Operational Record
- Committed
- 13 Glenn Martin Baltimore
- Airborne
- 0730 hrs
- Returned
- 1026 hrs
- From
- Pescara
- Map
- ITALY - 1:100,000 Sheet 99 FAENZA
- Day / night
- Day
13 Baltimores (one returned with bomb-load soon after take off owing to hydraulic trouble & another turned back owing to U/s. turret) airborne from PESCARA at 09.30 Hrs. to bomb FAENZA M/YARDS(M312248). Set course at 10.05 Hrs with a close escort of 12 Spitfires and leading 6 Baltimores of 13 Royal Hellenic Squadron who however turned back before target. Attack took place at 11.25 Hrs. from 13000' on a course of 270º. Both boxes merged into one pattern overshooting into town and slightly to the left of M/Yards. Explosion with orange smoke observed. Bombs of one A/c hung up over target & were jettisoned at sea. No.5 in the second box was seen to jettison bomb load over target, an explosion being felt immediately afterwards and the A/c went down in flames, crashing in FAENZA town. One parachute seen to open. No enemy opposition. Visibility hazy. Remaining A/c landed to base at 12.26 Hrs. The A/c which turned back before target jettisoned bomb-load at sea owing to long delay fuse.