GZINA.

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 26 (Part A.)

No. One Oprep. Ref. No. 165 Date. 14 JAN 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 9 Baltimores Mk. 3. Captain Capt. Cormack Aircraft No. See attached list. Crew. Lt. Moore Aircraft Letter. " " " F/Sgt. Finberg F/Sgt. McGee. (with 9 B25’s from 12th.Bomb. Group) (Leader of formation: ) Up. 1005 hrs. (Capt. Whiting. U.S.A.A.F.) Down. 1220 hrs. Aerodrome or L.G. GZINA. Time. 20 hrs. 15 mins. Type of Cloud. Nil. Map or Chart Amount of Cloud. Nil. Reference. Base of Cloud. - LIBYA 1 : 500,000 Visibility. Good Sheets 3/9. MISURATA. General Weather. Good. Task or Duty. MT and dug-in positions at X 3695 and X 4096. Height. Place. Narrative. GZINA Formation airborne. Followed formation of 9 B25’s.

2000 " S/C 280 deg. M for HAMRAT NORTH. 2000 HAMRAT Rendezvous with fighters of 57th. Pursuit Group USAAF. 4000 " S/C for target 310 deg. until in sight of road between coast and GHEDDAHIA. 8000 A/C 270 deg. M. 10000 Target Turned right onto target. Area. 10000 " Bombed and turned right on to course of 060 deg. out to sea. Turned right and followed coast, crossing coast at TAMET and then A/C to 120 deg. for GZINA. GZINA Landed. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34. PMEJ - 200.000 - 3/42 P.T.O. PART 'B'

BA MT and strong points at X 3695 and X 4096. BB 1135 hrs. BC Medium level bombing attack from 10,000 ft. 52 x 250 lb. G.P. 43 Det. (Rods) 2 x 250 lb. G.P. 43 Det. (Rods) jettisoned over sea. BD Formation dropped well placed sticks which started one fire. Four explosions were seen as formation left target. BE Intense, heavy and fairly accurate Ack/Ack from GHEDDAHIA village. BF A/C 879 K was attacked by an ME 109 F and hit in the starboard engine. F/Sgt. Gibbons J.R. (Handwritten: BOTTOM) gunner, was killed and Lt. J. Sadler (Observer) wounded. Pilot reached own lines and crash-landed near BUERAT. The A/C burned out. A/C 885 damaged by Ack/Ack fire. Cat 1. BG Vertical photographs were taken of the bombing run from 10,000 ft. (Course 360 deg. I.A.S. 210 m.p.h.) BH The formation was attacked by fighters after bombing and when straggled. The speed of the B25's off the target was too high for the Baltimores, and one Baltimore (No. 957) caught alight in one engine. 30 MT at X5203 well dispersed. At X8278 enemy fighter crashed in flames. ) Both after engagement At RS 4000 enemy fighter was seen to crash. ) with escort. BJ ---------------------------------- * BOMBER COMBAT. BH 9 B25's, 9 Baltimores, in three boxes of six in Vic. BJ 57 Pursuit Group U.S.A.A.F. BK Not observed. BL & BM Four ME 109 F's attacked from below and behind. (Effective) Thereafter three ME's attacked from the front and above in line astern. Not effective. Formation was attacked before and after bombing. BN A/C 879 Cat. 3. F/Sgt. Gibbons killed. A/C 885 Cat. 1. Damaged by Ack/Ack. One enemy fighter damaged by top gunner and later shot down by escort. Escort followed 879 to own lines. Gunner saw four enemy fighters destroyed and one of own. BO 500 rounds of .303 and .300 ammunition. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) SIO Capt

1943-01-14 GZINA.

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 26 (Part A.) No. One Oprep. Ref. No. 165 Date. 14 JAN 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 9 Baltimores Mk. 3. Captain Capt. Cormack Aircraft No. See attached list. Crew. Lt. Moore Aircraft Letter. " " " F/Sgt. …

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * R.A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Form 441 A, the standardized document utilized for recording narrative and technical data for individual aircraft sorties. * Oprep. Ref. No. 165: Operational Report Reference Number 165, which corresponds to the squadron's comprehensive mission results for 14 January 1943. * 21 SAAF: No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force. * Baltimores Mk. 3: The Martin Baltimore Mark III, a twin-engine light bomber provided via Lend-Lease, utilized for tactical interdiction. * B25’s / 12th. Bomb. Group: North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers of the 12th Bombardment Group, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). * L.G. / GZINA: Landing Ground. Gzina was a forward operational base in Tripolitania used by No. 3 SAAF Wing during the advance on Tripoli. * MT: Mechanical Transport. Refers to German and Italian ground vehicles within the designated map coordinates. * S/C / deg. M: Set Course in degrees Magnetic. * 57th. Pursuit Group USAAF: The 57th Fighter Group of the USAAF, providing P-40 Kittyhawk/Warhawk escort. * A/C: Altered Course (in the narrative context of navigation). Operational Context: This Sortie Report documents a combined Allied strike on 14 January 1943, targeting Axis Mechanical Transport (MT) and "dug-in positions" near Gheddahia. Strategically, the Desert Air Force (DAF) was conducting a maximum-effort campaign to shatter Axis logistics and defensive lines as the Eighth Army pushed westward to capture Tripoli. The tactical landscape was defined by wadis and villages like Gheddahia, where German-Italian forces attempted to anchor their retreat. The mission profile illustrates the high degree of inter-service coordination within the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF). A composite formation of nine SAAF Martin Baltimores and nine USAAF B-25 Mitchells, led by Captain Whiting of the USAAF, executed the raid from 10,000 feet. Escort was provided by the USAAF 57th Pursuit Group, rendezvousing at Hamrat North. While the weather and visibility were "Good," the formation encountered intense and fairly accurate Heavy Anti-Aircraft (H.A.A.) fire from Gheddahia village. Although this report (Part A) describes a successful egress following the bombing run, the associated Intelligence Postagram (OPREP 165) records that the engagement resulted in one SAAF aircraft (A/C 879) burnt and another (A/C 885) damaged, with one fatality suffered by No. 21 Squadron. This document, archived as Folio 26 of the AIR 27/274 series, provides a primary record of the joint-force tactical interdiction required to sustain pressure during the definitive Axis collapse in Libya. 28 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No literal 'Date' column exists on this specific folio (Part B); however, the operational date for this Sortie Report, established in Part A (Folio 27) and the associated Intelligence Postagram (Folio 26), is 14 JAN 43. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * MT: Mechanical Transport. Refers to German and Italian ground vehicles targeted during the raid. * ft. / m.p.h.: Feet and miles per hour, respectively. * G.P. 43 Det. (Rods): 250lb General Purpose bombs fitted with No. 43 tail pistols and nose extension rods (known as "daisy cutters") designed to trigger detonation above ground level to maximize lateral fragmentation. * Ack/Ack: Anti-Aircraft artillery fire. * A/C: Aircraft. * ME 109 F / ME's: Messerschmitt Bf 109 F "Friedrich" German single-engine fighter aircraft. * BUERAT: Buerat el Hsun, a coastal town and former Axis supply port in Tripolitania. * Cat 1 / Cat 3: Damage classifications. Category 1 indicated minor damage repairable on-site; Category 3 indicated the aircraft was beyond local repair or totally destroyed. * I.A.S.: Indicated Air Speed. * B25's: North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers of the USAAF. * Baltimores: Martin Baltimore twin-engine light bombers. * 57 Pursuit Group U.S.A.A.F.: The 57th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces, providing P-40 Kittyhawk/Warhawk escort. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part B) details a joint Allied strike conducted on 14 January 1943 against Axis Mechanical Transport (MT) and strong points near Gheddahia. Strategically, the Desert Air Force (DAF) was executing a "fully offensive" campaign to shatter Axis logistics and defensive anchors ahead of the Eighth Army's final advance on Tripoli. The tactical landscape was dominated by these strong points, which German and Italian forces used to delay the Allied pursuit. The mission profile illustrates significant interoperability challenges within the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF). While the combined formation of nine SAAF Baltimores and nine USAAF B-25s successfully bombed the target from 10,000 feet, the speed differential between the aircraft types created tactical vulnerabilities. The report notes that the B-25s’ speed upon egress was "too high for the Baltimores," causing the formation to straggle and allowing German Bf 109 F fighters to initiate effective attacks from "below and behind". The human and material cost of these tactical friction points was high. Baltimore A/C 879 (K) was hit in the starboard engine, resulting in the death of the bottom gunner, F/Sgt. Gibbons, and the wounding of the observer, Lt. Sadler. Although the pilot managed to crash-land within Allied lines near Buerat, the aircraft was a total loss (Category 3) after burning out. Despite these losses, the 57th Pursuit Group provided aggressive cover, destroying four enemy fighters during the egress. This folio, archived as page 28 of the AIR 27/274 series, represents the primary record of the lethal coordination and technical limitations faced by SAAF light bomber wings during the final breakthrough in Libya. 29 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 14. 1. 43.