Kenneth DeLong Mission July 4, 1942

***MISSION 6

SAT. 7/4 & Sun. 7/5 HOME BASE Lydda, Palestine

TARGET Benghazi, Libya

COMBAT FLYING HRS. (this mission) 12:20 total tour. 54:05

BRIEFING N/A TAKE OFF 1200 (Lydda) 7/4 LANDING 1330 (Fayid) 7/4

                      TAKE OFF 2120 (Fayid) 7/4 LANDING 0810 (Lydda) 7/5

CREW Lt. T. D. Brown PLANE NO. 17

BOMB LOAD 9-500 lb. TARGET TIME 0215(7/5) BOMBING ALT. 21000'

No. of Planes 6 of our B-24's & unspecified number of British Libs

BOMBING RESULTS couldn't find any ships in harbor ... dropped bombs on harbor installations ... unable to see results

ENEMY ACTION Searchlights came on, one after another ... counted at least 15 of them ... it was an eerie experience to be caught in those brilliant beams … felt like sitting ducks and, suddenly, anti-aircraft shells burst all around us. It was a relief to complete the bomb run and get out of there--fast! Didn't see any night fighters.

OTHER REMARKS Before leaving Fayid on the mission, our crew had to open and pour seventy 10 gallon cans of gasoline into the wing tanks of our plane ... through strainers. How's that for "self service"?..... not an unusual occurrence. An important duty of the Flight Engineer was to see that his plane was serviced with gas and oil. Gas caps had to be secured with safety wire.