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Operation No. 172

CASTEL BENITO AERODROME

Over target: 1928 hrs 11 aircraft

Operational Record

Target
CASTEL BENITO Aerodrome.
Duty
i) Castel Benito aerodrome ii) M.T. on road West of TARHUNA
Committed
11 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack
1928 - 2117 hrs.
Airborne
1947 hrs
Returned
1500 hrs
From
Gzina
Map
LIBYA 1:500,000 Sheet 2. TRIPOLI
Day / night
Night
Casualties
Nil.
Bombing
Medium level attack. 8/11,000 ft. 60 x 250 lb. G.P. 43 Det. (Rods) 40 x 4 lb. incendiaries.
Air defences
6 Searchlights from aerodrome. Inaccurate. 4 to 6 H.A.A. guns. Inaccurate. L.A.A. slight and inaccurate.
Results
Fires burning on BENI ULID - TARHUNA track. OXYGEN None available.
17 bombs fell along NE corner of aerodrome. 22 bombs fell along NW corner of aerodrome. 12 bombs fell across aerodrome. 3 bombs fell short of aerodrome, on NW side. All bombs exploded and seven fires were started. 20 incendiaries were dropped over the aerodrome. The rest, together with 6 x 250 lb. bombs were dropped on lights and MT at RL 6513 and RL 7012. No results were observed.

11,000ft.