NAAF Bombing of Tunisia in February and March 1943

On 3 February 15 B-26's with P-38 escort attacked the main airfield at Gabes, but dust prevented observation of results. enemy fighters offered stiff resistance, but lost at least three and probably more aircraft in a 40 minute fight. On the 4th, 18 B-17's escorted by P-38's again attacked and set half a dozen fires; at least nine Axis fighters were downed. The same day, 24 B-17's bombed another Gabes airfield, and 16 enemy fighters were claimed destroyed by bombers and escort. One Fortress and four P-38's failed to return. Other attacks followed on the 8th by 33 mediums which hit the target area heavily.

Highly effective missions against El Aouina were flown y Marauders on 13 and 14 February. Hits were scored among the buildings and parked aircraft, and bombers and escort shot down at least nine Me-109's and probably four more. Other attacks were made on 3 and 10 March by B-17's and similar successes were registered; transport Ju-52's at La Marsa were also bombed on the 10th. At least six Axis fighters were destroyed in these engagements. Strikes were also delivered against Sfax-el-Maouh on 2 February and By Fortresses and mediums against Kairouan airfield on the 9th, 15th, and 24th. A B-25 was lost against a bag of seven enemy fighters.

the bombing of Gabes and northern Tunisian airfields continued in March, but priority was now given to ports. The Wellingtons devoted themselves primarily to Bizerte, and on the 25th 32 B-17's dropped their load there, hitting the docks and scoring near misses on the ships in the harbor. A B-17 attack on the Tunis docks on the 1st scored many hits, and the bombers and their escort shot down nine fighters while losing one B-17. The next day the attack was repeated with more hits by 36 B-17's on both Tunis and La Goulette. Wellingtons added their bombs on the night of 12-13 March and started many fires on the docks, marshalling yards, and the city buildings of Tunis.

Sousse was visited by 42 B-17's and 8 February and suffered considerable damage to buildings, jetties, and ships. On 12 March 38 B-17's set fires in the dock area and scored hits on the marshalling yards and near the powerhouse and loading piers.

During December 1942, attacks on Naples by Ninth Air Force and RAF B-24's had been frequent. January saw but one such mission because of adverse weather. On the 11th Naples was bombed by eight USAAF B-24's which dropped 40 1,000-pound bombs; clouds obscured the results, but one fire was seen to break out in the town. Two B-24's were lost. Palermo and Messina each suffered 22 effective sorties during January, though these were usually alternative targets to Naples.

In the face of much bad February weather, all possible blows were delivered on Palermo and Messina, the former attacked by RAF night bombers and the latter by USAAF B-24's. During February, the Ninth Air Force renewed its attacks on Naples and in one raid sank two ships. Forty-eight sorties were flown over Naples and 116 tons of bombs were dropped. In March the RAF joined the B-24's in pummeling Naples, and together they caused considerable damage to port installations and shipping. Meanwhile Malta- and Northwest Africa-based bombers were strewing havoc among supply ships out of Naples. The enemy then took to send troops out of Palermo and other Sicilian ports to make the run to Tunis and Bizerte under cover of night. Malta-based aircraft seriously took up the work of destroying Sicilian communications, particularly those at Messina, and were soon joined by the bombers based in the Middle East.

Meanwhile the Northwest African Air Forces was sending its bombers against Sardinian and Sicilian targets. Wellington opened the attack on Elmas airdrome on the night of 1 February, causing fires and explosions. On the 7th, 32 B-17's and 19 B-26's bombed Elmas and the Cagliari seaplane base. High explosive and fragmentation bombs were dropped, fires started, and parked aircraft destroyed. That night 16 Wellingtons briefed for Villacidro bombed that target, Decimomannu, and Elmas; clouds forced their scattering. Nine days of bad weather intervened, but on the 18th heavies and mediums again bombed the same three points. Bad visibility prevented accurate observation of results. Cagliari docks and railways were bombed by 19 B-17's on February, and again on the 28th by 46 B-17's. Docks and anchored ships suffered extensively. Trapani was visited by Wellingtons repeatedly. Palermo also received several bombings, one on  15 February by 19 B-17's and the worst on 1 March by 38 B-17's. Docks, drydocks, and shipbuilding yards were hit by 2,000 pounders, and five vessels were set on fire.