Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: Rail-road junction at LAMEZIABB: 1110 Hrs. LT.BC: Medium Level Bombing. Course 030°. Height 11,000 ft.24 x 500 G.P. 47 Det. 28 Pistol.24 x 500 M.C. 47 Det. 28 Pistol.BD: Most bombs dropped when bomb fell on leader opening bomb doors - one to 2 miles S.W. of target. 5 bombs dropped on target - one direct hit on western side of junction triangle. 5 bombs may have hit target area as dropped late. Rest too early. Target seen but covered by dust and smoke, from bombs of leading formation when over target.BE: Slight H.A.A. against own formation on leaving target, inaccurate. Fairly intense inaccurate against leading formations. Origin not known except from NORTH of target. 1 FW 190 seen - attacked by covering Spitfire - dived into clouds.BF: NIL.BG: Average height, 11,000 ft. Indicated Air Speed 220. Course 030°. Obliques and Verticals of bomb bursts.BH: Many Rail-road tracks at LAMEZIA STN. 40/60 trucks S. FALERNO siding. 3 small ships in bay WEST of RICADI, SOUTH of C. VATICANO. One seaplane on beach 5 miles S.W. of LAMEZIA. Grey smoke seen over LAMEZIA STN, and later when at sea, explosion flash seen from same area.AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.356Z. CAPT. STUART. LT. PAWSON. F/Sgt. MORLEY. 2/LT. SCHUMANN. (FL)221Y. LT. GREDER. LT. GOULD. F/SGT. GREYLING. 2/LT. GROENEWALD.181T. LT. BENNETT. LT. HARLE. F/SGT. STRYDOM. P/O. GILDEN.291U. LT. HARGRAVE. LT. REES. SGT. JANSEN. F/SGT. BEDFORD. (VL)383W. LT. SMYTH. LT. HANNING. F/SGT. DE PIESANIE. F/SGT. LEISCHING.387R. LT. RICHARDS. LT. DE CONNICK. F/SGT. ROBERTSE. SGT. McGRINDLE.271F. LT. GUARD. LT. WEBBER. F/SGT. FINBERG. 2/LT. DE VILLIERS. (BL)206J. LT. WOOD. LT. NEL. F/SGT. JAMES. SGT. ROBERTSON.341L. LT. WILLMOTT. LT. BORCHARDS. F/SGT. LOOTS. F/SGT. WALBRIDGE.187A. CAPT. SAUNDERS. LT. BOOYSE. F/SGT. MOORE. SGT. EARP-JONES. (VL)195G. LT. MURMAN. LT. WALTERS. F/SGT. ODENDAAL. SGT. STEWART.916K. LT. FROST. LT. WHITE. F/SGT. CARTER. SGT. ALLEN.
Transcriber's Notes
- LT
- Local Time.
- G.P
- General Purpose (bombs).
- Det
- Detonator.
- M.C
- Medium Capacity (bombs).
- S.W
- South-West.
- H.A.A
- Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery.
- FW 190
- Focke-Wulf 190 (German fighter aircraft).
- STN
- Station.
- C. VATICANO
- Capo Vaticano.
Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded
ft: feet.
(FL): Formation Leader.
(VL): Vic Leader (leader of a 3-aircraft "Vic" sub-formation).
(BL): Box Leader (leader of the second 6-aircraft box). Personnel and Operational Observations