Operation

BA. ROAD LINGUAGLOSSA — D0048 or NOVARA VILLAGE BB. 2400 — 0052 hrs LT BC. MEDIUM LEVEL BOMBING ATTACK HEIGHT 8/10000 ft NORTHERLY. (1 aircraft 1750) 128 x 40 lbs 6 RECCO FLARES NO. 4 BD. Aircraft located target area and searched for road movement and bombs were dropped at the following points:— 32 x 40 lbs and 2 flares at D0048 across road on light. 8 x 40 lbs and 1 flare at NAVARO Village, where explosion was seen and fire started. Died down. 8 x 40 lbs at C 9741 across road near river. 8 x 40 in MAZZARA VILLAGE. 1 Flare EAST of RANDAZZO. BE. (i) Desultory HAA bursts from D0048 and NAVARO inaccurate. (ii) One aircraft reports twin fin, twin engine aircraft following near NICOSIA, After bombing at 0045 hrs, height 8000 ft. Aircraft seen three times in all, below and to port nearest approach 1000 yards. Did NOT fire. Evasive tactics. Diving and turning away from moon. Aircraft lost in area 20 miles NORTH of GELA. Height 3000 ft. BF. NIL. BG. NIL. BH. Own MT moving forward in NICOSIA area with blazing headlights. LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW. 341L Lts. WILLMOTT & BORCHERDS, F/Sgts. LOOTS & WALBRIDGE (RAF) 356Z Capt. STUART, Lt. PAWSON, F/Sgt. MORLEY, 2/Lt. SCHUMANN. 344X Capt. SAUNDERS, Lt. BOOYSE, F/Sgt. MOORE, Sgt. EARP-JONES. 221Y Capt. SMIT, Lt. KAY, 2/Lt. PURDON & WRIGHT.

1943-08-13

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * LT: Local Time. * ft: feet. * lbs: pounds (referring to 40 lb anti-personnel/fragmentation bombs). * RECCO FLARES: Reconnaissance Flares. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery. * MT: Motor Transport (vehicles). * Lts / Capt / 2/Lt: Lieutenants / Captain / Second Lieutenant. * F/Sgt / Sgt: Flight Sergeant / Sergeant. * RAF: Royal Air Force. Personnel and Operational Observations * Senior Leadership: This night detachment featured four highly experienced crews led by Lieutenant Willmott, Captain Stuart, Captain Saunders, and Captain Smit. The high rank of the pilots involved reflects the difficulty and importance of night intruder operations in the rugged Sicilian terrain. * Night Combat and Evasive Tactics: Section BE-(ii) provides a gripping account of a night intercept. An unidentified "twin fin, twin engine" aircraft—likely a German Messerschmitt Bf 110 or Ju 88 night fighter—stalked one of the Baltimores for nearly an hour. The SAAF pilot successfully used the moon to his advantage, diving and turning "away from moon" to vanish into the shadows, eventually losing the pursuer near Gela. * Sgt. Crawhall: While a mainstay of the unit's daylight operations, Crawhall is notably absent from this night mission list, as the squadron appears to have utilized a specific rotation of crews for the "Night Op" stream. Location and Tactical Intelligence * Linguaglossa and Novara di Sicilia (NAVARO): Strategic mountain towns situated on the northeastern slopes of Mount Etna. Modern names unchanged. By August 13, these were critical waypoints for the Axis rearguard attempting to reach the coast. * Mazzarrà Sant'Andrea (MAZZARA): A town located on the final stretch toward the northern coast. The bombing of this village and the "river road" nearby shows the squadron was systematically hunting for convoys in every available mountain pass. * The Bombline (Section BH): The observation of "Own MT" moving with "blazing headlights" in the Nicosia area confirms total Allied air superiority. By this stage, Allied logistical columns no longer feared the Luftwaffe, while the retreating Germans remained pinned down and hunted by SAAF night intruders. Historical Context: The End in Sicily * August 12/13, 1943 (Operation HUSKY): This mission took place as the final Axis evacuation across the Messina straits reached its peak. * Intruder Tactics: 21 Squadron utilized a "stream" tactic, with individual aircraft searching the darkness for targets of opportunity. The payload of 128 x 40 lb bombs was specifically chosen for maximum fragmentation effect against soft-skinned transport vehicles and personnel caught in the open along the narrow mountain roads. * The Martin Baltimore: On this raid, the 21 Squadron SAAF used the MK 3A variant. The aircraft’s endurance allowed for nearly 3-hour sorties from Malta, providing persistent coverage over the retreating German 14th Panzer Corps during the only hours they could attempt to move. 158 The date written in the 'Date' column of target file 276-1__158.jpg is 13/14 Aug 43.