Operation

APPENDIX "A" 304 TO : H.Q. MAAF (attention 23rd SCORU) H.Q. NATAF (attention 2nd Command Unit 23rd SCORU) SAOA SAAF FROM : SIO 21 SQUADRON SAAF REF : 21S/701 DATE : 1st June, 1944 OPREP No. 701 for the period ending 1300 hrs on the 1st June, 1944 REF MAP : ITALY 1:100,000 SHEET 116 GUBBIO 12 Baltimore airborne from BIFERNO at 0800 hrs to bomb a railway bridge 5 miles South of CAGLI (R954378). Attack took place at 0920 hrs from 10700' on a course of 150°. Pattern from R953380 to R962372, straddling North eastern portion of bridge. 1st box overshot, but two or three direct hits or very near misses are reported by the second box. No enemy opposition. Weather cloudless but slight haze. All A/c landed by 1027 Hrs. Close escort of 6 Spitfires was provided. B: (i) 4 Balts Mk IV (ii) NIL (i) 8 Balts Mk V (ii) NIL C: (i) & (ii) NIL (i) & (ii) NIL D: (i) 9.20 Hrs (ii) NIL (i) 18.40 Hrs (ii) NIL E: (i) 12800 x .30 1200 x .303 2800 x .50 (ii) & (iii) NIL (i) 25600 x .30 2400 x .303 5600 x .50 (ii) & (iii) NIL F: (i) 16 x 500 M.C. (ii) As in (i) (iii) & (iv) NIL Fused: 49 - 27 Nose, 36 - 28 Tail (i) 32 x 500 M.C. (ii) As in (i) (iii) & (iv) NIL G to Z: NIL Hallick Capt. S.I.O., 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

1944-06-01

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes: * The Target (Cagli Bridge): * Strategic Interdiction: The target was a "railway bridge 5 miles South of CAGLI". Cagli is located in the Marche region on the ancient Via Flaminia. The railway line running through here was a critical supply artery for German forces attempting to hold the Gothic Line. * Map Reference: The report references "SHEET 116 GUBBIO" and coordinates R954378. This places the target in the mountainous terrain of the central Apennines. * Tactics (The "Box" Formation): * Mixed Results: The report mentions the "1st box overshot" but the "second box" achieved hits. Allied medium bombers typically flew in "boxes" of six aircraft. This formation allowed for overlapping fields of defensive fire and concentrated bombing patterns. When the lead bombardier dropped, everyone else in the box dropped. If the leader of the first box made an error (overshot), the entire first wave missed. The second box, making corrections based on the first's errors, often had better luck. * Operational Details: * Escort: A "Close escort of 6 Spitfires was provided." Even with diminished Luftwaffe presence, escorts were standard for missions deep into German-held territory like Gubbio/Cagli. * Ordnance: The payload was heavy: "48 x 500 M.C." (Medium Capacity) bombs in total (16 from the Mk IVs + 32 from the Mk Vs). This heavy high-explosive load was standard for bridge-busting, designed to shatter stone piers or steel spans. * Abbreviations: * M.C.: Medium Capacity (High Explosive). * A/c: Aircraft. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * OPREP: Operational Report. * Mk: Mark (Model). 16 Verification: Target File Verification: The document is dated 2nd June, 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 702) labeled APPENDIX "B" (page number 305), detailing the mission flown on the afternoon of June 1st, 1944.