| TORTORELLA |

SORTIE REPORT (Part A) R.A.F. Form 441 A. AA 50 | [Header Columns] | [Content] | |---|---| | Sheet No. | 1 | | Oprep. Ref. No. | 533 | | Date | 27 Jan 44 | | Squadron | 21 SAAF | | Type of Aircraft | 12 Baltimores (Mk.4) | | Aircraft No. | See over | | Aircraft Letter | | | Captain | CAPT W.T. DALLING DFC | | Crew | LT McARAVEY | | | Formation Leader | | Time Up | 1442 A Hrs 1st a/c | | Time Down | 1627 A Hrs last a/c | | Total Time | 22.00 Hours | | Aerodrome or L.G. | TORTORELLA | | Type of Cloud | 3/10 Cu. from Base to TERMOLI:CASOLI | |---|---| | Amount of Cloud | 6000' base | | Base of Cloud | High cloud 15000' to WEST of target | | Visibility | NO cloud target area | | General Weather | 15 miles Good | | Map or Chart Reference | ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 146 SULMONA | |---|---| | Task or Duty | POPOLI Rd Junction G863968 | |---|---| | Time | Height | Place | Narrative | |---|---|---|---| | 1442 | | TORTORELLA | a/b | | 1459 | 2000 | TORTORELLA | S/c TERMOLI | | 1529 | 8500 | TERMOLI | Rv. | | 1523 | 8500 | TERMOLI | S/c CASOLI | | 1537 | 10500 | CASOLI | S/c TARGET | | 1547 | 10700 | TARGET | BOMBED - Undershot | | 1627 | | TORTORELLA | Last a/c landed | [Signature Block] (Signed) [Signature unreadable - likely Capt Wahl?] Capt SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F.,M.E.Instruction.34. P.T.O.

1944-01-27 | TORTORELLA |

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes: * Sortie Report 533 (Popoli Road Junction): This mission returned to the Popoli Road Junction (G863968), the same target attacked on Jan 25th. The strategic aim remained severing the supply artery north of the town. * Failed Run (Undershot): The narrative explicitly states "BOMBED - Undershot." Unlike previous reports that bury the results in Part B, the Part A log here admits the failure upfront. An "undershot" means the bombs landed short of the target, likely doing little damage to the road junction. The weather report shows "NO cloud target area" and "15 miles" visibility, suggesting this was an aiming or wind calculation error rather than a weather abort. * Time Anomaly (1529 vs 1523): There is a chronological error in the typed log. The "Rv." (Rendezvous) is listed at 1529, but the subsequent "S/c CASOLI" (Set Course) is typed as 1523. It is physically impossible to set course for the next waypoint 6 minutes before the rendezvous. This is likely a typographical error where "1523" should have been 1533 (allowing 4 minutes for assembly), or the lines were typed out of order. * Formation Leader: Capt. Dalling DFC and Lt. McAravey led the raid. This crew had experienced a similar issue on Jan 20th (Sortie 522), where a "short bombing run" led to an overshoot. Here, an undershoot suggests consistent difficulties in the final bombing run setup for this specific crew during this week. * Rendezvous (Rv): The log notes a "Rv." at Termoli. This indicates another coordinated operation, likely waiting for 223 Squadron or fighter escorts before pushing inland. 72 Verification: Target File Verification: This document is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for January 27th, 1944 (Sortie No. 533). Although there is no "Date" column on this side, the target "POPOLI Rd Junction... to create Rd Block" and the "Time over Target" of 1547 A Hrs match the Part A document from the previous image (269-1__71.jpg) dated Jan 27, 1944.