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Operation No. 276

GUN POSITIONS IN AREA P 3399, 3395, 3699, 3695

Monday, 26 April 1943

Over target: 1152 hrs Landed: 1231 hrs Time: 10:50 hrs

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Duty
Medium level bombing attack on gun positions in area P 3399, 3395, 3699, 3695. Time. Height. Place
R.A.F. Form 441 A."G1"SORTIE REPORT(Part A.) FIRST OPERATION OF DAY.Sheet No. 1Oprep. Ref. No. 276Date. 26 APR 43Squadron. 21 SAAF.Type of Aircraft. 18 Baltimores.Aircraft No. See attached list onAircraft Letter. reverse side.FORMATION LEADER: 50Captain Lt. Col. Coppen D.F.C.Crew. Capt. Farrant (Observer)See list on reverse side.Time Up. 1050 hrs. (1st. A/C)Time Down. 1231 hrs. (Last A/C)Total Time. 25 hrs. 30 mins.Aerodrome or L.G. EL DJEM MAIN.Type of Cloud. ---Amount of Cloud. Nil.Base of Cloud. ---Visibility. Very good.General Weather. Good.Map or Chart Reference. TUNISIA 1:500,000 Sheet NJ.32. SE. TUNISTask or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on gun positions in area P 3399, 3395, 3699, 3695.Time. Height. Place. Narrative.1050 EL DJEM Airborne. Circling.1112 500 " S/C 305 M for rendezvous point.1119 500 TP 3911 Joined fighters (7 SAAF Wing) and A/C 315 M for KAIROUAN. Climbing.1145 3000 KAIROUAN A/C 065 M for AKOUDA.1154 6500 AKOUDA Landfall on track. A/C 345 M for target.1201 10000 S.KRALIFA Turning on to target.1153 8500 TARGET Bombing on course of 300 M.1206 9000 Off target on course 167 M.1231 EL DJEM Last A/C landed.PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34./PMEJ-200.000-3/42 P.T.O.PART "B"BA Gun positions in area P 3399, 3395, 3699, 3695.BB 1152 hrs. to 1153 hrs. L.T.BC Medium level bombing attack from 8500 ft.102 x 250 lb. GP 43 Det. (Rods) (Bombs of one A/C hung up, andwere brought back.BD The formation bombed on the leader, and bombs burst in welldispersed pattern in area P 3695, 3696, 345960, 3597. Two directhits were seen on the railway line, and one direct hit on the NWbranch road. No other results observed. (Observers express theopinion that the target area was too large, and that they couldhave attacked pinpoints of gun positions with better results.BE Moderate HAA, accurate for height, but behind formation..Positions: 3 HAA at P 36954 HAA at K 29014 HAA at K 25002 HAA at P 3394.Flashes seen from building at P 3694.Guns were flashing along a line between P 3595 to P 3594.Spasmodic bursts of HAA followed formation to near ENFIDAVILLE.BF One A/C slightly holed by A/A.BG Only Obliques taken. Vertical cameras failed to operate.BH Nil.List of A/C and Crews:F/L 951 V Lt.Col.Coppen, Capt. Ferrent, F/Sgts. Bradfield & Lyne.982 N Lt. Clutterbuck, Lt. v.d.Meulen, F/Sgts. Raeburn & Fraser.994 T Lt. Carr, Lt. Lombard, F/Sgts. Toms & Wright.V/L 179 A Capt. Budd, Lt. Sadler, F/O Cornelius (RCAF) & F/Sgt. Woods.108 B Lt. Chisholm, Lt. Campbell, F/Sgts. Hodgkinson & de Villiers.877 J Lt. Dugmore, Lt. Masters, F/Sgts. Maasdorp & Rogers C.L.B/L 352 D Lt. Hotchkiss, Lt. Merrell, F/Sgts. Mamet & Mills.226 H Capt. Ord, Lt. Hodges, F/Sgt. Walker & A/Sgt. Devenish.290 C Lt. Blieden, Lt. Rose, F/Sgts. Jarvis & Mendelsohn.V/L 977 L Lt. Meredith, Sgt. Smallman (RAF), F/Sgts. Smith S.C. & O'Re271 F Lt. Guard, Lt. Forsman, F/Sgt. Steven & F/Sgt. Prout (RAF).930 K Lt. Willmot, Lt. Borcherds, F/Sgt. Loots & F/Sgt. WalbridgeB/L 903 O Capt. Cormack, Lt. Pawson, F/Sgts. Finberg & McGee.142 P Lt. Liddiard, Lt. Pickerill, F/Sgts. Zaaiman & Oliff.176 YY Lt. Eaton, Lt. Floor, F/Sgt. le Roux & F/Sgt. Gildon (RAF).V/L 183 S Capt. Smit, Lt. Kay, F/Sgts. Perkins & van Rooyen.259 X Lt. Simpson, Lt. Hocknell, F/Sgts. Roberts & Shepperson.957 W Lt. Denner, Lt. Manning, F/Sgts. van Coller & Koff.F/L Formation Leader. B/L Box Leader. V/L Vic Leader.[Handwritten Signature]........................ Capt.S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

R.A.F
Royal Air Force.
Oprep
Operational Report.
SAAF
South African Air Force.
Lt. Col
Lieutenant Colonel.
D.F.C
Distinguished Flying Cross.
D.F.C
Distinguished Flying Cross.
Capt
Captain.
A/C
Aircraft.
A/C
Aircraft. In this mission, 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft were deployed, though one suffered a technical "hung up" with its ordnance.
L.G
Landing Ground.

Det. (Rods): Detonators, specifically rod fuzing. These extended from the nose of the bomb to trigger an instantaneous burst upon ground contact, maximizing fragmentation for clearing surface-level gun positions and tracks.

Lt.Col. / Capt. / Lt. / F/Sgt. / Sgt. / A/Sgt.: Lieutenant Colonel, Captain, Lieutenant, Flight Sergeant, Sergeant, and Acting Sergeant.