TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sortie 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. See over Aircraft Letter. Captain. LT/COL BRITZ DFC Crew. P/O SMALLMAN Up. 1234 A Hrs First A/C Down. 1422 A 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 CASTALDRO) | 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) W. Thompson Capt. SIO 21 Squadron, SAAF AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST. 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 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. * Observations on Individuals: * Lieutenant Colonel J.F. Britz, D.F.C.: The Commanding Officer of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. Britz was known for his "lead-from-the-front" style, as evidenced by his role as Captain for the first aircraft (474X) in this 12-aircraft mission. * Captain Saunders: Piloting aircraft 586B. He is a recurring name in the squadron's operational records, appearing in mission lists throughout September and October 1943. * Major Coull: Captain of aircraft 951YY. He served alongside other senior officers like Major Stuart and Major Ord in providing experienced leadership during multi-box formation strikes. * Location and Historical Context: * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): This was the base of operations for the mission. Located in the Foggia plain of Southern Italy, it was a major hub for the Desert Air Force (DAF) after its capture in late September 1943. Today, the site has largely reverted to agricultural land near the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. * Abortive Mission over Castaldro: On October 29, 1943, these 12 Martin Baltimore crews flew to target German guns and troop positions at Castaldro. However, as detailed in Part A of the report, the mission was frustrated by 10/10 cloud cover over the battle area, forcing the formation to return to base without releasing their bombs. * Strategic Importance: Despite this specific mission being unsuccessful due to weather, the crew list illustrates the significant manpower No. 21 Squadron committed to tactical interdiction. Their ongoing efforts targeted German supply lines and defensive positions as the Allies attempted to breach the Bernhardt Line during the arduous autumn of 1943.

25 Verification: While this document does not contain a formal 'Date' column, it is verified by the date 30th October, 1943 written in the document header.

1943-10-29 TORTORELLA

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes * Expanded Abbreviations: * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * Mk.: Mark (designating the version of the aircraft). * LT/COL: Lieutenant Colonel. * DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross. * P/O: Pilot Officer. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Cu / St. Cu: Cumulus / Stratocumulus (cloud types). * S/c: Steered course. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Sgd: Signed. * Observations on Individuals: * Lieutenant Colonel J.F. Britz, D.F.C.: The Commanding Officer of No. 21 Squadron SAAF. Britz was a highly respected leader who continued to fly operational sorties personally, leading this formation of 12 aircraft. His signature appears on various squadron routine orders throughout September and October 1943. * Pilot Officer Smallman: Serving as the observer/navigator for the Commanding Officer on this flight. * Captain W. Thompson: The Senior Intelligence Officer (SIO) responsible for debriefing crews and compiling these formal sortie reports to assess mission success and enemy movement. * Location and Historical Context: * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): Located in the Foggia plain of Southern Italy. Occupied by Allied forces in late September 1943, it served as a primary hub for the Desert Air Force (DAF). Today, the area remains largely agricultural, situated near the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. * The Target (Castaldro): The mission was a tactical strike against German gun and troop positions north of Castaldro (Grid H 331253). At this stage of the Italian Campaign, the Allied advance toward the Gustav Line relied heavily on light bombers like the Martin Baltimore to disrupt German tactical defenses in the rugged central mountain regions. * Mission Outcome: Despite reaching the target area at 14,000 feet, the mission was aborted without bombing due to "Cloud 10/10 over Target Area". This was a common frustration for the Baltimore crews; the lack of sophisticated radar-bombing equipment meant that visual identification of targets was essential to avoid hitting friendly troops or non-military buildings. * Fighter Escort: The narrative notes picking up an escort of four Spitfires over Foggia. This protection was vital, as the light bombers were vulnerable to Luftwaffe interceptors while maneuvering at higher altitudes to find holes in the heavy Mediterranean cloud cover. 24 Verification: While this reverse side of the sortie report (Part B) does not have a dedicated 'Date' column on this specific page, it is verified as the correct corresponding image for the report initiated in 276-2__23.jpg, which is dated 29/10/43.