Bombs fell among trees (C455035) No. 2 box attempted to reach correct target - turn too tight and bombs overshot 1/2 mil

BA. RD BRIDGE AT C4201 BB. 1510 A hrs BC. Medium level bombing: 22 x 500 MC 47 det, 27 pistol. 33 x 250 GP do do. 2 x 500 MC 47 det, 27 pistol.) jettisoned 3-4 miles out to sea - 3 x 250 GP do do. ) faulty inter-comm. BD. Glare on water caused leader's box to run up on RR bridge, saw too late incorrect target. Bombs fell among trees (C455035) No. 2 box attempted to reach correct target - turn too tight and bombs overshot 1/2 mile SE target among bldgs. BE. NIL. BF. NIL. BG. Obliques of bomb bursts. BH. Shelling seen at C6685 2 MET, otherwise NMS. Grey smoke seen drifting over FOSSACESIA (C3904). LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW. 474X Lt. Col. Britz, P/O Smallman, 2/Lts. Harrison & Pickup. (FL) 181T Lts. Bennett & Harle, F/Sgt. Strydom, Sgt. Jenkinson. 951YY Major Coull, Lt. Rose F., F/Sgt. Perkins & van Rooyen. 445V Capt. Smit, Lt. Kay, 2/Lt. Purdon, Sgt. Schoombie. (VL) 240O Capt. Dugmore, Lt. Masters, F/Sgts. Maasdorp & Rogers 181Y Capt. Dieu, P/O Edmeades, F/Sgt. Oswald, Sgt. Breedt. 545A Major Ord, Lt. Hodges, F/Sgts. Walker & Devenish. (BL) 341L Lts. Willmot & Borcherds, F/Sgts. Loots & Walbridge. 426J Lts. Murman & Walters, F/Sgt. Odendaal, Sgt. Stewart. 586B Capt. Saunders, Lt. Booyse, F/Sgt. Geldenhuys, Sgt. Earp-Jones (WL) 916K Lts. Frost & Horwitz, F/Sgt. Carter, Sgt. Allan. 467D Lts. Longmore & Kendal, F/Sgt. Theunissen, Sgt. MacKay.

1943-10-25

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Expanded Abbreviations * BA / BB / BC / BD / BE / BF / BG / BH: Standardized reporting codes for Target, Time, Weapons, Narrative, Enemy Opposition, Own Losses, Photography, and General Observations. * RD BRIDGE: Road Bridge. * MC / GP: Medium Capacity / General Purpose (bomb types). * Det / Pistol: Detonator and firing mechanism (Pistol). * RR bridge: Railroad bridge. * SE: Southeast. * MET: Motor Enemy Transport. * NMS: No Movements Seen. * Lt. Col. / Major / Capt. / Lt. / 2/Lt.: Lieutenant Colonel / Major / Captain / Lieutenant / Second Lieutenant. * P/O / F/Sgt. / Sgt.: Pilot Officer / Flight Sergeant / Sergeant. * FL / VL / BL / WL: Flight Leader / Vice Leader / Box Leader / Wing Leader (referring to formation positions). Observations on Individuals * Lt. Col. J.F. Britz, D.F.C.: The Commanding Officer (OC) of 21 Squadron. He personally led this 12-aircraft strike as the Flight Leader (FL) in aircraft 474X. * Major Coull, Major Ord, Capt. Dugmore, and Capt. Saunders: These senior officers acted as sub-formation leaders (Box or Wing leaders), highlighting the high level of experience required for coordinated tactical strikes. * P/O Smallman: Britz's regular observer, often seen in the lead aircraft during operational sorties. * Lts. Longmore and Kendal: Crew of aircraft 467D. Lieutenant Longmore is previously noted in squadron orders as requiring a dental parade on November 1st, 1943. Location and Historical Context * Fossacesia, Italy: The "grey smoke" observed drifting over this town is highly significant. At the time of this mission (October 25, 1943), Fossacesia was a key anchor of the German Bernhardt Line (also known as the Reinhard Line) along the Adriatic coast. This area was subject to heavy Allied artillery and naval shelling as the Eighth Army prepared for the eventual assault on the Sangro River. * Tortorella Landing Ground: The mission originated from this base, part of the extensive Foggia Airfield Complex captured in late September 1943. * Tactical Challenges: The narrative (BD) illustrates the extreme difficulty of tactical bombing in the Mediterranean. "Glare on water" was a common navigational hazard when approaching targets near the coast. This caused the lead box to misidentify the target and strike a railroad bridge instead of the intended road bridge. * Inter-comm Failures: The jettisoning of bombs due to "faulty inter-comm" highlights the technical strain on the Martin Baltimore aircraft. Without communication between the pilot and the bomb-aimer, accurate delivery was impossible, forcing a safe discard at sea. 28 The date written in the 'Date' column to verify the document is 26.10.43.