Operation

APPENDIX "K" FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. TO : H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATIONS RECORD) H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( SCORU) S.A.O.A. ADV. S.A.A.F. H.Q. C.M.F. W.I.O. 3 WING S.A.A.F. OPREP No. 894 FOR PERIOD OF 24 Hrs. ENDING 2100 Hrs. 31st. DECEMBER 1944. REF. MAP : ITALY 1-100,000 SHEET 50 PADOVA. SORTIE No: 137/21S/M. (K) 12 Marauders airborne from JESI L/G. at 1222 Hrs. to bomb CASTEL FRANCO VENETO M/Yds. (G 3977). They formed up in three boxes of four A/C each and after rendezvous with 6 Spitfires at BALEARIA, they set course towards target at 1307 Hrs. They climbed up to 15000' over a bank of cloud but encountered another one at 45 degrees Lat. NORTH which appeared to extend up to 17000'. After searching vainly for a gap, the A/C. turned back at 1352 Hrs. position about 20 miles South-East of VENICE. One A/C had returned early owing to electric wires shorting and smoke issuing from under the navigator's table. The remaining A/C. after jettisoning their bomb-load at sea (on instructions from base, due to 20/25m.p.h. crosswind on runway), all landed safely by 1535 Hrs. (W) (i) 12 Marauders Mk.iii (ii) Nil. (X) (i) & (ii) Nil. (Y) (i) 28.35 Hrs. (ii) Nil. (Z) (i) 40800 x .50 (ii) & (iii) Nil. (P) (i) 72 x 500 G.P. (ii) Nil. (iii) 66 x 500 (iv) Nil. 48 x 250 G.P. 44 x 250 Fused: 27-49 Nose, 28-36 Tail. (Q) to (Z). Nil. (Signature: Halliwell) Halliwell Captain, S.I.O. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.

1944-12-31

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations Expanded: * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force * H.Q. / ADV.: Headquarters / Advanced * M.A.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Air Forces * M.A.T.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force * SCORU: South African Corps of Records * S.A.O.A.: South African Officer in Charge of Administration * C.M.F.: Central Mediterranean Force * W.I.O.: Wing Intelligence Officer * OPREP: Operational Report * Hrs. / m.p.h.: Hours / miles per hour * L/G: Landing Ground * M/Yds: Marshalling Yards * A/C: Aircraft * G.P.: General Purpose (bombs) * Observations about Individuals: * Captain Halliwell: Serving as the Squadron Intelligence Officer, Halliwell’s signature on this final OPREP of the year marks a frustrating end to 1944. He had to document not a victory, but a total mission failure—an "abortive" raid where no bombs reached the enemy. * The Navigator of the Early Return A/C: Although not named, the navigator in the aircraft that suffered an electrical short experienced a harrowing incident when "smoke [issued] from under the navigator's table," forcing an immediate abort before reaching the formation rendezvous. * Information about the Location: * Castelfranco Veneto Marshalling Yards: A strategic rail sorting and maintenance hub at grid reference G 3977 in Northern Italy. * Modern Name: The location remains Castelfranco Veneto. The railway facilities there were vital for moving German supplies from the Alps to the Po Valley. * Jesi (JESI) Landing Ground: 21 Squadron's base in the Marche region. * Modern Name: This site is the present-day Ancona International Airport (Aeroporto di Ancona-Falconara). * Balearia: A specific waypoint or coastal reporting point used as the rendezvous (R/V) location where the heavy bombers met their fighter escort. * Historical Theatre Context: * New Year's Eve Failure: OPREP No. 894 records the final combat sortie of 1944, which was neutralized by the relentless Italian winter. Despite the clear skies often found at high altitudes, "another [bank of cloud]" at 45 degrees North created a wall of white extending up to 17,000 feet, making precision medium bombing impossible. * The Spitfire Escort: Interestingly, this mission utilized 6 Spitfires for escort duty rather than the more common Mustangs or Thunderbolts. This reflects the diverse aircraft of the Desert Air Force (D.A.F.) operating under M.A.T.A.F. command. * Dangerous Recovery: The instruction to jettison the 40,000+ lb bomb load at sea highlights the extreme danger of landing a Martin B-26 Marauder III on a runway with a 20/25 m.p.h. crosswind. The Marauder was notorious for its high landing speeds and poor crosswind handling; landing with full bomb racks on a slick or windy runway was often considered a greater risk than the loss of the ordnance itself. * Strategic Reprieve: This abortive raid on the last day of the year allowed the German 10th Army logistical teams a critical night of movement through the Castelfranco rail hub, unhindered by the S.A.A.F.'s otherwise intensive interdiction campaign. 160 The target file 270-2_160.jpg contains a narrative summary rather than a columned memorandum; the date indicating the span of the document is 1st TO 31st DECEMBER, 1944.