Operation

BA. Movement roads WEST TROINA - in error went to PALERMO BB. From 2224 to 2227 hrs LT BC. Medium level bombing 7500' 6 x 250 GP Rods 43 Det 30 x 4 lb Incendiaries BD. PALERMO seen clearly - long buildings seen SW of town considered to be RR or stores buildings - bombed. Bombs in stick seen to straddle buildings - NO results observed. (Target map shows to be Military Barracks). Incendiaries also dropped. BE. ± 30 bursts HAA accurate and picked up by one of 4 S/Ls. Evasive action taken, and S/L shaken off. BF. NIL BG. NIL BH. Target well chosen and definite decision taken against indiscriminate bombing of town.

1943-07-18

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded: * LT: Local Time. * GP Rods: General Purpose bombs fitted with standoff rods (designed to detonate the bomb at a slight distance from the ground to maximize the lateral blast effect against soft targets or personnel). * Det: Detonator. * lb: pounds (weight of incendiaries). * SW: South-West. * RR: Railroad. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery. * S/Ls / S/L: Searchlights / Searchlight. * Individuals Mentioned: * The crew for this specific sortie, though not named on this sheet, is identified in the corresponding Part A report as Lieutenant A’Bear (Pilot), Lieutenant Owen-Hughes (Observer), Second Lieutenant Harrison, and Second Lieutenant Pickup. * The narrative reflects a high level of airmanship and ethical discipline. Upon realizing they were off-course over a major civilian center (Palermo), the crew made a "definite decision" against "indiscriminate bombing," choosing instead to target a specific complex of long buildings they believed to be military or logistical in nature. * Location and Historical Context: * Palermo, Sicily: The provincial capital and the largest city in Sicily. In July 1943, it was the principal Axis logistics port on the northern coast. General Patton’s U.S. 7th Army captured the city on July 22, 1943, just four days after this mission. * Target Identification: The crew initially identified their target as railroad stores, but intelligence debriefing (noted in parentheses) corrected this to Military Barracks. This accuracy was critical for later damage assessment and theater intelligence. * Operational Context (Operation HUSKY): This mission occurred on the night of July 17/18, 1943 (D+7/8). While the intended task was interdicting road traffic near Troina to support the Allied push into the interior, this sortie demonstrates the peril of night navigation over the rugged Sicilian terrain. * The Martin Baltimore: 21 Squadron utilized the Baltimore Mk IIIA for these intruder missions. The aircraft's speed and maneuverability were put to the test here, as the crew had to perform "evasive action" to shake off four searchlights and escape 30 bursts of accurate Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire. 91 The date written in the 'Date' column of the postagram on target file 276-1__91.jpg is 20 July 1943.