Operation

To : HQ RAF ME NAAF (attention 23rd. SCORU) N.A.T.A.F. (attention 2nd. Command Unit 23rd SCORU S.I.O. TBF. From : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON SAAF Ref : 21S/344 Date : 20 July 1943 OPREP NO. 344 for 24 hrs. ending 2100 hrs. LT 19 Jul. 43. OPERATION NO. – REF MAP SICILIA 1:500,000 NE36/12 A. 4 Baltimores took off at intervals of 20 mins. from 0125 hrs. LT to bomb movement on roads leading from NORTH and EAST into NICOSIA. Alternate target NICOSIA town. Time over target 0244/0345 hrs. and last a/c landed 0515 hrs. Bombing courses various and heights 5000/8000’. Large fire seen C3306 lighting up approx. 30 M.T. closely parked. Fire straddled by stick of 6 bombs and crossroads set fire by another stick of 6, incendiaries being dropped with 250 G.P. bombs. 6 Bombs and incendiaries in quick stick across crossroads just NORTH of NICOSIA and 6 bombs and incendiaries at C4013 where M.T. suspected. Roads seen hit but NO results observed. 5/10 bursts H/A/A inaccurate from NICOSIA – 6 guns in row. Slight L/A/A inaccurate from NICOSIA. One a/c. attacked by fighter and followed from CANICATTI Area to SOUTH COAST. 3 bursts from below and astern seen from long range. NO hits. Evasive action by diving to starboard – crossed sea at 500’. Another a/c. saw fighter near crossroads NORTH NICOSIA, dropped bombs and started evasive action. Fighter closed to 200 yards astern and seen to have twin engines and twin tail fins at 6000’. Blaze of guns from fighter passed both sides of a/c, damaged starboard flaps, punctured port wheel and dented starboard prop and fuel gauge pipe. Violent diving turns made to port and starboard down to 4000’, eventually evaded fighter after 13 mins. Pilot landed a/c on flat port wheel and without starboard flaps. Third a/c followed by twin-engined fighter with dark nose for 10 mins. evasive action 6500/2500’. No attack. 5/10 – 8/10 t.cu. patchy C. Bon-Pantelloria Area, top 2000’. Visibility good, slight haze. B. 1 Baltimore Mk III 3 Baltimores Mk IIIA C. NIL NIL D. 2 hrs. 45 mins. 8 hrs. 20 mins. E. (1) 3200 x .30, 2300 x .303 (1) 9600 x .30, 900 x .303, 2100 x .50 (ii) (iii) NIL (ii) (iii) NIL F. (1) 6 x 250 G.P. (Rds) 43 Det. (1) 18 x 250 G.P. (Rds) 43 Det. 30 x 4 lb. Incendiaries 90 x 4 lb. Incendiaries 3 x Flares Recce 4.5 No. 4 9 x Flares Recce 4.5 No. 4 (ii) As in (1) (ii) As in (1) (iii) (iv) NIL (iii) (iv) NIL G. (1) (ii) NIL NIL (iii) light damage Cat. I NIL H – Z. NIL. (Signature: G.W. Thompson) Lt. for Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON. SAAF.

1943-07-20

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded: * HQ RAF ME: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. * NAAF: Northwest African Air Forces. * SCORU: Section Control and Operational Research Unit. * N.A.T.A.F.: Northwest African Tactical Air Force. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * TBF: Tactical Bomber Force. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * OPREP: Operational Report. * hrs. LT: hours Local Time. * a/c: aircraft. * M.T.: Motor Transport. * G.P. (Rds): General Purpose (bombs) fitted with standoff rods (typically 6-inch rods to trigger the fuse before impact for maximum surface blast). * Recce: Reconnaissance (flares). * H/A/A / L/A/A: Heavy Anti-Aircraft / Light Anti-Aircraft artillery. * t.cu.: Towering Cumulus clouds. * Cat. I: Category I damage (referring to light damage repairable by the unit). * Tactical and Combat Observations: * The Battle of Nicosia Logistics: Flown on the night of July 18/19, 1943 (D+8/9), this mission was designed to isolate the interior stronghold of Nicosia. The crews identified a massive logistics park of 30 motor transport vehicles. By successfully straddling this park and various crossroads with 24 x 250 lb bombs and 120 incendiaries, the squadron severely hindered Axis ability to move reserves into the town. * Luftwaffe Interception: This report contains a dramatic account of nocturnal air combat. Three out of four Baltimores were engaged or stalked by German night fighters. One aircraft was intercepted near Nicosia by a twin-engined, twin-tailed fighter (likely a Messerschmitt Bf 110 or Bf 210/410). * Airmanship Under Fire: The intercepted Baltimore pilot performed extraordinary evasive maneuvers, diving from 6,000 to 4,000 feet in violent turns for 13 minutes to shake the fighter. Despite damaged flaps, a punctured tire, and a dented propeller, the pilot managed to fly back across the Mediterranean and land safely on a flat tire and without flap assistance. * Individuals Mentioned: * Lieutenant G.W. Thompson: Thompson signed this report on behalf of the Squadron Intelligence Officer, Captain J.S. Bester. His detailed transcription of the pilot's debrief provides a vivid look at the intensity of night-fighter opposition during the campaign. * Location and Historical Context: * Nicosia, Sicily: A central Sicilian town of immense strategic value during Operation HUSKY. It sits at a major crossroads where routes from the north coast meet interior arteries. Axis forces, particularly the German 15th Panzergrenadier Division, used Nicosia as a pivot point for their defense of the "Etna Line". * Canicattì: A town in southwestern Sicily. The fighter interception starting here indicates that German night fighters were patrolling the transit routes between the Tunisian bases and the Sicilian target areas. * The Martin Baltimore: 21 Squadron's use of Mk III and Mk IIIA variants in this mission highlights the aircraft's resilience. Although designed as a medium bomber, its speed and ability to survive a 13-minute engagement with specialized Luftwaffe night fighters were critical to the survival of the crews in the hazardous night "intruder" role. 92 The date written in the 'Date' column of the Sortie Report is 18/19 Jul..