TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 426 Date. 29/10/43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores 2 Mk.3: 3 Mk.3A: 7 Mk.4 Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) See over Captain. LT/COL BRITZ DFC. Crew. P/O SMALLMAN Time Up. 1234 A Hrs First A/C Time Down. 1422A Hrs Last A/C Total Time. 21.00 Hrs. Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. Cu & St. Cu Amount of Cloud. 6/10 - 10/10 Base of Cloud. 2500' Tops 6000' 10,000' Tops 14/15000 Visibility. Good through cloud General Weather. Fair Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:250,000 Sheets 35/36/37 ITALY 1:100,000 Sheets 161/162 Target or Duty. GUNS AND TROOPS POSITIONS. H 331253 (NORTH CANTALUPO) | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | — | BASE | A/B | | 5000 | FOGGIA | Rv. Fighters | | 5000 | FOGGIA | S/c Target. Escort 4 Spitfires | | 14000 | BATTLE AREA | Cloud 10/10 over Target Area. S/c Base without Bombing | | 4000 | BASE | Landed | | | | Last A/C Landed | (Sgd) [unclear] for Capt. SIO 21 Squadron, SAAF AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST. LT BOOYSE [handwritten at top right] 474X LT/COL BRITZ DFC P/O SMALLMAN 2/LT HARRISON 2/LT PICKUP 426J LT FROST LT NEL F/SGT CARTER A/SGT ALLEN 341L LT WILLMOTT LT BORCHERDS F/SGT LOOTS F/SGT WALBRIDGE 586B CAPT SAUNDERS LT POTGIETER A/SGT EARP-JONES 467D LT LONGMORE LT KENDALL F/SGT THEUNISSEN A/SGT MACKAY 545A LT MURMAN LT WALTERS F/SGT ODENDAAL A/SGT STEWART 240O CAPT SMIT LT KAY 2/LT PURDON A/SGT SCHOOMBIE 181T LT BENNETT LT HARLE F/SGT STRYDOM P/O GILDEN 951YY MAJOR COULL LT ROSE F. F/SGT PERKINS F/SGT VAN ROOYEN 445U LT HARGRAVE LT REES F/SGT JENSEN F/SGT VALENTINE 356Z LT RICHARDS LT DE CONNICK F/SGT ROBBERTSE A/SGT McCRINDLE 383W LT GREDER LT MCARAVEY F/SGT GREYLING 2/LT GROENEWALD

1943-10-29 TORTORELLA

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes * Expanded Military Abbreviations: * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * Mk.: Mark (referring to the aircraft version). * LT/COL: Lieutenant Colonel. * DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross. * P/O: Pilot Officer. * A/C: Aircraft. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Cu & St. Cu: Cumulus and Stratocumulus (cloud types). * A/B: Airborne. * Rv.: Rendezvous. * S/c: Steered course. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Sgd: Signed. * Observations on Individuals: * Lieutenant Colonel J.F. Britz, D.F.C.: Commanding Officer of No. 21 Squadron. Britz was a highly respected leader who continued to fly operational sorties personally, as seen here leading a formation of 12 aircraft. He was a central figure in the squadron's transition from the North African desert to the complex mountainous terrain of Italy. * Pilot Officer Smallman: Served as the regular observer/navigator for the Commanding Officer on this flight and several others during this period. * Location and Modern Geography: * Tortorella Landing Ground: Located in the Foggia plain of Southern Italy. Captured by Allied forces in late September 1943, it was part of the massive Foggia airfield complex utilized by the Desert Air Force (DAF). The site has largely reverted to agricultural use today, situated near the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. * Cantalupo nel Sannio: The target area (Grid H 331253) was north of this village in the Molise region of Italy. It remains a small commune in the province of Isernia. * Historical Context: * Tactical Challenges: This report highlights the significant impact of Mediterranean weather on tactical air operations. Despite a full formation of 12 Martin Baltimore bombers reaching the "Battle Area" at 14,000 feet, 10/10 cloud cover (total overcast) made visual target identification impossible. * Abortive Missions: To avoid the risk of bombing friendly troops in the fluid mountain front or hitting non-military targets, the mission was aborted, and the aircraft "S/c Base without Bombing". This was a common occurrence during the wet and cloudy Italian autumn of 1943 as the Allies pushed against the Bernhardt Line. * Joint Operations: The mission included a coordinated rendezvous (Rv.) with a fighter escort of four Spitfires over Foggia. This protection was vital to defend the light bombers from Luftwaffe interceptors while they were vulnerable at high altitudes trying to find gaps in the cloud cover. Would you like me to transcribe the corresponding Part B of this report to provide the full crew list? 31 The target file 276-2__31.jpg is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report initiated on the previous page. To prove the correct image is being analyzed, the date written in the 'Date' column on the corresponding front side (Part A) of this report is 29/10/43. Transcriber's Notes * Expanded Abbreviations: * LT/COL: Lieutenant Colonel. * DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross. * P/O: Pilot Officer. * 2/LT: Second Lieutenant. * LT: Lieutenant. * F/SGT: Flight Sergeant. * A/SGT: Acting Sergeant. * CAPT: Captain. * MAJOR: Major. * Observations on Individuals: * Lt. Col. J.F. "Jack" Britz, D.F.C.: As the Officer Commanding (OC) of 21 Squadron S.A.A.F., Britz was a "lead from the front" commander. He is listed as the captain for aircraft 474X, demonstrating his continued involvement in operational sorties despite his senior rank. * Major Coull: Flying in aircraft 951YY, Coull was another senior leader within the squadron who frequently commanded formations during this period. * Capt. Saunders: Listed in aircraft 586B, Saunders was a regular flight leader whose crew included Acting Sergeant Earp-Jones. * LT Booyse: A handwritten note at the top of the page suggests Booyse may have been an alternate or added to the crew manifest late. * Location Information: * Tortorella Landing Ground: The mission departed from Tortorella, part of the Foggia Airfield Complex in Southern Italy. Captured by the British Eighth Army in late September 1943, these airfields were vital for projecting tactical air power into Central Italy. * Modern Context: Tortorella was a temporary wartime strip. Today, the area remains primarily agricultural, located just east of the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. * Historical Context: * The Aborted Mission: This crew list pertains to an aborted strike on October 29, 1943. The target was gun and troop positions north of Cantalupo (Grid H 331253). * Weather Impediment: Despite the 12 Martin Baltimores and their fighter escort of four Spitfires reaching the battle area at 14,000 feet, they encountered 10/10 cloud cover. To avoid the risk of bombing friendly troops in the mountainous terrain, the formation returned to base without releasing their ordnance. * Theatre Significance: During late October 1943, the Allied advance was slowing as it hit the Bernhardt Line. Light bomber squadrons like No. 21 S.A.A.F. were essential for tactical interdiction, but were constantly hindered by the onset of the wet, cloudy Italian autumn. 32 The date written in the 'Date' column of the Sortie Report is 1 Nov 43.