DISPERAL AREAS TRAPANI/MILO A/D — Operations

Operational Record

Target: Disperal areas Trapani/Milo A/D.
Duty: Medium level bombing attack Trapani-Milo aerodrome.
Committed: 5 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack: 0410/0414 LT.
Airborne: 0052 hrs
Returned: 0410 hrs
From: Soliman Ben Hagen
Map: SICILIA 1:500,000. Sheet No. NE 36/12
Day / night: Night
Casualties: Nil.
Bombing: Medium level. Height 8/10,500 ft. Courses 160°/260°. 29 x 250 GP (Rods) 43 Det. 1 x 250 GP (Rod) 43 Det. Hang up. (NOT jettisoned).
Air defences: Intense HAA at times, but NOT accurate. Intense HAA barrage seen to burst over TRAPANI PORT. 20 Searchlights inaccurate operating in a line from ST. VITO to SOUTH of the LG. 5 Searchlights from FAVIGNANA and slight inaccurate HAA. Ship fired HAA at some aircraft from a position between TRAPANI and the group of ISLANDS.
Results: (i) PLANET 675 appears to be located at TP 3092. (ii) Four flares in square 3 miles NE of HAMMAMET village. (iii) Aircraft evaded searchlights by weaving, turning and diving.

Grass fires were burning on arrival and aircraft found a stick of incendiaries burning NE of the LG. Two flares over the coast NORTH of the LG assisted in final run-up. Only one flare was seen over the A/D. Two aircraft dropped their bombs across the incendiaries. Two aircraft bombed NORTH and NW of the A/D. One aircraft straddled the A/D with four bombs. No results observed.