Operation

APPENDIX "C" 307 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/704 DATE : 3rd June, 1944 OPREP No. 704 for the period ending 1300 hrs on the 3rd June, 1944 REF MAP : YUGOSLAVIA 1:100,000 SHEET 94 SPLIT 12 Baltimores airborne from BIFERNO at 0855 hrs to bomb harbour installations in the Eastern part of SPLIT HARBOUR. Formation set course from PENNA POINT at 0936 with a close escort of six Spitfires Attack took place from 12300' on a course of 345° at 1013 hrs. First box covered portion U972376 to U972380, second box from U972378 to U971385. Good pattern of about 75 yds width, between R/Yds and edge of quays, with numerous D/hits on buildings, R/Yds and Jetties. Very near misses on wrecks North and South of DUJAM JETTY. Very few bombs in water. Light brown smoke from target area. One explosion with red flash on Western edge of R/Yds. H.A.A. moderate fairly accurate for the second box from target area. 2 gun flashes at U950384. 4 gun flashes U978420 are reported. No cloud over target, visibility good. All A/c landed by 1105 hrs. B: (i) 7 Balts Mk IV (ii) NIL (i) 5 Balts Mk V (ii) NIL C: (i) & (ii) NIL (i) & (ii) NIL D: (i) 14.00 Hrs (ii) NIL (i) 10.00 Hrs (ii) NIL E: (i) 22400 x .30 2100 x .303 4900 x .50 (ii) - (ii) NIL (i) 16000 x .30 1500 x .303 3500 x .50 (ii) & (iii) NIL F: (i) 14 x 500 M.C. 21 x 250 G.P. (ii) As in (i) (iii) & (iv) NIL (Fused : 49 - 27 Nose, 36 - 28 Tail) (i) 10 x 500 M.C. 15 x 250 G.P. (ii) As in (i) (iii) (iv) NIL W: (i) NIL (ii) 2 Balts Mk IV (Cat I - Flak) (i) NIL (ii) NIL Balts Mk V G to Z: NIL Hallick Capt. S.I.O., 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F. F.L Major de Wet

1944-06-03

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes: * Targeting the Adriatic Coast (Split Harbour): * Strategic Hub: The target was the "harbour installations in the Eastern part of SPLIT HARBOUR". Split (in modern-day Croatia) was a critical port city on the Dalmatian coast. At this stage of the war, it was occupied by German forces who used it to supply their garrisons on the Adriatic islands (like Brač and Šolta) and to transport resources extracted from the Balkans. * Partisan Cooperation: The bombing of Split often supported the Yugoslav Partisans, who were active in the surrounding Dinaric Alps. By disrupting the port facilities ("D/hits on buildings, R/Yds [Rail Yards] and Jetties"), the SAAF hampered German logistics and their ability to launch anti-Partisan sweeps. * "Red Flash": The observation of "One explosion with red flash" typically indicates a hit on volatile materials, such as a fuel dump, ammunition cache, or a vehicle park, confirming the strike hit a militarized section of the harbor. * Tactical Execution: * Cross-Water Navigation: The formation gathered over PENNA POINT (Punta Penna, Italy) before crossing the Adriatic Sea. This was a standard procedure to ensure the bomber "boxes" and their "close escort of six Spitfires" were tightly formed before entering hostile airspace. * Precision Bombing: The report notes a "Good pattern of about 75 yds width", indicating tight formation flying. They specifically mention near misses on "wrecks North and South of DUJAM JETTY." This suggests the harbor was already littered with the sunken remains of previous attacks, complicating the assessment of new damage. * Anti-Aircraft Fire: * H.A.A.: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire was described as "moderate fairly accurate," damaging two aircraft (Category I damage). The observers pinpointed the flak batteries' locations ("2 gun flashes at U950384"), valuable intelligence for future neutralization. * Leadership: * Major de Wet: The handwritten note "F.L. Major de Wet" identifies the Flight Leader. As noted in the War Diary (File 8), Major de Wet was a key squadron leader who would be posted "Tour Expired" at the end of June, making this one of his final missions leading the squadron into combat. * Abbreviations: * R/Yds: Railway Yards. * D/hits: Direct Hits. * H.A.A.: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * Cat I: Category 1 Damage (Repairable at unit level). 19 Verification: Target File Verification: The document is dated 4th June, 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 705) labeled APPENDIX "D" (page number 308).