Operational Record
- Target
- M.T. on Road leading to NICOSIA (Radius 10 miles)
- Duty
- Bombing. Attack movement on roads leading to NICOSIA (10 mile Radius)
- Committed
- 4 Glenn Martin Baltimore
- Time of attack
- 0244/0345 Hrs. LT
- Airborne
- 2325 hrs
- Returned
- 0313 hrs
- From
- Soliman Ben Hagen
- Map
- SICILIA 1:500,000. NE 36/12
- Day / night
- Night
- Casualties
- A/C/ FA 181 Cat. I. Enemy Night Fighter.
- Bombing
- Medium level bombing attack. 24 x 250 G.P. (Rods) 43 Det. 10 x 4.5 Recce Flares No. 4 (2 did not ignite.) 120 x 4lb. Incendiaries. Heights 5/8000 ft.
- Air defences
- 5/10 bursts of H.A.A. and 6 L.A.A. firing from NICOSIA. Slight and inaccurate. 1. One aircraft was attacked soon after bombing by a night fighter. Heavy streams of tracers came from below and behind. Three bursts were fired but a/c. was not seen. 2. Shortly before bombing one A/C. saw a twin fin, twin engined aircraft. The A/C. dropped its bombs and went into evasive action but the E/A. followed and after 13 minutes fired a long heavy burst. Tracers passed on either side of the A/C. and hit the A/C. Damaging flaps and puncturing one wheel. 3. Evasive action was taken. In 1 aircraft dived turning to port and starboard, alternatively. Losing height to 2000 ft. Enemy fired only when down moon and below. In 2 evasive diving and turning was done for entire 13 minutes. Last E/A after attack. When at 4000 ft. enemy fired when down moon and slightly below.
- Results
- Night fighters seemed to have waited around the fire in Target area.
4 Baltimores took off at intervals of 20 mins. from 0125 Hrs. LT to bomb movement on roads leading from NORTH and EAST into NICOSIA. Alternate target NICOSIA town. Time over target 0244/0345 hrs. and last A/C. landed 0513 hrs. Bombing courses various and heights 5000/8000'. Large fire seen C3306 lighting up approx. 30 M.T. closely parked. Fire straddled by stick of 6 bombs and crossroads at fire by another stick of 6 , incendiaries being dropped with 250 G.P. bombs. 6 Bombs and incendiaries in quick stick across crossroads just NORTH of NICOSIA and 6 bombs and incendiaries at C4013 where M.T. suspected. Roads seen hit but NO results observed. 5/10 bursts H/A/A inaccurate from NICOSIA - 6 guns in row. Slight L/A/A inaccurate from NICOSIA. One a/c. attacked by fighter and followed from CANICATTI area to SOUTH CO ST. 3 bursts from below and astern seen from long range. NO hits. Evasive action by diving to starboard - crossed sea at 500'. Another a/c. saw fighter near cross roads NORTH NICOSIA, dropped bombs and started evasive action. Fighter closed to 200 yards astern and seen to have twin engines and twin tail fins at 6000'. Blaze of guns from fighter passed both sides of a/c, damaged starboard flaps, punctured port wheel and dented starboard prop and fuel gauge pipe. Violent diving turns made to port and starboard down to 4000', eventually evaded fighter after 13 mins. Pilot landed a/c. on flat port wheel and without starboard flaps. Third a/c followed by twin-engined fighter with dark nose for 10 mins. Evasive action 6500/2500'. No attack. 5/10 - 8/10 t.Cu. patchy C. Bon – Pantelleria area, top 2000'. Visibility good, slight haze.
8,000ft.