BENGHASI DOCKS — Operations

Operational Record

Duty: High level bombing of Benghasi Docks.
Committed: 9 Glenn Martin Maryland
Airborne: 0438 hrs
Returned: 1520 hrs
From: L.G. 021
Map: Tobruk 1:500,000 Target map B/2
Day / night: Day
Casualties: –
Air defences: –

The 9 Marylands accompanied by a spare machine, set off at 0648 hours, and landed at L.G. 075 an hour later. After refuelling, 9 aircraft went Eastwards, over the desert. Visibility, with 7/10ths. to 10/10ths. cloud, was very poor, and some difficulty was experienced in finding the target. However the clouds thinned out at the coast, and a clear patch showed up the harbour. The run in to Giuliana point was made by three sub flights from the South and South East. Heavy A/A was encountered, but evasive action saved the aircraft from being caught by a close barrage, which was particularly accurate as regards height. Although one stick near the Railways was claimed, photos do not bear this out, and the great majority of the bombs obviously overshot into the sea, with one hit on the Mole. Two near misses on a floating fuel container are reported by the Photo Interpretation Centre. The return trip was uneventful. The leader decided to refuel at Matruh, and all the aircraft were at this base by 1720 hours. Several ships were observed in the harbour, and one large ship, of a light colour, was seen to leave the harbour from the end of Mole Giuliana. This ship took evasive action and steamed rapidly Westwards. Photographs of the harbour show many ships. Aircraft on the ground were reported as follows: 25 in vicinity of Y9, 10 vicinity of R6 and 10 around the South West corner of BERCA drome. Screamers were fitted to bombs.