ARMD RECCE RDS:- 1) CASERTA – BENEVENTO – AVELLINO – NAPLES 2) AVELLINO – O. 1049 – VALLATA… — Operations

Operational Record

Target: ARMD RECCE RDS:- 1) CASERTA – BENEVENTO – AVELLINO – NAPLES 2) AVELLINO – O. 1049 – VALLATA – N8073 (road junction) 3) AULETTA – EBOLI – O.1049 – AVIGLIANO 4) SAPRI – BRIENZA and SAPRI – N.W. to BOMB LINE
Duty: ARMD. RECCE. RDS. SAPRI – SALERNO area.
Committed: 8 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack: From 2322 Hrs LT to 0102 Hrs LT.
Airborne: 2010 hrs
Returned: 0010 hrs
From: Cuticchi
Map: SICILIA 1:500000 NE36/12, MESSINA 1:500000 NE38/14, NAPOLI 1:500000 NE40/14
Day / night: Night
Casualties: Nil.
Bombing: Medium level bombing on various courses from 8000/11000 feet. 48 x 250 G.P. 43 Dets. 27 Pistols with rods. 1 on jettison.
Air defences: NO A/A against own a/c. Intense H.A.A. and L.A.A LICOSA Pt. area firing inland 2300 Hrs. 20 plus flashes (A/A or ARTY) SALERNO 0041 5 S/Ls CASERTA area - 2 caught a/c which evaded, One S/L then lowered and directed along rd. Eastwards.
Results: Unidentified a/c seen. One SOUTH STROMBOLI – travelling fast N.E. course. One over AVELLINO Northern course at 0038 Hrs and One T/E near LIPARI Is. Fires: One large, 3 subsidiary AULETTA – also incendiary and 4 bombs 0008 Hrs. One large T.0981 and T.2085. Others T.1090 and T.1274. 4 new "Candle" type bombs seen along rd. T.4090 – O.3010 Bright lights PAOLA area and VALLATA. Bomb bursts and large fires POTENZA area, big flashes SAPRI 2310 hrs. 10 MET dispersed with lights moving Northwards AVELLINO area. 10 MET stationary without lights at T.6366.

Target: 1) 3 Bombs just WEST CASERTA town along road and 3 an N766XX on road N.R.O. N.M.S. 2) N7470 2 bombs on light on rd – overshot O.1166 2 bombs – stationary light on rd – 1 burst on rd. T3898 1 bomb between lights either side of road. O. 2257 2 bombs on flashing lights CALITRI area - light out. AULETTA 4 bombs straddled town. 3) O.1326 1 bomb on 2 MET lights-hit rd– approximately 10 MET seen bomb flash. O. 0634 1 bomb on lights close to rd - again MET seen MET lights –others unlit – bursts near rd junct. 0 3734 4 bombs along rd N.M.S. O. 4437 2 bombs N.R.O. 4) T5567 3 bombs on 2 small fires bursts to side of fire. T6560 3 bombs on 2 lights N.R.O. T3988 6 bombs in stick – 16/20 MET in area – all bursts along rd. T1774 6 bombs in stick-bursts near rd.