Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: RR M/Y COLLEFERRO G170490BB: 1126 A HrsBC: Medium level bombing 325º/13000'24 x 500 M.C. 47 Dets 27 Pistols36 x 250 G.P. " " " "BD: Target well identified - M/Y straddled. Few bombs seen to explode those seen hit M/Y and among buildings S.W. of M/Y (Refining plants) Small explosion seen among buildings with black smoke. Some bombs NOT own among employees houses.BE: NILBF: NILBG: Verticals of Bomb burstsBH: Train moving NORTH 3 miles N.W. of target25 RR trucks stationary SEZZE JUNCTION12 MET moving NORTH RD TERRACINA - CISTERNAApproximately 20 MET moving SOUTH from COLLEFERROLarge amount of dust from S. FELICE12 a/c moved across track of own formation SOUTH of GAETA approximately 1115 A Hrs.CISTERNA LITTORIA aerodrome has runway EAST to WEST, turning basins each end, buildings in N.W. corner, dispersal areas and blast shelters SOUTH of runway. A/C seen NOT counted.3 black specks thought NOT to be rocks between PONZA and ZANNONE Islands.Freighter standing off ANZIO PT.AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.356Z MAJ. STUART LT PAWSON SGT FREESTONE LT HALL445U LT. HARGRAVE LT REES F/SGT JENSEN F/SGT VALENTINE240O CAPT DUGMORE LT MASTERS F/SGT MAASDORP F/SGT ROGERS167S CAPT SMIT LT KAY 2/LT PURDON A/SGT SCHOOMBIE383W LT ROBERTSON LT HANNING F/SGT DU PIESANIE F/SGT LEISCHING181T LT BENNETT LT HARLE F/SGT STRYDOM SGT JENKINSON437H MAJ ORD LT HODGES F/SGT WALKER F/SGT DEVENISH467D LT LONGMORE LT KENDALL F/SGT THEUNISSEN SGT MACKAY426J LT FROST LT NEL F/SGT CARTER SGT ALLEN341L LT WILLMOTT LT BORCHERDS F/SGT LOOTS F/SGT WALBRIDGE545A LT HEWITT LT HORWITZ F/SGT KIDNEY SGT AIREY586B LT WITTE 2LT RUSHFORTH F/SGT EATON SGT MARAIS
Transcriber's Notes
- RR M/Y
- Railway Marshalling Yard.
- MET
- Motor Enemy Transport.
- RD
- Road.
Expanded Abbreviations
MAJ / CAPT / LT / 2/LT / SGT / F/SGT / A/SGT: Major / Captain / Lieutenant / Second Lieutenant / Sergeant / Flight Sergeant / Acting Sergeant. Observations on Individuals
The Interdiction of Rome's Southern Routes: This mission on November 2, 1943, was part of a larger effort to paralyze German transport moving toward the Gustav Line. By "straddling" the Colleferro yards and hitting Refining Plants, 21 Squadron aimed to deny the Luftwaffe and the Wehrmacht critical fuel and transport capacity.