Operation

APPENDIX "K" 193 TO : H.Q. MAAF (attention 23rd SCORU) H.Q. NATAF (attention 2nd Command Unit 23rd SCORU) SAOA SAAF FROM : SIO 21 SQUADRON SAAF REF : 21S/627 DATE : 13th April 1944 OPREP No.627 for period ending 2100 Hrs on 12th April 1944 REF MAP ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 137 VITERBO 12 Baltimores airborne from BIFERNO at 1109 Hrs to bomb a Railway Stn at 050509 near ORVIETO in which 250 RR trucks were reported, alternatively railway bridge at A561486. After R/V with 12 Baltimores of 223 Sqdn and a close escort of 16 Spitfires they set course from A POINT at 1203 Hrs, 21 Sqdn leading. Due to navigational error the leader turned towards target area at A5859 instead of A 7065. Realising his mistake too late he decided to bomb Rail bridge at A02402. Attack took place at 1245 Hrs from 11500' on a course of 330° The whole formation overshot with lateral error to the left. One 500 lb bomb hung-up and was brought back. NO enemy opposition. Weather clear in target area but visibility impaired by ground haze. All a/c returned by 1345 Hrs. B: (i) 1 Balt. 111A (ii) NIL (1) 8 Balts 1V (11) NIL (1) 3 Balts V (11) NIL C: NIL D: (i) 2.25 Hrs (ii) NIL (1) 19.20 Hrs (11) NIL (1) 7.15 Hrs (11) NIL E: (i) 3200 x .30 300 x .303 700 x .50 (ii) NIL (iii) NIL (1) 25600 x .30 2400 x .303 5600 x .50 (11) NIL (111) NIL (1) 9600 x .30 900 x .303 2100 x .50 (11) NIL (111) NIL F: (i) 2 x 500 MC 3 x 250 GP (ii) As above (iii) & (iv) NIL (1) 16 x 500 MC 24 x 250 GP (11) As above (111) & (1v) NIL (1) 6 x 500 MC 9 x 250 GP (11) 5 x 500 MC 9 x 250 GP (111) & (1v) NIL (fusing: NOSE 47 Det 27 Pist - TAIL 49 Det 28 Pist) G to Z: NIL (Signature illegible) Capt S.L. Boshoff SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

1944-04-13

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes: * Operational Friction (Navigational Error): * The Mistake: This report documents a significant failure in mission execution due to human error. The formation leader made a "navigational error" by turning toward the target area at coordinates A5859 instead of the intended turning point at A7065. * Improvisation: Realizing the mistake "too late" to reach the primary target (the Railway Station near Orvieto with "250 RR trucks" reported), the leader diverted to a secondary target of opportunity: a "Rail bridge at A02402". * Result: The improvisation failed. The entire formation "overshot with lateral error to the left," meaning the bombs missed the bridge completely. This highlights the difficulty of precision bombing when the attack run is not set up perfectly in advance. * Target Intelligence (Orvieto): * The Prize: The primary target was highly lucrative: "250 RR (Railroad) trucks were reported" at the station near Orvieto. Destroying such a large concentration of rolling stock would have been a major blow to German logistics. Orvieto, located on the Florence-Rome main line, was a critical junction for moving supplies south to the front. The failure to hit this target due to a navigation error was a significant missed opportunity. * Formation & Escort: * Combined Force: 21 Squadron flew with 223 Squadron (RAF) and a heavy "close escort of 16 Spitfires". The large escort suggests that despite the lack of "enemy opposition" encountered, the airspace near Orvieto (closer to Rome) was considered high-threat. * Ordnance Issues: * Hung Bomb: Once again, a mechanical failure occurred: "One 500 lb bomb hung-up and was brought back". Landing with a live 500 lb bomb that failed to release was extremely dangerous, as a hard landing could jar the fusing mechanism or dislodge the bomb. * Abbreviations: * RR: Railroad. * R/V: Rendezvous. * Stn: Station. * MC: Medium Capacity (High Explosive). * GP: General Purpose. * 111A: Mark IIIA. * 1V: Mark IV. 25 Verification: Target File Verification: The document is dated 13th April 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 628) labeled APPENDIX "L", detailing the mission flown on April 13th, 1944.