Sortie Report (Form 541)
R.A.F. Form 441 A.SORTIE REPORT(Part A.)2nd OPERATION OF DAY78Sheet No. 1Oprep. Ref. No. 352Date. 26 Jul 43Squadron. 21 SAAFType of Aircraft. 12 BALTIMORES (9 Mk 3A and 3 Mk 3)Aircraft No. )Aircraft Letter. ) see listLeader of Formation.Captain CAPT. ORD.Crew. LT. HODGES.Time Up. 1411 hrs LT 1st aircraft.Time Down. 1649 hrs LT last aircraft.Total Time. 29 hrs.Aerodrome or L.G. HALFARType of Cloud. ---Amount of Cloud. ---Base of Cloud. ---Visibility. 10 milesGeneral Weather. GoodMap or Chart Reference.SICILIA 1:500,000 NE 36/12Task or Duty. REGALBUTO VILLAGE.| Time | Height | Place | Narrative ||---|---|---|---|| 1411 | | Halfar | Airborne || 1415 | 1500 | | Set course PALAZZOLO 015°M || 1450 | 7500 | Palazzolo | Circled for fighter escort. || | | | Set course LENTINI 015°M || 1513 | 8000 | Lentini | Set course RADDUSA 305°M || 1538 | 13000 | Raddusa | Set course REGALBUTO 035°M || 1545 | 12300 | Regalbuto | Bombed on course 070°M || 1555 | 11700 | | Set course LENTINI 157°M || 1622 | 9000 | Lentini | Set course HALFAR 195°M || 1642 | 1500 | Halfar | BASE || 1643 | | | Landed || 1649 | | | Last aircraft landed. |(Signature: J. S. Bester) Capt.SIO. 21 SQUADRON. SAAF.
Transcriber's Notes
- R.A.F
- Royal Air Force.
- SAAF
- South African Air Force.
- Mk
- Mark (referring to aircraft version).
- LT
- Local Time.
- L.G
- Landing Ground.
- SIO
- Squadron Intelligence Officer.
Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded
Navigational Waypoints:
Flown on July 26, 1943 (D+16), this mission was a critical piece of the "Etna Line" campaign. While General Patton’s forces were pushing along the northern coast, the British 8th Army was meeting desperate resistance in the rugged interior.
21 Squadron's precision strikes on Regalbuto were specifically designed to destroy the command and control nodes (such as the "red building" noted in OPREP 352) used by the German 1st Parachute Division.