Operation

21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. RAID ON PORTO NOGARO CELLULOSE FACTORY ppH395914 18th MARCH, 1945. 2nd RAID OPREP NO. 968 OPERATION NO. 170/21/M. T/OFF:- 1449 hrs. 575 P : Maj. Dieu Parsonson v.d.Putte Mitchell Durrant Peckitt 471 R : Lt. Collender Gillam Deane Benson Banfield Suter 557 U : Lt. Granger Stuart Bailey Adams Wood Kruger. 545 K : Lt. Fraser Jandrell du Plessis Richardson W/O) Barrow Jenner 561 B : Lt. Isted Williams Gelb Bedford Botha Collins 572 J : Lt. Hussey Quaife Wells Boast Kennedy Pienaar 539 T : Lt. Gough Horne Ryan Overee Smith TR Mathew 537 YY: Lt. Cloete Callaghan Winn Paxton Greijbe Ceronio. WINDFINDING A/C:- 513 Hv: Lt. Muir Dale Lister Foster Jones Rourke. Times for all. 2.45 Hrs. Handwritten Marginalia / Stamps: * Folio Number: 167 (Top right). * Reference Stamp:

1945-03-18

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * AIR 27 / 271: The United Kingdom National Archives (TNA) classification for Air Ministry: Operations Record Books (ORBs). Series 271 contains the historical files for 21 Squadron SAAF. * BA-BH (Martin Baltimore): The primary twin-engine tactical medium bomber (specifically Mark IV and V variants) operated by 21 Squadron SAAF during the final stages of the Italian Campaign. While not explicitly labeled in the text, aircraft identifiers (P, R, U, K, B, J, T, YY, Hv) and serial suffixes (575, 471, etc.) refer to the unit's Baltimore inventory. * MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard high-explosive ordnance, typically 250lb or 500lb bombs, utilized by Baltimore crews for the destruction of industrial infrastructure and rail centers. * MET (Meteorological Report): Critical atmospheric data essential for the trans-Apennine and Alpine flight paths required to reach targets in North-East Italy. * OPREP: Operational Report. OPREP No. 968 refers to the administrative mission summary submitted following the conclusion of Operation 170/21/M. * T/OFF: Time of Take-off. For this mission, T/OFF was recorded as 1449 hours. * WINDFINDING A/C: A specialized lead aircraft tasked with gathering real-time wind speed and direction data at altitude to ensure the following formation achieved maximum bombing accuracy over the target. Operational Context Target File 271-3_117 documents a nine-aircraft formation strike on March 18, 1945, directed against the Porto Nogaro Cellulose Factory (coordinates H395914). Porto Nogaro served as a vital inland port in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The targeting of a cellulose facility was of high strategic priority for the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF); cellulose was a core precursor for the production of nitrocellulose, an essential component for smokeless powder and various explosives required by the German Wehrmacht. The methodology of this raid—utilizing a specialized "Windfinding A/C" (Baltimore 513 Hv, piloted by Lt. Muir)—illustrates the technical refinement of the SAAF's tactical doctrine by early 1945. This approach contrasts with the squadron’s earlier, more direct tactical pressure during the 1943 battles for the Bernhardt and Gustav Lines. In November 1943, for instance, 21 Squadron targeted tactical bottlenecks such as location H055630 to fracture immediate German front-line logistics. By March 1945, as part of Operation Bingo, the focus had shifted to the total industrial and logistical paralysis of German Heeresgruppe C in the Po Valley and the Alpine approaches. The mission was led by senior squadron leadership, with Major Dieu in aircraft 575 P. The recorded mission time of 2 hours and 45 minutes for all aircraft signifies a concentrated, efficient strike against the factory, designed to deny the enemy domestic ordnance components and accelerate the collapse of Axis resistance in the Northern Adriatic sector. 118 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 19th MARCH, 1945