Third box straddled centre

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Date: 18th MARCH, 1945

APPENDIX "M"115FROM : S.I.O. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.TO : H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATIONS RECORDS)H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( SCORU)3 WING S.A.A.F.REF. : 21S/967DATE : 18th MARCH, 1945.OPREP NO. 967 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 1200 HRS ON THE 18th MARCH, 1945.Ref Map Italy 1:100,000 SHEET 40A - GORIZIA.Operation NO. 169/21S/M.A : 10 A/C briefed to attack the Gorizia M/Yards (main)at G. 713075, each A/C carrying 6 x 500 and 4 x 250lbs. bombs demo fused. In one box of four A/C and twoVics formation set course from base at 0935hrs andpicked up a close escort of 8 Spits at Porto Corsini.Respective boxes bombed on leaders at 1038 hrs from13000' on courses between 030 and 050, using a windof 030/35 which had been passed by a special windfindingA/C. Result: First Box slight right error along theeastern edge of yards, with possible d/h's on branchlines.Second box left error with numerous d/h's on largebarracks west of the target. Third box straddled centreof M/Yards with an excellent pattern.No enemy opposition encountered. Window and pamphletsdispensed in target area. Weather; 2-3/10 patchy cuat 12000' in target area. Visibility fair in slighthaze.One special A/C airborne at between 0845 - 1135(withanescort of 4 Spits) to find a wind in Gorizia and passto following 3 Wing formations. This A/C subsequentlybombed a stores Dump at M. 304669, pattern resultingin a right error of about 150 yards. Ten bursts ofinaccurate H/A/A encountered.B : (1) 11 Marauders III (ii) NilC : (1) & (ii) NilD : (1) 29.30 hrs. (ii) NilE : (1) 37400 x .50 (ii) & (iii) NilF : (1) 66 x 500 (ii) as in (1)44 x 25031 Packets of "Front Post" Pamphlets378 Lbs of Window dropped.(iii) & (iv) NilG to V : NilW : (1) 4 Marauders III (ii) NilX : (1) 4.20 hrs. (ii) NilZ : Nil S. L. Boschoff [Signed] Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.

Handwritten Marginalia / Stamps: * Folio Number: 115 (Handwritten, Top Right). * Reference Stamp:The National Archives' reference AIR 27/271/3

Transcriber's Notes

S.I.O: Squadron Intelligence Officer. Captain S. L. Boschoff was responsible for debriefing aircrews and compiling OPREP data.
Spits: Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft provided for top-cover and escort.
Window: Chaff; strips of aluminum foil (378 lbs dispensed) used to saturate and confuse German radar-directed defenses. Operational Context Target File 271-3_27 chronicles Operation No. 169/21S/M, an 11-aircraft strike launched on March 18, 1945, against the Gorizia Marshalling Yards. By March 1945, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were executing Operation Bingo, a theater-wide interdiction campaign designed to achieve the total logistical paralysis of German Heeresgruppe C in Northern Italy by systematically severing supply and escape routes through the Alpine passes. Gorizia, situated near the Yugoslavian border, was a vital strategic terminal for Axis materiel. This methodology represents the strategic maturation of interdiction principles established during the 1943 battles for the Bernhardt and Gustav Lines. In November 1943, 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. conducted high-intensity strikes on localized bottlenecks, such as location H055630, to paralyze German reserves attempting to reinforce the front. By March 1945, the emphasis had shifted to theater-wide strategic isolation. The Gorizia raid demonstrates sophisticated coordination, utilizing a specialized "windfinding" aircraft to pass atmospheric data to the main formation, ensuring higher precision at altitude. While accuracy varied—the first and second boxes scored hits on branchlines and adjacent barracks—the third box achieved an "excellent pattern" straddling the center of the yards. The formation integrated kinetic destruction with non-kinetic psychological warfare (31 packets of "Front Post" pamphlets) and technical electronic warfare (Window) to maintain relentless pressure on the crumbling Axis logistics network. 28

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard high-explosive ordnance, typically 500 lb and 250 lb variants, carried by SAAF crews to destroy physical industrial infrastructure and rolling stock.