BARDIA

SECRET "L" BOMBING REPORT 12 14 Pilot : CAPT. THACKWRAY Observer : 2/Lt. A. E. KILEY 21 SQUADRON REFERENCE / A/Sgts. Phelan and C.E. JONES Squadron : S.A.A.F. BR Details of Target : DUMP "A" 5 MILES NORTH WEST OF BARDIA Place : BARDIA Date : 24 / 9 / 41 Time : 1301 hrs. Weather : FAIR CLOUD 4/10 OVER TARGET Height : 20000 feet. (1) Bombs dropped : (2) Failures : 8 X 250 G.P. NIL (3) Observed effects : RUN 270° ACROSS DUMP FIRST EXPLOSION ACROSS CENTRE — LAST TWO BOMBS ACROSS ROAD (4) Details of photographs taken : NIL (5) Casualties to own aircraft and personnel : NIL (6) Casualties to enemy aircraft and personnel : NIL (7) Enemy A.A. ground defences encountered (a) location of defences (b) type (c) strength : MEDIUM A/A ENCOUNTERED AFTER BOMBING LOCATION NOT SEEN. BLACK PUFFS. LIGHT. (8) Hostile patrols encountered (a) position (b) type and number of aircraft (c) if engagement resulted : UNIDENTIFIED FIGHTERS ASTERN TO PORT ABOUT 3 - 4000' ABOVE. (9) Special comments : NIL SIGNED 2/LT. A. E. KILEY. NOTE — (1) For intelligence purposes RECONNAISSANCE REPORT (A. M. FORM 401) must always accompany a BOMBING REPORT. (2) COMBAT (BOMBER) REPORT also to be completed if engagement with enemy aircraft occurred during flight.

1941-09-24 BARDIA

__o_O_o__

Form 541

20,000ft.

MAP

Baltimore

CAPT. THACKWRAY Observer Pilot

2/Lt. A. E. KILEY Observer

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. In September 1941, the unit operated from the Western Desert, primarily flying Martin Maryland aircraft as a medium bomber force within the Desert Air Force (DAF). * A.A. (A/A): Anti-Aircraft fire. * BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): A twin-engine medium bomber manufactured by Glenn L. Martin. While the squadron became synonymous with the Baltimore in 1942, during this 1941 operation, they were equipped with its predecessor, the Martin Maryland (e.g., No. 1668 "L"). * BARDIA: A strategic coastal fortress and supply hub in Libya, located near the Egyptian frontier, which served as a primary defensive anchor for Axis forces. * G.P.: General Purpose high-explosive demolition bombs. * MC/GP (MEDIUM CAPACITY / GENERAL PURPOSE): Standard Allied demolition munitions, including the 8 x 250 G.P. load carried by Maryland "L" during this sortie. * MET: Meteorological data. The report cites FAIR weather with 4/10 cloud directly over the target, which allowed for visual aiming but hindered post-strike reconnaissance. Operational Context Target File 272_14 is the technical Bombing Report for Martin Maryland aircraft "L," piloted by Capt. Thackwray, during the high-level strike against Axis logistical caches on 24th September 1941. The strategic significance of targeting Dump "A" (located 5 miles northwest of Bardia) was to degrade Rommel’s mobile fuel and ammunition reserves supporting the German-Italian defensive line at the frontier. The mission was executed from an altitude of 20,000 feet at 13:01 hours. Technical data indicates the aircraft successfully released its full complement of 8 x 250 G.P. bombs. The observer, 2/Lt. A. E. Kiley, provided a precise account of the bomb run on a bearing of 270°, noting that the initial explosions occurred across the center of the dump, while the final two bombs of the stick impacted across the adjacent road. This concentration of fire was intended to both destroy stored material and sever the local transport artery. Execution was carried out under light but accurate anti-aircraft opposition. The crew reported "black puffs" of medium A.A. fire after the bombing run, though the battery location remained unobserved. Defensively, the aircrew sighted unidentified fighters (likely Bf 109s) astern to port, positioned approximately 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the formation to maintain a tactical advantage, though no direct engagement with this specific aircraft resulted. This report, signed by 2/Lt. Kiley, documents the successful application of high-altitude horizontal bombing tactics by unescorted SAAF medium bombers during the interdiction phase of the desert campaign. 15 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 24 / 9 / 41.