TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 458 Date. 26 Nov 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores 1 Mk.3, 4 Mk.3A, 7 Mk.4 Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) See over Captain. MAJOR STUART Crew. LT PAWSON Formation Leader Time Up. 1000 A Hrs 1st Aircraft Time Down. 1132 A Hrs Last aircraft Total Time. 15.00 Hours Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. Thin Cu out to sea. Clear over target Amount of Cloud. - Base of Cloud. 7000' Visibility. 15/20 Miles General Weather. Good Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 147 Target or Duty. GUNS AND TROOPS - C353009 - MOZZAGROGNA | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | — | TORTORELLA | A/B | | 3000 | TORTORELLA | S/c PENNA PT. | | 12000 | PENNA PT. | S/c TARGET | | 11000 | TARGET | Bombed | | 9000 | PENNA PT. | S/c TORTORELLA | | 3000 | TORTORELLA | | | | | Landed | | | | Last aircraft landed | (Sgd) [unclear signature] for Capt. SIO 21 Squadron, SAAF

1943-11-26 TORTORELLA

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Expanded Abbreviations * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * Mk.: Mark (referring to aircraft versions). * LT: Lieutenant. * A/B: Airborne. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Cu: Cumulus (cloud type). * S/c: Set course. * PT.: Point. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Sgd: Signed. Observations on Individuals * Major Charles Stuart: Serving as the Formation Leader for this 12-aircraft strike. Stuart had assumed the role of Acting Officer Commanding for 21 Squadron following the death of Lieutenant Colonel Jack Britz on November 3, 1943. * Lieutenant B.F. Pawson: Acted as the regular observer/navigator for Major Stuart. The Stuart/Pawson lead crew was highly experienced, frequently leading the squadron's daylight tactical operations during the push through the Foggia plain and beyond. Location Information and Modern Geography * Mozzagrogna (C353009): The target village is located in the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It sits on a strategic ridge overlooking the Sangro River valley. Today, it remains a hilltop municipality known for its views of the Majella mountains. * Punta della Penna (Penna Pt.): A prominent headland near Vasto used as a navigational "stepping stone" to align the formation for the bomb run. * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): The squadron's home base. Now largely agricultural land, the original site is situated east of the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. Historical Context * The Battle of the Sangro: Flown on November 26, 1943, this mission supported the Allied Eighth Army's major offensive to break the German Bernhardt Line (the winter defensive positions along the Sangro River). * Tactical Interdiction: Mozzagrogna was a vital German strongpoint. Allied light bombers like the Martin Baltimore were tasked with suppressing artillery and troop concentrations to facilitate the Eighth Army's crossing of the flooded Sangro River. * Operational Weather: Unlike previous days hampered by heavy cloud and rain, visibility for this mission was recorded as "Good" with skies "Clear over target," allowing the formation to drop their ordnance from 11,000 feet. * Total Time Discrepancy: The "Total Time" of 15.00 hours represents the combined flying hours for all 12 aircraft involved in the sortie. Individually, each aircraft was in the air for approximately 1 hour and 32 minutes. 73 The verification date for the target image 276-2__73.jpg is 26 Nov 43. This image is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report initiated on the previous page.