TORTORELLA L/G

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sortie No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 422 Date. 25/10/43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores (4 Mk.3, 3 Mk.3A, 5 Mk.4) Aircraft No. See list Aircraft Letter. Captain. LT/COL BRITZ DFC Crew. P/O SMALLMAN Other a/c followed on course Time Up. 1340 A Hrs 1st A/C Time Down. 1545 A Hrs last a/c Total Time. 24.00 Hrs Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA L/G Type of Cloud. St.Cu over mtns. Cu over target Amount of Cloud. 4/10 4/10 Base of Cloud. 8000' 3500' tops 6000' Visibility. Fair with glare on water General Weather. Good Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:250,000 Sheets 30, 36, 37 Target or Duty. RD BRIDGE AT C4201 | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | | BASE | A/B | | 5000 | | S/c RV point. 4 Spitfires. | | 8000 | RV PT | S/c TERMOLI | | 8000 | TERMOLI | S/c TARGET | | 10000 | TARGET | Bombed | | | | S/c TERMOLI | | 8000 | TERMOLI | S/c BASE | | 3000 | BASE | | | | | Landed | | | | Last a/c Landed | (Sgd) W. Thompson Capt. SIO 21 Squadron, SAAF Transcriber’s Notes * Expanded Abbreviations: * SAAF: South African Air Force. * LT/COL: Lieutenant Colonel. * DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross. * P/O: Pilot Officer. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * St.Cu / Cu: Stratocumulus / Cumulus cloud types. * RD BRIDGE: Road Bridge. * A/B: Airborne. * RV PT: Rendezvous Point. * S/c: Steered course. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Observations on Individuals: * Lt. Col. J.F. Britz, D.F.C.: The Commanding Officer of 21 Squadron, Britz was a highly respected leader who continued to fly operational sorties personally even while commanding the unit. * P/O Smallman: Serving as crew for the CO during this mission. * Capt. W. Thompson: The Senior Intelligence Officer (SIO) for 21 Squadron, responsible for debriefing crews and compiling these tactical reports. * Location and Historical Context: * Tortorella Landing Ground: Part of the massive Foggia Airfield Complex in Southern Italy. Captured by the Allies in late September 1943, it became a major base for the Desert Air Force and the 15th Air Force. * Termoli: A strategic port city on the Adriatic coast used here as a navigational waypoint. It had been the site of a fierce commando landing and tank battle earlier in October. * Operational Context: By October 25, 1943, the Allied advance in Italy was slowing as they encountered the Bernhardt Line and the Gustav Line. No. 21 Squadron, flying Martin Baltimore light bombers, was tasked with tactical interdiction—destroying the bridges and infrastructure needed by the Germans to move reinforcements and supplies to the front. * Fighter Escort: The narrative note "4 Spitfires" at the RV point highlights the necessity of close air support even for medium-altitude bombing runs, as the Luftwaffe remained a threat over central Italy.

18 Verification: This document is Part B of the Sortie Report initiated in Target File 276-2__17.jpg. While it does not have a formal 'Date' column on this side, it is verified as the reverse of the report dated 25/10/43.