Sortie — Tuesday, 17 April 1945

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Date: 17th APRIL, 1945

APPENDIX "U"217FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.TO : H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATIONS RECORDS)H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( SCORU)W.I.O. 3 WING S.A.A.F.REF. : 21S/1006DATE : 17th APRIL, 1945OPREP N. 1006 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 2100 HRS ON THE 16th APRIL, 1945REF. MAP ITALY, 1:100,000 SHEET 76 - FERRARA.OPERATIONS NO. 201 - 202/21S/M.A : OPERATION NO. 201:- One Marauder airborne between 1144 - 1432hrsThis A/C fitted with special equipment, leda box of four ( one A/C from each 12, 24 and 30 Sqdns) on thefirst "SHORAN" raid carried out by the SAAF. The Target wasthe TRESIGALLO SUGAR REFINERY at M. 373825, and after at firstexperiencing difficulty with one of the control stations whilecircling Lake Comacchio, the equipment finally functionedsatisfactorily and the formation bombed at 1354 hrs. from9850' on a course of 320º. Photographic coverage revealed thatstick, starting with a very slight undershoot, almost completelystraddled the target with a good pattern. No enemy opposition.Weather; 8 - 10/10 str.cu. (tops 9000') in target area.OPERATION NO. 202:- 12 Marauders airborne from Jesi L/G between1635 - 1845 hrs. to attack enemy troopconcentrations 3 miles North of ARGENTA with 500 and 250 frag.bombs. Formation bombed between 1747 - 1753 hrs. on a courseof 300º from 10,500'. Patterns of all three boxes all withinthe area bounded by the briefed pinpoints. HAA, moderateinaccurate from target area. Weather; target clear, visibilityhazy.B : (i) 13 Marauders III (ii) Nil C. (i) & (ii) NilD : (i) 26.50 hrs. (ii) Nil E. 44,200 x .50 (ii) & (iii) NilF : (1) 78 x 500 ( 6 x 500 Demo fused) ( 72 x 500 Frag. fused)52 x 250 ( 4 x 250 " " ) ( 48 x 250 frag fused )(ii) 78 x 500 (iii) and (iv) Nil52 x 250G to V NilW : (i) 1 Marauder III (ii) NilX : (i) 2.15 Hrs (ii) NilY & Z NilS.L. Boshoff [handwritten signature]Capt.S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.946SA21/710 16APR 45 F14 || HH M2867 11000 1739 BIII K (120)

Transcriber's Notes

S.I.O: Squadron Intelligence Officer, Capt. S.L. Boshoff. Operational Context Document 271-4_48 covers two distinct tactical successes on 16th April 1945 during Operation Grapeshot. Operation No. 201 represents a technical milestone for the SAAF: the first combat use of SHORAN. By using radar-controlled bombing, the formation was able to accurately target the Tresigallo Sugar Refinery despite heavy cloud cover (8-10/10ths) that would have prohibited visual bombing. Sugar refineries were strategic targets frequently used by the German 10th Army (10. Armee) for troop billeting and munitions storage. Operation No. 202 targeted enemy troop concentrations 3 miles north of Argenta in direct support of the Eighth Army's push through the Argenta Gap. The use of 72 x 500 lb and 48 x 250 lb fragmentation bombs indicates a mission designed to neutralize Axis infantry reserves attempting to hold the defensive line against the 56th London Division. The high accuracy reported—with all three boxes impacting within the briefed pinpoints—facilitated the rapid collapse of German defenses in this logistical bottleneck, accelerating the Allied breakout into the Po Valley. 49
21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force, a medium bomber unit.
3 WING S.A.A.F: The administrative and tactical higher command for the squadron during the spring 1945 offensive.
SHORAN: Short Range Navigation. A precision radar beacon navigation and bombing system. This document records the first "SHORAN" raid conducted by the SAAF, led by a specialized 21 Squadron aircraft.
HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire.
F14: Focal length of the camera lens (14 inches) utilized for high-altitude vertical strike photography.
HH M2867: Map reference M. 2867 (specifically identifying coordinates near M. 319520), identifying the target area for enemy troop concentrations 3 miles North of ARGENTA on the Ferrara 1:100,000 Sheet 76.

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance classifications. This mission utilized both fragmentation variants and demolition bombs.

BIII K (120): Box Three (Third Box), Kinematograph. This technical suffix identifies the photographic record from the third four-plane formation (Box III) and indicates this is the 120th frame in the film sequence.

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance classifications. For this tactical support mission, the unit prioritized 500 lb and 250 lb Fragmentation (Frag) bombs (totaling 72 x 500 and 48 x 250 for the formation) to maximize effective coverage against personnel and unarmored targets.