21 Squadron dropped a demolition

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Date: 5th MARCH, 1945

APPENDIX "C"105FROM : 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)S.A.O.A. ADV. S.A.A.F. H.Q. C.M.F.REF. : 21S/953DATE : 5th MARCH, 1945.Oprep No. 953 for the period 1300 hrs to 2100 hrs on the 4th March, 1945.Ref Map Italy 1:100,000 Sheet 40A - GORIZIA.Operation No. 159/21/M.

A : 11 Marauders airborne from Jesi L/G at 1440 hrs. to bombshipping and dock facilities at MONFALCONE pp H645898.After R/V at Porto Corsini with a close escort of 4Spitfires the formation set course for the target, ledby 8 A/C of 24 Squadron. The Squadrons were preceded byfour Anti-Flak A/C, two from each squadron, which carrieda fragmentation load of 20lbs. bombs, to bomb gunpositionsdefending the target. 21 Squadron dropped a demolitionload of 500 and 250 lbs bombs, which fell with a rightlateral error of 300 to 500 yards. There were no bombsin the target area. One Anti-Flak A/C had an overshootof 5/600 yards and the other a left lateral error.7 x 500 lbs and 4 x 250 lbs bombs from two A/C hung-upand were jettisoned in sea. One Anti-Flak A/C broughtback two clusters and jettisoned one cluster at sea.There was slight inaccurate HAA from target area. Visi-bility was good and weather clear over the target. AllA/C down by 1731 hrs.B : (1) 13 Marauders III (ii) NilC : (1) & (ii) NilD : (1) 36.05 hrs (ii) NilE : (1) 44200 x .500 (ii) & (iii) NilF : (1) 66 x 500 (ii) 53 x 500 (iii) 7 x 500 (iv) Nil44 x 250 36 x 250 4 x 250384 x 20 366 x 20 6 x 20336 Lbs of Windowdropped.Fusing:- Tail only 30 - 36.G to X : Nil S. L. Bosch [Signed] Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.

Handwritten Marginalia / Stamps: * Folio Number: 105 (Handwritten, Top Right). * Reference Stamp:The National Archives' reference AIR 27/271/3

Transcriber's Notes

S.I.O: Squadron Intelligence Officer. Captain S. L. Bosch was responsible for compiling Opreps and debriefing aircrews.
Anti-Flak A/C: Specialized aircraft assigned to suppress enemy ground-based anti-aircraft batteries (Flak) immediately prior to or during the main bomb run.
Window: Chaff; strips of aluminum foil dispensed to confuse German radar-directed anti-aircraft artillery. Operational Context Target File 271-3_10 documents Operation No. 159/21/M, an 11-aircraft strike launched on March 4, 1945, against shipping and dock facilities at Monfalcone, Italy. This raid was part of a coordinated effort by 21 and 24 Squadrons to deny the German Kriegsmarine and logistical units the use of Adriatic ports. By March 1945, the tactical focus of the Desert Air Force and the M.A.T.A.F. had shifted toward the complete isolation of German Heeresgruppe C in Northern Italy through systematic interdiction of all transit and logistical nodes. This operation demonstrates the technical maturity of tactical doctrines established during the earlier battles of the Bernhardt and Gustav Lines. In November 1943, 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. conducted high-intensity strikes on localized bottlenecks, such as location H055630, to paralyze German reserves attempting to reach the front lines. By March 1945, the use of dedicated Anti-Flak aircraft and significant amounts of Window (336 lbs.) highlights the sophisticated measures required to overcome hardened German defenses at strategic coastal sites. Despite favorable meteorological conditions, the mission was characterized as a failure in accuracy, with demolition loads falling 300 to 500 yards wide of the target area, illustrating the persistent challenge of precision visual bombing against defended industrial targets. 11

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard high-explosive ordnance carried by SAAF crews for the destruction of hardened maritime and industrial infrastructure.