BARDIA

SECRET "J" BOMBING REPORT 7 9 REFERENCE Pilot : 2/LT. LONG - INNES Observer : 2/LT. H. W. CHEESMAN 21 SQUADRON BR Details of Target : A/SGT. Cockin and ROGERS S. A. A. F. 1186 DUMPS "A" 5 MILES NORTH WEST OF BARDIA Place : BARDIA 1110 Date : 24 / 9 / 41 Time : 1300 hrs. Weather : GOOD 4/10 CLOUD OVER TARGET Height : 18000 feet. (1) Bombs dropped : (2) Failures : 8 X 250 LBS G.P. NIL (3) Observed effects : NOT OBSERVED (4) Details of photographs taken : NIL. (5) Casualties to own aircraft and personnel : NIL. (6) Casualties to enemy aircraft and personnel : NIL. (7) Enemy A.A. ground defences encountered (a) location of defences (b) type (c) strength : NOT SIGHTED (8) Hostile patrols encountered (a) position (b) type and number of aircraft (c) if engagement resulted : SEE FIGHTER REPORT (9) Special comments : NIL SIGNED H. W. CHEESMAN 2"/LT. NOTE — (1) For intelligence purposes RECONNAISSANCE REPORT (A. M. FORM 401) must always accompany a BOMBING REPORT. (2) COMBAT (BOMBER) REPORT also to be completed if engagement with enemy aircraft occurred during flight.

1941-09-24 BARDIA

__o_O_o__

Form 541

18,000ft.

MAP

Baltimore

2/LT. LONG Pilot

2/LT. H. W. CHEESMAN Observer

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. During September 1941, the unit was a light/medium bomber squadron within the Desert Air Force, operating from Egyptian bases against Axis logistical hubs in Libya. * A.A.: Anti-Aircraft artillery (Flak). * BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): A twin-engine medium bomber manufactured by the Glenn L. Martin Company. While the squadron famously operated this type later in the war, at the time of this September 1941 report, it was equipped with the Martin Maryland (e.g., No. 1645 "J"), the technical precursor to the Baltimore. * BARDIA: A strategic Mediterranean port and Axis-fortified garrison in eastern Libya, critical for the supply of Rommel’s frontier forces. * G.P. (GENERAL PURPOSE): A classification for standard high-explosive demolition bombs. * MC/GP (MEDIUM CAPACITY / GENERAL PURPOSE): The broader designation for Allied munitions, including the 8 x 250 LBS G.P. load carried by the aircraft in this mission. * MET: Meteorological data. The report cites "Good" MET conditions but with 4/10 cloud directly over the target area, which hindered visual reconnaissance. Operational Context Target File 272_9 is the technical Bombing Report for Martin Maryland aircraft "J," piloted by 2/Lt. Long-Innes, during the high-level strike on 24th September 1941. The strategic importance of the location, Dumps "A" (located 5 miles northwest of Bardia), lay in its role as a primary logistical node for the Axis Panzergruppe Afrika. Degreasing these fuel and ammunition caches was a prerequisite for the success of subsequent Allied offensive operations in the Western Desert. The mission was executed from an altitude of 18,000 feet at 13:00 hours. Technical data indicates the aircraft successfully released its full complement of 8 x 250 LBS G.P. bombs with no mechanical failures. However, execution was constrained by environmental factors; 4/10 cloud cover prevented both the visual observation of bomb impacts and the acquisition of intelligence photography. Defensively, while this specific aircraft did not sight anti-aircraft batteries, it was involved in an aerial engagement. The reference to a "FIGHTER REPORT" (Combat Report) correlates with the encounter documented in file 272_6, where aircraft "J" was attacked by three German interceptors, including at least one ME 109. The successful defense of the Maryland without casualties illustrates the effectiveness of the unescorted formation tactics employed by the SAAF medium bombers during this intensive phase of the desert campaign. The report, signed by Observer 2/Lt. H. W. Cheesman, underscores the reliance on technical reliability in the absence of clear visual confirmation during high-level interdiction sorties. 10 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 24 9 41.