123456789101112

Operation No. 330

TRAPANI MILO A/D

Friday, 9 July 1943

Over target: 0311 hrs 2 aircraft 8 aircrew

Operational Record

Target
Trapani Milo A/D.
Duty
Medium level bombing attack Trapani-Milo aerodrome.
Committed
2 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack
At 0311 LT and 0355 LT.
Airborne
0015 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 10000/10500 ft. Courses 217°/185° Mag. 6 x 500 GP 49 Det 0 25. 2 x 500 GP 39 Det 37 Pistol 6/12 hrs. (all tail fused). 30 x 4 Incendiaries.
Air defences
NO AA from target area. 1 Searchlight from TRAPANI, white aircraft at sea approaching target. Approx. 15 Searchlights between TRAPANI and LG. Heavy cloud West of target interfered and searchlights inaccurate. 4/5 Searchlights and 1 green light at CAP S. VITO. Seemed fairly accurate - evasive action taken.
Results
(i) One large fire seen on coast approx 2 miles North of TRAPANI. (ii) Gun flashes in wide area 34 miles NE CAP BON. (iii) 4/5 lights seen at approx 12000 ft in comet form travelling in same direction, in front and above a/c. and curving before fading or exploding. Both aircraft saw these in target area and NORTH of Mountain. (iv) No beacons seen. (v) Bearings received by one aircraft – 3 poor, 1 good.
Earlier aircraft saw Mt. S.GUILIANO and hangars NE corner of LG in light of own 2 flares – estimated bombs hit SE corner of target area. Did NOT see bombs explode. NO results observed. Returned 0415 hrs., xxxx line NOT visible to obtain target run to drop remaining flares and set course for base. Later aircraft saw 2 flares SE of target – extinguished before ETA. Bombed in long stick on ETA and dropped incendiaries seen to start small fires. 2 flares seen to drop over burning incendiaries.

10,500ft.

Aircraft and crews