Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA. MT and TROOPS from 0735980 to 0740015BB. 1505 hrs LTBC. MEDIUM LEVEL BOMBING ATTACK. Height 8800/8200 ft.Courses 025/345°72 x 250 GP 43 Dets (Rods)BD. Target area covered in cloud shadows. No. 1 Box bombed from C740002 to C740015 and No. 2 Box from C745019 to C730030. Both patterns good. A small square building and the main road received direct hits. Four MT were seen pulled off road dispersed. Bomb bursts within 100 yards of these and among small tracks leading off main road. One small fire started.BE. About 12 HAA bursts fairly accurate for No. 2 Box.3 guns at Sq. C74033 guns from SE of BRONTE on Mountain slopes.Guns in Sq. C7102.BF. 3 aircraft minor damage by HAA.BG. Obliques and Verticals of bomb bursts. Height 8800/8200ft.Courses 025° and 345°. IAS 210.BH. 4 SE unidentified aircraft seen soon after bombing flying EAST, three line abreast with leader. Spitfire escort went to investigate and did NOT return to formation.LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW.903 B Major CORMACK, Lt. LOMBAARD, F/Sgt. FINBERG, 2/Lt. VILJOEN.341 L Lt. WILLMOTT & BORCHERDS, F/Sgts. LOOTS & WALBRIDGE (RAF)206 J Lts. WOOD & NEL, F/Sgt. JAMES, Sgt. BUCHLER.290 U Lts. BLIEDEN & ROSE, F/Sgts. JARVIS & PERKINS271 F Lts. FROST & WHITE, F/Sgt. CARTER, Sgt. ALLAN.179 A Lts. ASKEW & LAMBERT, F/Sgt. GELDENHUYS, Sgt. CRAWHALL.221 Y Lts. EATON & MCDERMOTT, F/Sgt. FREESTONE (NZAF) & VAN ROOYEN280 P Lts. SIMPSON & HANDLEY, F/Sgts. ROBERTS & SHEPPERSON.344 X Lts. GRADER & GOULD, F/Sgt. GREYLING, 2/Lt. GROENEWALD.291 U Lts. HARGRAVE & REES, F/Sgts. JENSEN (RCAF) & BEDFORD951 V Lts. BENNETT & HARLE, F/Sgts. STRYDOM & OSWALD.383 W Lts. SMYTH & HANNING, F/Sgt. de PIESANIE, Sgt. LEISCHING.
Transcriber's Notes
- MT
- Motor Transport (referring to enemy vehicles).
- LT
- Local Time.
- GP
- General Purpose (bombs).
- HAA
- Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery.
- Sq
- Square (referring to map grid squares).
- SE
- South-East.
- IAS
- Indicated Air Speed.
Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded
ft: feet.
Dets (Rods): Detonators equipped with "Nose Rods" or "Daisy Cutters".
(RAF): Royal Air Force.
(NZAF): New Zealand Air Force (properly RNZAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force).
(RCAF): Royal Canadian Air Force. Personnel and Tactical Coordination