Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Date
- 4th MARCH, 1945
APPENDIX "B"104FROM : 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.W.I.O. 3 WING S.A.A.F.REF. : 21S/952DATE : 4th MARCH, 1945.Oprep No. 952 for the period ending 1300 Hrs. on the 4th March, 1945. Ref. Map Italy 1:100,000 Sheet 40A - GORIZIA. Operation No. 158/21S/M.
A : 10 Marauders airborne from Jesi L/G at 0845 hrs to bombthe GORIZIA M/Yards at pp. G 0713075. After R/Vwith a small escort of 6 Spits at Ravenna, formationset course for target and bombed at 1025 hrs. dropping60 x 500 and 40 x 250 lbs. bombs. Whole formation's bombsundershot, sticks filling up the western edge of theyards at the southern end, scoring direct hits on buildings.No bombs fell in target area. Weather was clear overtarget and visibility was good. There was no enemy opposition.All a/c were down by 1135 hrs.B : (1) 10 Marauders III (11) NilC : (1) & (11) NilD : (1) 28.50 Hrs (11) NilE : (1) 34,000 x .50 (11) & (111) NilF : (1) 60 x 500 Fused Tail only 30-36 (11) 60 x 50040 x 250 40 x 25016 Pkts Pamphlets dropped510 lbs Window in targetarea.(111) & (1v) NilG to V : NilW : (1) 3 Marauders III (11) NilX : (1) 2.30 Hrs. (11) NilY : 16 x 10 Lbs. PracticeZ : Nil[Signed] S. L. BoschCapt.S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.Handwritten Marginalia / Stamps: * Folio Number: 104 (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, responsible for compiling mission data and reporting to higher command.
- W.I.O
- Wing Intelligence Officer.
- Window
- Chaff; strips of aluminum foil dispensed (510 lbs in this mission) to confuse German radar-directed anti-aircraft artillery. Operational Context Target File 271-3_8 documents Operation No. 158/21S/M, a ten-aircraft formation strike on March 4, 1945, directed against the Gorizia Marshalling Yards. Gorizia was a vital logistical node on the rail network connecting North-East Italy with the Austrian and Yugoslavian borders. By the spring of 1945, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were engaged in Operation Bingo, a strategic aerial interdiction campaign designed to isolate German Heeresgruppe C in Northern Italy by severing supply and escape routes through the Alpine passes. This methodology of targeting transit hubs represents the final evolution of the interdiction doctrine used during the 1943 battles for the Bernhardt and Gustav Lines. In November 1943, 21 Squadron SAAF conducted high-intensity strikes on localized bottlenecks, such as location H055630, to maintain tactical pressure and prevent German reserves from reaching the front lines. By March 1945, the tactical focus had transitioned to achieving total strategic paralysis of the enemy’s rear echelons. The report notes that "Whole formation's bombs undershot," missing the target area but scoring direct hits on adjacent buildings. Despite the tactical failure to destroy the rail lines, the mission included the dropping of 16 packets of propaganda pamphlets, continuing the psychological warfare aspect of the campaign as Axis logistical depth was dismantled. The mission encountered no enemy opposition, reflecting the peak of Allied air superiority at this stage of the conflict. 9
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard high-explosive ordnance, such as the 500 lb and 250 lb bombs cited here, used for interdiction of rail and industrial targets.
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard high-explosive ordnance carried by SAAF crews for the destruction of rail and logistical infrastructure.