Operation

BA: TROOPS AND GUNS — C353009. BB: 1330 Hrs LT BC: Medium level bombing, attack: Height 11500' Course 210º 36 x 250 GP 43 Dets 27 Pistols (Rods) 24 x 500 MC do do BD: Visibility was very good although smoke over target it was clearly identified. Squadron attacked in boxes of six. No1 box bombed from C364014 - 360011 scoring hits on a secondary road. No.2 box pattern started at C355014 where many direct hits were observed on the main road. TEN few bursts were seen in Target area. BE: NIL BF: NIL BG: Obliques and Verticals from 11500' on Course 210º. Speed 220 m.p.h. (I.A.S.) BH: 20 M.T. moving NORTH WEST on main Rds. at C 344014 15 M.T. stationery facing SOUTH badly dispersed at C 345010 At 1350 Hrs Ju.88 was observed at 20,000' over MANFREDONIA area on approximately North-Westerly Course with two Spitfires after it. AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST. 240O CAPT DUGMORE LT MASTERS 2/LT MAASDORP F/SGT ROGERS 383W LT GREDER LT REES F/SGT GREYLING A/SGT AIREY 167S CAPT V. BREDA LT NAUDE F/SGT GRATTON P/O GILDEN 387R LT RICHARDS LT KIRBY F/SGT ROBBERTSE A/SGT McCRINDLE 181T LT HILL LT PIETERS F/SGT V.D.WESTHUIZEN A/SGT JENKINSON 181Y CAPT DIEU LT ROSE F/SGT BAILEY F/SGT DU RANT 586B CAPT SAUNDERS P/O SMALLMAN LT POTGIETER A/SGT EARP-JONES 545A LT ASKEW LT LAMBERT F/SGT GELDENHUYS LT V. SCHALKWYK 426J LT WOOD LT NEL F/SGT JAMES A/SGT ROBERTSON 578G CAPT JOB LT OWEN-HUGHES F/SGT JARVIS LT SHAW 916K LT WITTE LT RUSHFORTH F/SGT EATON A/SGT MARAIS 341L LT LONGMORE LT KENDAL F/SGT THEUNISSEN A/SGT MACKAY

1943-11-26

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Glossary of Terms * BA–BH: Intelligence reporting nomenclature utilized by the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF). * BA: Target identification. * BB: Time of release. * BC: Armament and release parameters. * BD: Narrative strike assessment. * BE: Enemy air/ground opposition. * BF: Friendly losses/damage. * BG: Photographic parameters. * BH: Reconnaissance observations. * GP / MC: General Purpose / Medium Capacity bomb types. * Dets / Pistols: Initiating detonators and mechanical impact/delay fuses. * Rods: Nose-extension rods utilized to trigger instantaneous detonation above ground level, maximizing fragmentation spread against personnel ("soft targets"). * LT: Local Time. * I.A.S.: Indicated Air Speed. * M.T.: Motor Transport. Biographical Analysis * Captain Gaston Dieu: Piloting aircraft 181Y. Dieu's continued operational presence in late November definitively corroborates his survival following the mid-air collision on 3 November 1943. * Captain Dugmore: Serving as Formation Leader in 240O. Dugmore maintained rigorous tactical command during the intensive interdiction phase preceding the Eighth Army's Sangro offensive. * Lt. Robertson & Lt. Hanning: Flying in 426J. This sortie represents one of the final missions for this crew prior to their fatal accident at Tortorella on 28 November 1943. Operational Context: Mozzagrogna (C353009) On 26 November 1943, Mozzagrogna constituted a primary defensive anchor of the German Bernhardt Line. Occupying a strategic ridge overlooking the Sangro River valley, the town served as a vital artillery and logistical hub. This mission, the second strike of the day against the same coordinates, was critical in suppressing German "Troops and Guns" to facilitate the British Eighth Army’s impending rupture of the river defenses. Tactical Observations and Air Combat * Interdiction Success: The reconnaissance reported in section BH identifies significant German logistical movements, including 20 M.T. vehicles moving northwest and 15 M.T. "badly dispersed" and stationary. The dispersion suggests German forces were reacting to the persistent Allied air presence by seeking cover. * Air Combat Activity: A Junkers Ju 88 was observed at 20,000 feet over Manfredonia being pursued by two Spitfires. This sighting highlights the high-altitude air superiority battle occurring simultaneously with the tactical bombing operations. * Strike Accuracy: Despite smoke from earlier strikes, both boxes successfully identified the target, scoring direct hits on the main and secondary roads, effectively severing German transit lines through the Mozzagrogna sector. Marginalia Analysis The handwritten "TEN" inserted in section BD is a specific quantity correction regarding the number of bomb bursts observed in the immediate target area, ensuring the archival record accurately reflects the strike's impact. 135 The verification date for the document 276-2__135.jpg is 27th Nov 43.