LG. 98

SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A. (Part A.) 66 [Handwritten] No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 103 Date. 24/10/42 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores of 21 Captain Baltimore Leader: Aircraft No. Sqdn. and 6 Bostons of Crew. Maj. Coppen. Aircraft Letter. 12 Squadron. ( ( S ee attached list. Up. 1050 Down. 1217 Aerodrome or L.G. LG. 98 Time. 1 hr. 27 mins. Type of Cloud. ----- Map or Chart Amount of Cloud. ----- Reference. Base of Cloud. ----- 1:250000 Visibility. Good- hazy on coast. Egypt and Cyrenaica General Weather. Good. Sheet 14. El Daba. Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on 15th Panzer at 860295. Time. Height. Place. Narrative. LG. 98 Baltimores airborne. LG. 98 Set course, with fighter escort. 9300 Target Formation bombed on course of 270 deg. LG. 98 Baltimores landed. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) 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. BA 15 th Panzer Div. at pp. 860295. BB 1142 hrs. BC Medium level bombing attack. 66 x 250 G.P. 43 Det. with rods. (Baltimores) One Baltimore had 6 x 250 hang-ups— electrical failure. BD One fire seen in target area when bombers left. One near miss. Target very well dispersed. BE Only slight L.A.A. over target area. No E/A encounter BF A/C 870 F (Pilot: Lt. Cumming) damaged in engine and landed at L.G. 172. Observer (Lt. Johnson) wounded. BG Vertical and Oblique. BH 500 + MT well dispersed in El Taqa area, on plateau pp. 862253. Slight movement SW of pp 875282. 2 Fires at pp 870278 Only scattered MT in area 855300, 863300, 863280, 8552 875285 500+ MT stationary. Not well dispersed. No A/ 70 MT centre 870295 — many burnt out. Shelling 870298. 842283 20 tanks not well dispersed. On ridge along 283 grid, between 840 and 850 dug-in positions, tents and MT very scattered. Some movement SE on road from this ridge. One Boston left formation escorted by fighter. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Third Show 67 915 S 141 M 877 J

Lt. Chiddy Capt. Rhodes Lt. Gardiner Lt. Simler Lt. Hudson Lt. Kerr A/Sgt. Stevens A/Sgt. Stringer A/Sgt. Lane A/Sgt. Forrest A/Sgt. H.-Barber A/Sgt. Brown 955 A 870 F 949 AA

Lt. Martin A. R. Lt. Cumming Lt. Hamilton Lt. Sadler Lt. Johnson Lt. Whittle A/Sgt. Lotter A/Sgt. Heyman A/Sgt. Rogers F/Sgt. Palmer A/Sgt. Lyne A/Sgt. Phelan 958 W 940 V 938 U

Lt. Smith Maj. Coppen Lt. Martin C Lt. Christie Lt. Farrant Lt. Gibson A/Sgt. Moore Lt. Noakes F/Sgt. BALFOUR A/Sgt. Oliff A/Sgt. Viljoen A/Sgt. Bradfield A/Sgt. Abraham 909 X 920 Q 873 N

Lt. Heslop Maj. Jendrell Lt. Pocock Lt. Arnold Lt. Wheeler Lt. Cliff A/Sgt. Bernitz A/Sgt. Felton A/Sgt. B. Thomas A/Sgt. Clack A/Sgt. Morley A/Sgt. Clark

1942-10-24 LG. 98

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Form 541

MAP

12 Baltimores of 21 Captain Baltimore Leader:

Lt. Cumming Pilot

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * R A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Sortie Report form, the primary operational record for documenting individual combat flights. * Oprep. Ref. No. 103: Operational Report reference number 103. * 21 SAAF / 12 Squadron: No. 21 and No. 12 Squadrons of the South African Air Force. Both were light bomber units operating under No. 3 (S.A.) Wing. * Baltimores / Bostons: Refers to the Martin Baltimore and Douglas Boston light bombers, respectively. These were the workhorse medium-level tactical strike aircraft for the Desert Air Force (DAF). * Maj. Coppen: Major Coppen, the designated formation leader for the Baltimore element of the strike. * LG. 98: Landing Ground 98, the operational base for the squadron during the El Alamein offensive. * 15th Panzer: The 15. Panzer-Division, a major German armored formation of the Afrika Korps. * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part A) documents the "Third Show" of 24 October 1942, executed during the first full day of daylight operations in the Second Battle of El Alamein. Following the initial night barrage of 23 October, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) shifted from airfield suppression to direct interdiction of Axis mobile reserves to facilitate the Eighth Army's ground breakthrough. The mission, led by Major Coppen, targeted a concentration of the 15th Panzer Division at grid coordinates 860295 in the El Daba sector. The tactical formation consisted of twelve Martin Baltimores (No. 21 Squadron) following six Douglas Bostons (No. 12 Squadron), a combined force protected by a fighter escort. Operating from 9,300 feet on a course of 270 degrees, the formation delivered its payload into the target area despite "hazy" conditions along the coast. Intelligence reports from the same mission (OPREP 103) indicate that the strike resulted in at least one fire and a "near miss" on German armored assets. However, the raid was not without cost; one Baltimore (870 F) sustained engine damage from ground fire and was forced into an emergency landing at L.G. 172, with the observer, Lieutenant J. Johnson, reported as wounded. This document, archived as Folio 66, stands as a primary record of the Desert Air Force's (DAF) aggressive efforts to neutralize German armor during the definitive phase of the North African campaign. 86 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No specific date is recorded on the reverse of this form (Part "B"); however, internal cross-referencing with the corresponding Sortie Report (Part A) on folio 66 identifies the mission date as 24/10/42. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * 15 th Panzer Div.: The 15. Panzer-Division, a premier German armored unit within the Deutsches Afrikakorps. * pp.: Point position, referencing specific map grid coordinates used for target identification. * G.P. 43 Det. with rods: General Purpose high-explosive bombs fitted with No. 43 tail pistols and "daisy cutter" extension rods on the nose, designed to trigger the blast above the ground for maximum lateral fragmentation. * Baltimores: The Martin Baltimore light bomber, the primary airframe for No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. * hang-ups: Ordnance that failed to release mechanically or electrically during the bombing run. * L.A.A.: Light Anti-Aircraft fire. * E/A: Enemy Aircraft. * A/C: Aircraft. * L.G. 172: Landing Ground 172, an Allied forward airstrip used for refit or emergency recovery. * MT: Mechanical Transport, including Axis trucks, troop carriers, and unarmored support vehicles. * SW / SE: Southwest and Southeast directional markers. * Boston: The Douglas Boston light bomber, operated by No. 12 Squadron S.A.A.F. during this joint mission. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part B) details the tactical outcomes of the "Third Show" on 24 October 1942, occurring during the critical opening daylight phase of the Second Battle of El Alamein. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were executing maximum-effort interdiction of German armored reserves to prevent a counter-attack against the Eighth Army's breakthrough sectors. The target, the 15th Panzer Division, was a high-priority concentration located near grid 860295. The mission involved twelve Martin Baltimores (No. 21 Squadron) and six Douglas Bostons (No. 12 Squadron) delivering sixty-six 250lb G.P. bombs with extension rods. These "daisy cutters" were specifically selected to maximize fragmentation damage against the "very well dispersed" Axis armored and motorized units. The report highlights significant attrition and mechanical issues. One Baltimore (870 F) sustained engine damage and was forced into an emergency landing at L.G. 172, resulting in the wounding of the observer, Lieutenant Johnson. Additionally, electrical failures hampered the ordnance delivery for another aircraft. Intelligence observations in section BH are exceptionally detailed, recording massive concentrations of over 1,000 MT (Mechanical Transport) across the El Taqa plateau and surrounding areas. The sighting of "20 tanks" and "many burnt out" vehicles underscores the effective but costly nature of the Desert Air Force's (DAF) sustained pressure on the German-Italian defensive line during the definitive hours of the North African campaign. 87 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No specific 'Date' column is present on the provided image; however, internal cross-referencing with the corresponding Sortie Report (Part A) on folio 66 identifies the mission date as 24/10/42. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * Third Show: The roster for the third major operational mission (or "show") of the day. * 915 S / 141 M / 877 J / 955 A / 870 F / 949 AA / 958 W / 940 V / 938 U / 909 X / 920 Q / 873 N: Individual aircraft serial numbers and their corresponding identification letters (S, M, J, A, F, AA, W, V, U, X, Q, N) assigned to the Martin Baltimore light bombers. * Maj. / Capt. / Lt. / F/Sgt. / A/Sgt.: Military rank designations for Major, Captain, Lieutenant, Flight Sergeant, and Acting Sergeant respectively. * H.-Barber: Shorthand for Acting Sergeant Hilton-Barber. * B. Thomas: Shorthand for Acting Sergeant Beaumont Thomas. Operational Context: This aircrew manifest, archived as folio 67, details the twelve crews of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. assigned to the "Third Show" on 24 October 1942. Strategically, this mission occurred during the critical first daylight phase of the Second Battle of El Alamein, following the Allied breakthrough attempts initiated the previous night. The Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were executing a maximum-effort campaign to neutralize German armored reserves. The mission for this formation, which included the Baltimore element led by Major Coppen in A/C 940 "V," was a medium-level interdiction strike targeting the 15th Panzer Division at grid coordinates 860295 in the El Daba sector. This specific "show" followed two earlier strikes that morning against armored and motorized concentrations along the coast. The manifest includes the ill-fated crew of A/C 870 "F," led by Lieutenant Cumming and Lieutenant Johnson. Intelligence reports from this mission (OPREP 103) confirm that this specific aircraft sustained engine damage from ground fire and was forced to make an emergency landing at L.G. 172, resulting in the wounding of Lieutenant Johnson. The tactical environment was characterized by intense pressure; despite the loss of one airframe and mechanical failures in others, these crews delivered sixty-six 250lb G.P. bombs fitted with extension rods to maximize fragmentation against German armor. The presence of senior leaders like Major Jendrell and Captain Rhodes demonstrates the tactical requirement for experienced command during high-stakes interdiction raids against the Afrika Korps. This document serves as a primary personnel record for the squadron's continued daylight offensive during the definitive breakthrough in Egypt. 88 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 24 Oct 42.