APPENDIX "I" — Orders & Appendices

Document

APPENDIX "I"

TO : H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATIONS RECORDS) 67
H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( SCORU)
S.A.O.A. ADV. S.A.A.F. H.Q. C.M.F.
W.I.O. 3 SA WING S.A.A.F.
FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.
REF. : 21S/ 943
DATE : 24th FEBRUARY, 1945
OPREP NO. 943 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 2100 HRS. ON THE 23rd FEBR. 1945
REF. MAP ITALY 1:100,000 SHEET 39 - PORDENONE.

OPERATION No. 153/21S/M.

A : 2 Marauders airborne from Jesi L/G at 1352 hrs on an Anti-Flak
Mission against HAA Gun positions defending TAGLIAMENTO River
crossings at CASARSA DELLA DELIZIA. The two 21 Squadron A/C flew
with two of 30 Squadron in a box with 30 Squadron's Raid For-
mation to near target, where they lost height and flew away from
formation to drop 372 x 20 lbs Frag. Bombs from 12000' and 13500'
at 1544 hrs., bombing less than a minute ahead of the formation.
First A/C Bombed from C.146082 to C 143087 stick falling in
an undershoot but scoring hits on Rail Diversion and adjacent
bridge stick from second A/C fell from G. 134110 to C135115,
in slight lateral error to right. Two Clusters of 6 Bombs
hung-up and were jettisoned in sea at H.0532. Slight inaccurate
HAA encountered over the target. Decrease in flak after bombing
and no LAA seen when P.47's went in after last flak ship bombed.
Window and Pamphlets dropped. Both A/C down by 1705 Hrs. weather
clear and visibility good.
B : (i) 2 Marauders III (ii) Nil
C : (i) 2 (ii) Nil
D : (i) 6.10 Hrs (ii) Nil
L : (i) [strike-through: 11000] (1) 6800 x .50 (ii) & (iii) Nil
P : (i) 384 x 20 Frag. (ii) 372 x 20 (iii) 12 x 20 (iv) Nil
216 lbs Window dropped and 3 packets Pamphlets.
to Z : Nil
[Handwritten Signature: S.F. Wyllie]
LT. CAPT.
S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (Transcriber's Notes)
Glossary of Terms:
* S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer.
* H.Q. M.A.A.F.: Headquarters, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.
* H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. (SCORU): Headquarters, Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (Statistical Control and Operational Research Unit).
* S.A.O.A. ADV. S.A.A.F. H.Q. C.M.F.: Senior Air Officer Administration, Advanced South African Air Force Headquarters, Central Mediterranean Force.
* W.I.O. 3 SA WING: Wing Intelligence Officer, 3 South African Air Force Wing.
* OPREP: Operational Report.
* Jesi L/G: Jesi Landing Ground, located near Ancona, Italy.
* Anti-Flak Mission: A specialized sortie, often termed "flak suppression," intended to neutralize enemy anti-aircraft batteries immediately prior to the arrival of the main bomber force.
* HAA / LAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft (typically 88mm or larger) / Light Anti-Aircraft (20mm or 37mm cannon).
* Frag. Bombs: Fragmentation bombs; in this instance, 20 lb high-explosive anti-personnel/anti-materiel ordnance.
* P.47's: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers.
* Window: Chaff; aluminized strips dropped to interfere with enemy radar-controlled gunnery.
* Marauders III: British Commonwealth designation for the Martin B-26G Marauder.
Operational Context:
The specialized Anti-Flak mission of 23 February 1945 (reported on the 24th) targeted gun positions at Casarsa Della Delizia to protect a main formation crossing the Tagliamento River. At this stage of the Italian Campaign, the German Wehrmacht relied heavily on the Tagliamento as a secondary defensive line to protect the retreat routes to the Alpine passes. Suppressing flak was vital for the survival of medium bomber formations during "Operation Bingo" interdiction raids.
The tactical methodology of this mission—using fragmentation clusters to silence gun sites—evolved directly from the high-attrition experiences of November 1943 during the assault on the Bernhardt Line. In 1943, 21 Squadron (operating Martin Baltimores) faced intense flak concentrations while targeting bottlenecks such as the Mignano Gap and grid H055630. The strategic goal in both 1943 and 1945 remained the logistical isolation of the German 10. Armee, but by early 1945, the integration of dedicated flak-suppression aircraft and radar-jamming "window" evidenced a significantly more sophisticated tactical landscape required to penetrate the inner defenses of Northern Italy.
Interpretations of Marginalia and Markings:
* Folio Number "67": Stamped archival index number in the upper right quadrant, continuing the sequence within the AIR 27/271/2 folder.
* "APPENDIX 'I'": Designates this OPREP as a formal annex to the primary February 1945 war diary narrative.
* Section L Correction: The figure "11000" has been struck through and corrected to "6800" rounds of .50 caliber ammunition expended, likely a correction based on debriefing data.
* Officer Signature: The document is signed by Lieutenant S.F. Wyllie, acting S.I.O.. A handwritten strike-through exists over the printed rank "CAPT." with "LT." handwritten above, reflecting the officer's actual rank at the time of the report.
* Note on Jettison: The reference to "H.0532" for the jettison of hung-up bombs refers to a designated safe sea-drop area to avoid endangering friendly forces or civilians.

15
The following archival entry constitutes a high-fidelity transcription and historical analysis of the specified document from the official war diary of 21 Squadron, South African Air Force (SAAF), currently held by The National Archives under reference AIR 27/271/2.
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: The exact date recorded in the 'DATE' column of the image is 25th FEBRUARY, 1945.