Thursday, 22 July 1943 — War Diary

21 Squadron War Diary

1430 hrs Hal Far, Malta

A formation of 12 Baltimores led by Major JANDRELL took off at 1430 Hrs to attack PATERNO town SICILY. Bombs burst on N.E. corner of the village. A.A. slight and inaccurate. First raid by squadron on overseas tour.“Oprep”No. 347‍‍

Transcriber's Notes

N.E: North East.
A.A: Anti-Aircraft.

Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded

Flown on July 22, 1943 (D+12), this mission took place during a pivotal shift in the campaign. While General Patton’s U.S. 7th Army captured Palermo on this day, the eastern front remained a "bottleneck" as German forces utilized the rugged terrain around Etna to stall the British 8th Army.

This strike used a high-altitude approach profile (climbing to 13,000 feet) to mitigate the risks from Axis Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire known to be active in the Paternò sector.