-2- 3. Instructions: The squadron was to separate by the entrance to the Bay of Taranto, torpedo planes going to the left and bombers and flare droppers to the right. The bombers were to distract and occupy the AA bat- teries while the torpedo planes made their attack. The torpedo attack was to be determined and the tor- pedoes were to be dropped inside of the nets at under 1,000 yards range and below 75 feet, speed at the time of dropping to be under 125 knots with the plane level. After the attack the planes were to turn sharp right or left, watch for and stay close to the barges flying the balloons and go out by the island in the center of the Bay. The flares were to be used in order to judge the height of the plane from the water. The moon was high and the direction such that the attack could not be made in the direction of the moon. Flares were to be dropped every minute from 3,000 to 7,000 feet, the parachute opening up at 2,000 to 3,000 feet and the flare burning for about three minutes. The second flare dropper was to remain at the initial position and watch the flares of the first dropper, then to follow the first flare dropper, dropping flares in any vacant spaces and to continue the line of flares. The flare droppers were then to bomb the smaller ships int the inner basin. The bombers were to approach from the right or the same side as the flare droppers, dive from about 10,000 feet at an angle of about 30° to a release point of below 2,000 feet, and drop their bombs in a stick pattern on small ships in the inner basin, on oil tanks and other suitable targets. 4. Results: Torpedo Planes - As each pilot returned he reported Intense AA fire and that he could not have helped making a hit with his torpedo. None saw the balloons but several saw the barges and kept close to them. However, the observers in the planes did see numerous balloons closeby. Bombers - The bombers did not see any explosions so were much in the dark as to whether they had made any hits. Flares - The flares produced excellent illumination for the second attack but in the latter stages of the first attack the illumination went out. 5. Enemy