5 bombs dropped on target - one direct hit on western side of junction triangle. 5 bombs may have hit target area as dro

BA: Rail-road junction at LAMEZIA BB: 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.

1943-08-29

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * H.A.A.: Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery. * G.P.: General Purpose (bombs). * M.C.: Medium Capacity (bombs). * Det.: Detonator. * LT: Local Time. * ft: feet. * S.W.: South-West. * STN.: Station. * C. VATICANO: Capo Vaticano. * FW 190: Focke-Wulf 190 (German fighter aircraft). * (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 * Captain Stuart (Formation Leader): Piloting Baltimore 356Z, Stuart led the 12-aircraft strike force. The mission was marred by a technical or human error where the leader's bomb doors opened prematurely, causing most of the formation's bombs to fall one to two miles short of the target. * Lieutenant Guard (Box Leader): Led the second box of six aircraft in Baltimore 271F. * Air Combat: The report highlights the active presence of the Luftwaffe, noting a Focke-Wulf 190 that was engaged by an Allied Supermarine Spitfire escort and forced to dive into the cloud layer to escape. * Sgt. Crawhall: While not listed on this specific crew sheet, many of his regular companions, such as Lt. Askew (who frequently piloted 181T or 187A) are present in this large-scale mission. Location and Intelligence Analysis * Lamezia (Target): Refers to the strategic rail and road junction at Lamezia Terme in Calabria, Italy. Modern name remains Lamezia Terme. * Falerna (FALERNO siding): A village north of Lamezia. Modern name is Falerna. The report noted significant Axis rail traffic here, with 40 to 60 trucks identified at the siding. * Ricadi and Capo Vaticano (C. VATICANO): Landmarks on the Calabrian coast used for navigation and reconnaissance. Modern names unchanged. * Junction Triangle: A specific technical detail referring to the "wye" or triangular rail junction at Lamezia where multiple lines converged. Despite the premature drop, the crews managed one direct hit on this critical piece of infrastructure. Historical Context: Isolating Calabria * August 29, 1943: This was a critical daylight mission occurring just four days prior to Operation BAYTOWN, the Allied invasion of mainland Italy. * Logistical Strangulation: The German 14th Panzer Corps was attempting to reinforce the "toe" of Italy. Lamezia was one of the few points where north-south rail traffic could be effectively severed. The observation of numerous "trucks" (rail cars) and a seaplane indicates the high density of Axis assets being funneled through this sector. * The Martin Baltimore: Operating from Cuticchi, Sicily, the SAAF 21 Squadron utilized a heavy payload of 48 x 500 lb bombs. Bombing from 11,000 feet was a tactical necessity to avoid the "fairly intense" anti-aircraft fire protecting such a vital hub. 175 The date written in the header of target file 276-1__175.jpg is 30th August, 1943.