Dispersed aircraft Gazala No. 2

21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. OPERATIONAL REPORT NO. 35 COPY NO. .... (Ref. Nos. 3 Wing (S.A.) Operation No. "A" 207 and Squadron Operation 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 Marylands OBJECTIVE. High level bombing attack. Long and widely spaced sticks across dumps "L" and "M". Alternative target: Dispersed aircraft Gazala No. 2 NARRATIVE. Six Marylands took off at 0650 hours. S/C 20 miles South of Port Maddalena and then to inlet at Ain-el-Gazala. The run up was made parallel to the road from West to East. The Leader's Observer located the position of Dump "L" and their sticks seemed to them to cover the target area both for length and width. The Leader of the 2nd. formation failed to sight Dump "M" and decided to drop his bombs on Gazala No. 2, but only 2 bombs released. He then saw the target, but only one more bomb released. The rest were hung up. The other two aircraft of this flight dropped twelve bombs in target area. Four bombs hung up, but were later jettisoned. Flashes and small red fires were seen, with a little smoke. To N/A; five Monoplanes 4000 ft. above sea level were seen climbing from the direction of the bay. These could have taken off from Gazala No. 1. A fairly large camp was 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 hours Base 1035 hours Total hours flown 22 hours 30 min. PHOTOGRAPHY. Photographs show bomb bursts North of target boundary DISTRIBUTION. * 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

1941-11-15

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a light bomber unit. * 3 Wing (S.A.): 3 Wing (South African), the administrative and tactical wing overseeing 21 Squadron SAAF. * 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). * Gazala No. 1 / No. 2: Designated Axis landing grounds located near the inlet of Ain-el-Gazala. * Hung up: A mechanical failure where bombs remain attached to the racks instead of releasing during the bombing run. * N/A: North/Northwest (direction from target). * 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. * 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.