Operational Order No. 35

Saturday, 15 November 1941

1941-11-15

21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. OPERATIONAL ORDER NO. 35 COPY NO...5... (Ref. 3 Wing (S.A.) Operation order No. "A" 297 refers). 1st. Sortie DATE: 15. 11. 41 MAP REF: Target map No. 1/H15 (Gazala box) Tobruk 1:100000 LIST OF APPENDICES "A" INFORMATION. Two dumps "L" and "M" situated about six miles East from Gazala Landing Ground No. 2, immediately South of bend in road. INTENTION. To destroy dumps by high level bombing attack. Alternative target: Gazala L. G. No.2, dispersed aircraft and aircraft shelters. EXECUTION. (a) List of aircraft and crews see appendix "A" (b) o/c "A" Flight will provide six aircraft. (c) Time of starting up 0640 hours. (d) Time of take off 0650 hours, on Very light signal. No. 2 Flight will take off first and will make circuit, linking up with No. 1 Flight. (e) Route: Climb to 10000 ft. cruise in lean at 1725 r.p.m. and 26" boost. Cross line 20 miles South of Maddalena. When 80 miles from target climb to 21000 ft. in rich. (f) Time over target: 0900 hours (g) Approach and Attack: Approach from West and when 10 - 15 miles from target, dive to 19000 ft. and fly parallel to road. No. 1 Flight will bomb "L" and No. 2 Flight "M". Flights will spread, unless fighter opposition is experienced. (h) Observers to do individual aiming and Mickey Mouse to be at 592 ft. (i) Photography: Verticals. (2) Take overlap of run up and dumps. Obliques (2) To take results and any enemy information possible. (j) After attack and photo run, turn to port, dive and S/C for base over sea, keeping 20 miles from coast; cruising in lean at 1725 r.p.m. and 26" boost at 10000 ft. (k) Landing order: Leaders discretion. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS. (a) All aircraft must carry full capacity fuel and oil. (b) All magazines and pans to be fully loaded. (c) Each aircraft to carry full bomb load, i.e. 8 X 250 lbs. fused 43 (d) All necessary desert equipment. INTER COMMUNICATION AND W/T Signals Officer. DISTRIBUTION. * Intelligence A.H.Q.W.D. * Operations do * S.I.O. 3 Wing (S.A.) * War Diary * do * do * do * File. [Signature] JS Be... Lt. For O. C. 21 Squadron.

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Original page(s): 143

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a light bomber unit. * 3 Wing (S.A.): 3 Wing (South African), the higher formation under which 21 Squadron operated. * Gazala Landing Ground No. 2: An Axis airfield located west of Tobruk near the Gulf of Bomba. * o/c: Officer Commanding. * Very light signal: A flare fired from a Verey pistol to signal the synchronized takeoff of the formation. * ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for altitude. * r.p.m.: Revolutions per minute, indicating engine speed. * 26" boost: Manifold pressure measured in inches of mercury, a setting for engine power. * rich/lean: Engine fuel-to-air mixture settings used to manage engine temperature and fuel economy during different flight phases. * Mickey Mouse: RAF/SAAF slang for the bomb-release intervalometer, set here to a 592 ft spacing. * S/C: Set Course. * 8 X 250 lbs. fused 43: A bomb load consisting of eight 250-pound general-purpose bombs equipped with No. 43 percussion fuses. * W/T: Wireless Telegraphy (radio). * Intelligence A.H.Q.W.D.: Intelligence branch of Air Headquarters Western Desert. * S.I.O.: Senior Intelligence Officer. * O. C.: Officer Commanding. Operational Context: The date of November 15, 1941, places this order precisely three days prior to the launch of Operation Crusader, the Allied offensive to relieve the besieged garrison at Tobruk. The target area, the "Gazala box," was a critical Axis logistical and aviation hub. Destroying supply dumps "L" and "M" was a tactical priority to degrade the Panzergruppe Afrika's sustainment capabilities immediately before the Eighth Army's advance. The mission profile utilized the Martin Maryland aircraft, which relied on high-altitude (19,000 to 21,000 ft) performance to avoid Axis flak and fighter interception. The specific instruction to fly 20 miles south of Maddalena and return 20 miles off the coast illustrates the careful navigation required to bypass known enemy anti-aircraft concentrations. This sortie was the first phase of a coordinated effort; an operational report from the same day notes that while the dumps were targeted, mechanical "hang-ups" hampered the 2nd Flight's effectiveness, a common technical friction point for SAAF light bombers in the Western Desert. 157 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: The exact date found in the 'DATE' column of the image is 15. 11. 41.