aircraft A.G. 930 Lt. E.P. Hamilton, 205678V, Pilot. Lt. S.B. Whittle, 205789V, Observer. 2/lt. C.F. Hodgkinson, 207190V, WOP/AG. F/Sgt. D. Phelan 205764V, A/G.
Bombing: Medium level, 2000/6000' above ground level. 42 x 250 GP 43 Det., Rods. 210 x 4 lb incendiaries. 11 x 4.5 Recce Flares No. 4 500 x .40 800 x .5 28000 pamphlets (Mussolini 18 Nov 40).
Air defences: Nil
Results: North Coastal Road (TERMINI-STEFANO) covered in shadows from mountains. Visibility poor. The pamphlets were scattered over villages and the entire target area.

The 2 aircraft allotted to bomb the Coastal Road saw NO movement but dropped their bombs and flares and incendiaries at CAMPO-FELICE and STEFANO, starting a grass fire. Numerous MT, parked in well-dispersed clumps, were found between CATERINA and X IRBI and in WADI running SW. These were attacked with bombs and incendiaries. One pilot made four runs and his top gunner sprayed the area with .5 fire (aircraft F); bombs, and incendiaries were dropped on the road from GANGI to ENNA to VILLAROSA on isolated MT, scoring near misses. One aircraft found 9 large MT nose to tail on secondary road, NORTH of RIBERA and some trenches. The MT and trenches were strafed and covered in dust, (aircraft U).