Operation

BA. SCIACCA LG. BB. 0407/0412 hrs LT. BC. Medium Level. 10/11000 ft. Courses 2400/310°Mag. 12 x 250 GP (Rods) 43 Det. (6 dropped in salvo-jettison over target area) BD. Boundaries of LG NOT identified. 4 flares seen SW of LG and NW of town of SCIACCA. One large fire seen on arrival, and smaller fires around LG and town - one fire in SCIACCA town. Former aircraft dropped all bombs - six - in salvo by jettison over target area as per ETA. All seen to explode. Latter aircraft dropped long stick of 3 bombs short of LG and three across it. No results observed. BE. Spasmodic HAA inaccurate from LG area. 1 HAA gun seen on coast on route back. 3/4 searchlights fairly accurate in LG area, one white, other blue. BF. Nil. BG. Nil. BH. (i) wind considered more westerly than Met wind and higher. (ii) 2 good bearings received. (iii) Evasive action by "S" dive turn. List of aircraft and Crew, 6/7 July 1943. 176 YY Major Jandrell, Lt. Christie, F/Sgts Pearce & Le Roux. 226 H Capt. Ord, Lt. Hodges, F/Sgts Walker & Devenish.

1943-07-07

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded: * LG: Landing Ground. * hrs LT: hours Local Time. * ft: feet. * Mag.: Magnetic (referring to compass heading). * GP: General Purpose (bombs). * Det.: Detonator. * SW / NW: South-West / North-West. * ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft. * Met: Meteorological. * Lt. / Capt. / F/Sgts: Lieutenant / Captain / Flight Sergeants. * Observations about Individuals: * Major A.C. Jandrell: The mission leader flying in aircraft 176 YY. Jandrell was a senior pilot whose leadership was vital during this high-tempo period. * Captain Ord: The pilot of aircraft 226 H, the second of the two Baltimores dispatched. * The Aircrews: The report highlights the technical proficiency of the navigators (Observers), who managed to receive "2 good bearings" and drop bombs on ETA despite failing to visually identify the boundaries of the landing ground due to environmental conditions. * Information about the Location: * Sciacca LG: A strategic Axis satellite airfield in southwestern Sicily. * Modern Name: Today, the historic airfield site is located near the coastal city of Sciacca, Italy. * Environmental Factors: The crews reported fires already burning in the town and around the airfield upon their arrival, likely the result of previous waves of Allied bombers. * Historical Theatre Context: * Pre-Invasion Suppression: Flown on the night of July 6/7, 1943, this was one of the final interdiction strikes against Sicilian airfields before Operation HUSKY on July 10. * Tactical Nuance: The "jettison" of bombs over the target area (Section BD) was not a discard of ordnance but a tactical release based on calculated navigation (ETA) when visual identification was impossible. * Defensive Measures: The crews utilized a specific "S" dive turn to evade searchlights that were tracking them with "fairly accurate" precision. * The Martin Baltimore: 21 Squadron utilized the Martin Baltimore, a light-medium bomber optimized for these tactical strikes in the Mediterranean theatre. 37 The date written in the 'Date' line of the postagram is 8 July 43.