TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 468 Date. 30 Nov 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores (2 Mk.3, 2 Mk.3A, 8 Mk.4) Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) See over Captain. CAPT DUGMORE Crew. LT MASTERS Formation Leader Time Up. 1203 A Hrs 1st aircraft Time Down. 1340 A Hrs Last aircraft Total Time. 18.00 Hours Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. St.Cu / Cu (TERMOLI-PENNA PT) / Over mtns Amount of Cloud. 8/10-10/10 / 1/10 / 6/10-8/10 Base of Cloud. 16000' / 6000' / 8000' Visibility. 10 miles General Weather. Good but hazy Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 147 - LANCIANO Target or Duty. TO BOMB GUNS AND TROOPS MOVING SOUTH-EAST OF LANCIANO IN POSITION C330025 | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | 1203 | BASE | A/B | | 3000 | BASE | S/c TERMOLI | | 10000 | TERMOLI | S/c PENNA POINT | | 13000 | PENNA PT | S/c PAGLIETA | | 15000 | PAGLIETA | S/c TARGET | | 12000 | | BOMBED | | | | BASE | | | | Landed | | | | Last aircraft landed | (Sgd) [unclear signature] Lt for Capt SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

1943-11-30 TORTORELLA

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Expanded Abbreviations * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF / S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * Mk.: Mark (designating specific version of the Martin Baltimore light bomber). * CAPT / LT: Captain / Lieutenant. * A Hrs: Army Hours (Military time used in the Mediterranean Theater). * L.G.: Landing Ground. * St.Cu / Cu: Stratocumulus / Cumulus (cloud types). * A/B: Airborne. * S/c: Set course. * PT: Point. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Sgd: Signed. Observations on Individuals * Captain J.T. Dugmore: Acted as the Formation Leader for this 12-aircraft strike. Dugmore was a veteran leader within the squadron, frequently entrusted with navigating complex tactical missions during the peak of the winter offensive. * Lieutenant Masters: Served as the regular observer/navigator for Captain Dugmore. As the lead navigator, Masters was responsible for orchestrating the tiered climb noted in the narrative—ascending from 3,000 feet at base to a peak of 15,000 feet over Paglieta before descending to the 12,000-foot bombing altitude. Location Information and Modern Geography * Lanciano (C330025 - S.E. of Lanciano): The target coordinate refers to German troop and artillery positions southeast of the city. * Modern Name: Today, Lanciano is a major cultural and religious center in the Abruzzo region, famous for the Miracle of Lanciano. The area targeted (near Scorciosa) remains a mix of agriculture and historic ridge-lines overlooking the Feltrino valley. * Paglieta: A town used as the final navigational waypoint before the bomb run. Located on the southern side of the Sangro valley, it provided a clear line of sight to the German positions on the opposing ridge. * Punta della Penna (Penna PT): A prominent coastal headland near Vasto used as the primary "gate" for Allied aircraft transitioning from coastal flight to mountainous bomb runs. * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): The home base for 21 Squadron. Now largely farmland, the original airfield site is located just east of the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. Historical Context * The Culmination of the Sangro Offensive: Flown on November 30, 1943, this mission took place as the British Eighth Army finally ruptured the German Bernhardt Line. Allied ground troops were actively entering Mozzagrogna and Castel Frentano during this period, making air support against German "Guns and Troops" critical to prevent counter-attacks. * Operational Flight Profile: The narrative details a complex altitude profile. The formation climbed to 15,000 feet over Paglieta to clear the 6,000–8,000 foot cloud base over the mountains, ensuring they could execute a visual bomb run from 12,000 feet in the reported "hazy" conditions. * Sustained Intensity: This mission concluded a month of maximum effort for the squadron. Despite the high casualty rate and technical failures seen earlier in the week—including the loss of the Robertson crew and the heavy damage to the Wood aircraft—the squadron continued to launch full 12-ship formations. * Cumulative Statistics: The "Total Time" of 18.00 hours represents the combined flight time of all 12 aircraft involved. Individually, each crew spent approximately 1 hour and 37 minutes in the air, a typical duration for a medium-level interdiction strike from the Foggia complex. 93 The verification date for the target image 276-2__93.jpg, as recorded on the corresponding Part A of this report, is 30 Nov 43. This image serves as the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for Operational Report Reference Number 468.