Weather was clear over target and visibility good. There was

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Date: - 11th APRIL 1945

CONFIDENTIAL.APPENDIX "M"209FROM :- 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/998.DATE :- 11th APRIL 1945. ENDING

OPREP NO. 998 FOR THE PERIOD 1300 HRS. ON THE 11th APRIL 1945. REF. MAP ITALY 1:100,000 SHEET 25 UDINE. --------------------------------------- OPERATION NO. 193/21S/M. ------------------------

A : 12 MARAUDERS airborne from JESI L/G between 0835 and 1142 hrs,in three boxes of four to bomb GEMONA M/YARDS. After R/V atPORTO CORSINI with an escort of 8 Spitfires, formation S/Cfor target, and bombed from 11 to 12000' at 1011 - 1014 Hrs. First and second boxes straddled yards with good patterns but unobserved results, while third box overshot target. Weather was clear over target and visibility good. There was no enemy opposition. P.W.B. pamphlets ( 42 packets) were dispensed over enemy territory. One A/C landed late after searching area where possible dinghy had been reported. No dinghy seen. A Walrus was over same area all the time.

B : (1) 12 MARAUDERS 111 (11) NIL.C : (1) NIL. (11) NIL.D : (1) 36.50 hrs. (11) NIL.E : (1) 40,800 x .50 (11) NIL. (111) NIL.F : (1) 72 x 500 Demo. Fused. (11) as in (1) (111) &(1v) NIL.TO Z NIL. S.T. Wrigill [handwritten signature] ___-------------------- LT. / CAPTAIN. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

S.I.O: Squadron Intelligence Officer, Lt./Capt. S.T. Wrigill.
21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F: No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a medium bomber unit operating within the Desert Air Force (DAF).
SCORU: South African Operations Records Unit.
3 WING S.A.A.F: No. 3 Wing SAAF, the higher administrative and tactical formation overseeing 21 Squadron's Martin Marauder operations during the spring of 1945.
OPREP NO. 998: Operational Report number 998, documenting combat activity for the morning period of 11th April 1945.
JESI L/G: Jesi Landing Ground, the primary operational base for the squadron during the terminal stages of the Italian Campaign.
R/V: Rendezvous. The meeting point for the bombers and their fighter escort.

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Allied aerial ordnance classifications. The 500 lb Demo bombs listed are consistent with standard GP (General Purpose) demolition stocks.