Bardia

SECRET BOMBING REPORT 16 24 REFERENCE Pilot : Lt. A. E. Murray Observer : 2/Lt. Garden Squadron : 21 BR Details of Target : Sgts. Noakes and Griffin Dumps 5 miles West of Bardia Place : Bardia Date : 27 / 9 / 41 Weather : Time : 0735 hrs. Fine. Visibility good. No cloud over Target Height : 20000 feet. (1) Bombs dropped : (2) Failures : 5 X 250 lbs. Due to slackening of thumb on bomb button 3 did not fall (3) Observed effects : Unobserved (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 : Not observed (8) Hostile patrols encountered (a) position (b) type and number of aircraft (c) if engagement resulted : Nil (9) Special comments : Vic. formation attack on Target (1) Maj. Stewart (2) Lt. Gillies (3) Lt. A. E. Murray Signed 2/Lt B. A. Garden. 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.

1941-09-27 Bardia

__o_O_o__

Form 541

20,000ft.

MAP

Baltimore

Lt. A. E. Murray Observer Pilot

2/Lt. Garden Squadron 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 within the Desert Air Force (DAF) as a light/medium bomber squadron, conducting high-level horizontal bombing against Axis logistical hubs in Libya. * A.A.: Anti-Aircraft fire. While not observed by this specific crew, other reports from the same mission identified a battery at G 12 on the Bardia Target Map "B"/5. * BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): A twin-engine medium bomber utilized by the squadron starting in mid-1942. During this 1941 operation, the unit was equipped with the Martin Maryland (e.g., Serial No. 1661 "D"), the Baltimore's direct technical and operational predecessor in SAAF service. * M.T.: Motor Transport. * MC/GP (MEDIUM CAPACITY / GENERAL PURPOSE): The classification for standard Allied high-explosive demolition bombs. The 250 lb G.P. munitions utilized in this strike were intended for soft logistical targets like supply dumps. * MET: Meteorological data or section. The report cites "Fine" MET conditions with "Visibility good" and "No cloud over Target," facilitating visual aiming from 20,000 feet. * VIC. FORMATION: A standard tactical arrangement where three aircraft fly in a "V" shape, providing mutual defensive support and a concentrated bomb pattern. Operational Context Target File 272_24 is the individual Bombing Report for Martin Maryland "D," piloted by Lt. A. E. Murray, during a high-level horizontal bombing raid on 27th September 1941. The strategic importance of the Bardia Dumps (located 5 miles west of the town) lay in their role as vital supply points for fuel and ammunition supporting Axis frontier garrisons. This operation was a critical component of the Allied interdiction campaign designed to degrade Rommel’s Panzergruppe Afrika prior to Operation Crusader. The mission was executed at an altitude of 20,000 feet at 07:35 hours. Technical data from this aircraft indicates a partial ordnance release: of the eight bombs intended, only five were dropped. The failure was attributed to an operator error described as the "slackening of thumb on bomb button," which prevented three bombs from falling. Despite "good" visibility and no cloud interference, the observer, 2/Lt. Garden, recorded the bombing effects as "unobserved". Execution was carried out as part of a "Vic. formation attack," with Lt. Murray flying in the third position behind Maj. Stewart and Lt. Gillies. While other mission reports claimed significant hits and "bright flashes" on Dump "A," the results from this specific airframe highlight the technical and human-factor constraints inherent in high-altitude manual bomb release. This report, signed by 2/Lt. Garden, contributes to the archival record of 21 Squadron's intensive interdiction efforts during the Western Desert campaign. 25 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 27 / 9 / 41.