Operational Report (Form 541)
- Took off
- 0650 hrs
- Map reference
- Target map 1/H15 (Gazala Box) Tobruk 1:100000
21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. OPERATIONAL REPORT NO. 35 COPY NO. ....(Ref. Nos. 3 Wing (S.A.) Operation No. "A" 207 and SquadronOperation Order No. 35) DATE: 15.11.41.1st. Sortie.MAP REF: Target map 1/H15 (Gazala Box) Tobruk 1:100000.DATE OF OPERATION. 15th. November 1941.NUMBER AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT 6 MarylandsOBJECTIVE. High level bombing attack. Long and widely spaced sticksacross dumps "L" and "M".Alternative target: Dispersed aircraft Gazala No. 2NARRATIVE. Six Marylands took off at 0650 hours. S/C 20 milesSouth of Port Maddalena and then to inlet atAin-el-Gazala. The run up was made parallel tothe road from West to East. The Leader's Observerlocated the position of Dump "L" and their sticksseemed to them to cover the target area both forlength and width. The Leader of the 2nd. formationfailed to sight Dump "M" and decided to drop his bombson Gazala No. 2, but only 2 bombs released. He thensaw the target, but only one more bomb released.The rest were hung up. The other two aircraft of thisflight dropped twelve bombs in target area. Fourbombs hung up, but were later jettisoned. Flashes andsmall red fires were seen, with a little smoke. To N/A;five Monoplanes 4000 ft. above sea level were seenclimbing from the direction of the bay. These couldhave taken off from Gazala No. 1. A fairly large campwas seen on the beach near Ras-el-Mehels.WEATHER. Hazy over desert. Fleecy cloud over target area.TIMES. Airborne 0650 hours.Time over target 0910 hoursBase 1035 hoursTotal hours flown 22 hours 30 min.PHOTOGRAPHY. Photographs show bomb bursts North of target boundaryDISTRIBUTION.
S.I.O. H.Q. R.A.F. M.E.
Intelligence A.H.Q.W.D.
Operations do
S.I.O. 3 Wing (S.A.)
War Diary
do
do
do
File[Signature] J S Be... Lt.For Squadron Intelligence Officer
Transcriber's Notes
- 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F
- 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a light bomber unit.
- Marylands
- The Martin Maryland (Model 167), an American-built twin-engine light bomber used by the SAAF.
- S/C
- Set Course (20 miles South of Port Maddalena).
- N/A
- North/Northwest (direction from target).
- A.H.Q.W.D
- Air Headquarters Western Desert. Operational Context: This sortie on 15 November 1941 occurred three days prior to the launch of Operation Crusader, the Allied offensive to relieve Tobruk. The target, Ain-el-Gazala, was a critical Axis logistical and aviation hub. "Dumps L and M" represented supply depots essential for sustaining the Panzer Group Africa's forward positions. The failure to strike "Dump M" effectively due to mechanical "hang-ups" and cloud cover illustrates the technical friction common in high-level bombing missions of this period. The observation of "five Monoplanes" (likely Messerschmitt Bf 109s or Macchi C.202s) climbing from Gazala No. 1 indicates the high state of Axis readiness. Strategically, these raids were intended to attrit Axis fuel and ammunition reserves and suppress air opposition immediately before the Eighth Army's advance. The "fairly large camp" identified at Ras-el-Mehels provided further intelligence for the upcoming land offensive. 156 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: The exact date found in the 'DATE' column of the image is 15. 11. 41.
3 Wing (S.A.): 3 Wing (South African), the administrative and tactical wing overseeing 21 Squadron SAAF.
Hung up: A mechanical failure where bombs remain attached to the racks instead of releasing during the bombing run.
ft.: Feet, indicating altitude above sea level.
S.I.O. H.Q. R.A.F. M.E.: Senior Intelligence Officer, Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.