EL DJEM MAIN.

R.A.F. Form 441 A. "G1" SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) FIRST OPERATION OF DAY. Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 276 Date. 26 APR 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 18 Baltimores. Aircraft No. See attached list on Aircraft Letter. reverse side. FORMATION LEADER: 50 Captain 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. TUNIS Task 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, and were brought back. BD The formation bombed on the leader, and bombs burst in well dispersed pattern in area P 3695, 3696, 345960, 3597. Two direct hits were seen on the railway line, and one direct hit on the NW branch road. No other results observed. (Observers express the opinion that the target area was too large, and that they could have attacked pinpoints of gun positions with better results. BE Moderate HAA, accurate for height, but behind formation.. Positions: 3 HAA at P 3695 4 HAA at K 2901 4 HAA at K 2500 2 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'Re 271 F Lt. Guard, Lt. Forsman, F/Sgt. Steven & F/Sgt. Prout (RAF). 930 K Lt. Willmot, Lt. Borcherds, F/Sgt. Loots & F/Sgt. Walbridge B/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.

1943-04-26 EL DJEM MAIN.

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * Oprep.: Operational Report. * Lt. Col.: Lieutenant Colonel. * D.F.C.: Distinguished Flying Cross. * Capt.: Captain. * A/C: Aircraft. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * S/C: Set Course. * M: Magnetic (referring to compass headings). * TP: Turning Point. * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E.: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. Operational Context The mission conducted on 26 April 1943 was a concentrated medium-level strike executed by 21 Squadron SAAF during the high-intensity interdiction phase of Operation Vulcan. This operation was the final Allied push to eliminate the Axis bridgehead in Tunisia. By late April, German and Italian forces were compressed into the Cap Bon peninsula and the hills surrounding Tunis, with the British Eighth Army applying relentless pressure from the south. Strategically, the 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft—led by the Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Coppen—were tasked with suppressing Axis gun positions that formed the primary defensive "crust" protecting the approaches to the peninsula. The mission utilized a joint force structure, with the formation rendezvousing at pinpoint TP 3911 with a fighter escort provided by 7 SAAF Wing. The tactical narrative details a precise approach: after the rendezvous, the formation performed a "climbing" transit via Kairouan and Akouda to reach a bombing altitude of 8,500 feet. The clear weather and lack of cloud cover provided optimal visibility for the 1153-hour strike on target. Such raids were essential for neutralizing Axis artillery that would otherwise impede the ground advance of the 18th Army Group toward the final ports of Tunis and Bizerte. The recovery at El Djem Main further confirms the unit's establishment at this forward airfield following previous logistical displacements. 71 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 26 APR 43. Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * L.T.: Local Time. * GP: General Purpose bomb. The 250 lb GP bomb was a standard weapon for medium-level interdiction against terrestrial targets. * 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. * A/C: Aircraft. In this mission, 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft were deployed, though one suffered a technical "hung up" with its ordnance. * NW: Northwest. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire. * A/A: Anti-Aircraft. * Obliques: Oblique aerial photography taken at an angle, as opposed to vertical photos taken straight down. * F/L / B/L / V/L: Formation Leader, Box Leader, and Vic Leader (standard tactical flight designations). * Lt.Col. / Capt. / Lt. / F/Sgt. / Sgt. / A/Sgt.: Lieutenant Colonel, Captain, Lieutenant, Flight Sergeant, Sergeant, and Acting Sergeant. * D.F.C.: Distinguished Flying Cross. * RCAF / RAF: Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Air Force (denoting personnel integrated within the SAAF unit). * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. Operational Context The mission on 26 April 1943 occurred during the final weeks of the Tunisian Campaign as Allied forces executed Operation Vulcan. This offensive was designed to collapse the remaining Axis bridgehead on the Cap Bon peninsula and around Tunis. 21 Squadron SAAF, operating from El Djem Main, launched 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft led by Lt. Col. Coppen, D.F.C., to neutralize Axis artillery concentrations in a four-point coordinate sector. Strategically, the suppression of gun positions in this area was critical for facilitating the ground advance of the British Eighth Army, which was facing heavy resistance in the mountainous terrain near Enfidaville. The "dispersed pattern" of the 102 General Purpose bombs successfully interdicted local infrastructure, recording direct hits on a railway line and a northwest branch road, both of which were vital logistical arteries for the German 90th Light Division and Italian First Army. The technical assessment provided by the crews indicates a tactical evolution: observers noted the target area was "too large" and recommended attacking specific "pinpoints" for higher efficacy, a shift that characterizes the maturing tactical doctrine of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF). Despite "moderate" Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) fire and the sighting of gun flashes from specific buildings, the formation sustained minimal damage, further demonstrating the increasing air superiority of the Desert Air Force during the campaign's final stages. 72 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 26 APR 43