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Operation No. 337

SHIPPING OR HARBOUR AT TERMINI

Over target: 2307 hrs 1 aircraft

Operational Record

Target
Shipping or Harbour at Termini
Duty
Flare dropping and medium level bombing TERMINI Shipping or Harbour.
Committed
1 Glenn Martin Baltimore
Time of attack
From 2307 to 2315 hrs LT.
Airborne
1950 hrs
Returned
2230 hrs
From
Soliman Ben Hagen
Map
SICILIA 1:500,000. Sheet No. NE 36/12
Day / night
Night
Casualties
Nil
Bombing
Medium level 11000', attacked NORTH-SOUTH. 3 x 250 GP 43 Det. 2 x 90 x 4 lb Incendiaries. 3 Flares Recce 4.5 No. 10.
Air defences
Very slight LAA. Flashes HAA SOUTH of town, also ± 6 S/Ls inaccurate and for short while only.
Results
Slight HAA seen CASTEL VETRANO area ± 2250 hrs.
Two aircraft took off at 2150 hrs to drop flares over, and bomb TERMINI shipping, or alternatively, TERMINI HARBOUR installations. Bombing took place 2304/2315 hrs on courses 275°/170° from 9/11000'. Earlier aircraft encountered considerable opposition from ± 20 S/Ls, was picked up twice and evaded, and fairly intense HAA accurate, aircraft being holed in various places - slight damage. Bombs dropped in Western portion of town and flares thereafter. Later aircraft little opposition, LAA, flashes HAA and 6 S/Ls seen for few moments SOUTH of town - nothing accurate. Passed over target 4 times dropping 2 flares on NORTH-SOUTH run SOUTH of docks and SE of town, one flare on SW-NE run over central dock area. Bombed on NORTH-SOUTH run along docks and observed results on further SOUTH-NORTH run. Black smoke seen from explosion after first bomb and varicoloured fires seen where incendiaries dropped in dock area. (It is considered first aircraft attacked PALERMO harbour in error.)