The remainder of

APPENDIX "Q" 327 TO : H.Q. MAAF (attention 23rd SCORU) H.Q. NATAF (attention 2nd Command Unit 23rd SCORU) SAOA SAAF FROM : SIO 21 SQUADRON SAAF REF : 21S/719 DATE : 14th June, 1944 OPREP No. 719 for period ending 2100 hrs on the 13th June, 1944 REF MAP : ITALY 1:100,000 SHEET 123 GUALDO TADINO 12 Baltimores off by 1643 to attack by Vics a RAILWAY BRIDGE at R941094, four miles S.W. of FOSSATO. One A/c returned after 1.20 hrs with u/carriage trouble after jettisoning bombs in sea at D.0102. Formation set course from PENNA POINT at 1705 with an escort of 6 Spitfires. Leader arrived over target at 1748 hrs and decided to make a dummy run in order to clearly identify target. The remainder of the 1st box bombed then from 11000' on a course of 045°, stick falling from R943095 to R946099, overshooting and slight lateral error. The second box bombed at 1750 another bridge near FOSSATO on the main railway line, stick from R987123 to R990124. The leader turned back on the original target and bombed at 1755 from 11000' on a course of 165°. First bomb dropped normally but remainder hung up. On jettisoning, two of the bombs collided and exploded below the formation, four of the six A/c of the first box including the leading A/c being being badly damaged. No cloud in target area. Slight H.A.A inaccurate from TOLENTINO, MACERATA, PEDASO and also target area. All A/c landed back to base by 1911 hrs. Two A/c Cat II, 1 A/c Cat 1. No casualties to personnel. B: (i) 7 Balts IV (ii) NIL (i) 5 Balts V (ii) NIL C: NIL D: (i) 16.40 Hrs (ii) NIL (i) 12.30 Hrs (ii) NIL E: (i) 22400 x .30 2100 x .303 4900 x .50 (ii) & (iii) NIL (i) 16000 x .30 1500 x .303 3500 x .50 (ii) & (iii) NIL F: (i) 28 x 500 M.C. (ii) 24 x 500 (iii) 4 x 500 (iv) NIL 45 fused : 49 - 27 Nose , 36 - 28 Tail 3 fused : 52 - 37 Tail (6 & 12 hr delay) (i) 20 x 500 M.C. (ii) As above (iii) & (iv) NIL W: (i) NIL (ii) 2 Cat II (i) NIL (ii) 1 Cat I to V: NIL (i) 1 Balt Mk IV (ii) NIL X: (i) 30 minutes (ii) NIL Y & Z: NIL FL Lt Col Jandrell D.F.C. Hallick Capt. S.I.O., 21 Squadron, SAAF.

1944-06-14

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes: * Friendly Fire Incident (The "Hang-Up" Disaster): * The Incident: This report details a terrifying accident involving the Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Jandrell (signed as FL - Flight Leader). After a "dummy run" to identify the target, his bombs failed to release ("remainder hung up"). When he attempted to jettison them safely, "two of the bombs collided and exploded below the formation." * The Damage: The mid-air explosion of his own ordnance caused shrapnel damage to "four of the six A/c of the first box," including the leader's plane which was "badly damaged." * Classification: The damage was severe enough to be rated Cat II (Category 2) for two aircraft, meaning they required extensive depot-level repairs, and Cat I for another. It is miraculous that there were "No casualties to personnel," as shrapnel from 500lb bombs at close range can easily shred a fuselage. * Targeting Confusion (Fossato): * The Objective: The target was a "RAILWAY BRIDGE... four miles S.W. of FOSSATO." Fossato di Vico is a key choke point in the Apennines. * Split Attack: The mission was chaotic. The leader did a dummy run, causing the rest of the first box to bomb independently (missing with an overshoot). The second box, seeing the confusion, attacked a "secondary target" (another bridge near Fossato). The leader then circled back alone to bomb the original target, leading to the hang-up accident. * Mechanical Issues: * Undercarriage Trouble: One aircraft aborted early due to "u/carriage [undercarriage] trouble," forcing it to jettison its load in the sea. This highlights the fragility of the Baltimore's hydraulic systems. * Abbreviations: * S.W.: South West. * A/c: Aircraft. * H.A.A.: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire. * Cat: Category (Damage classification). * M.C.: Medium Capacity (High Explosive). * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. 39 Verification: Target File Verification: The document is dated 14th June, 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 720) labeled APPENDIX "R" (page number 328).