| TORTORELLA |

SORTIE REPORT (Part A) R.A.F. Form 441 A. H 25 | [Header Columns] | [Content] | |---|---| | Sortie No. | 1 | | Oprep. Ref. No. | 513 | | Date | 12 Jan 44 | | Squadron | 21 SAAF | | Type of Aircraft | 12 Baltimores (3 Mk.3A. 9 Mk.4) | | Aircraft No. | See over | | Aircraft Letter | See over | | Captain | MAJOR ORD | | Crew | LT HODGES | | Formation Leader | [Blank - aligned with Captain field] | | Time Up | 0911 A Hrs 1st a/c | | Time Down | 1052 A Hrs last a/c | | Total Time | 17.00 Hours | | Aerodrome or L.G. | TORTORELLA | | State of Cloud | Alto.St. general in battle area. St.Cu 10mls to Sea 4/10 | |---|---| | Amount of Cloud | 8/10-9/10 | | Base of Cloud | 22,000' | | Visibility | 20 miles | | General Weather | Good | | Map or Chart Reference | ITALY 1:100,000 Sheets 147/153 LANCIANO/AGNONE | |---|---| | Task or Duty | PALENA TOWN - H1276 | |---|---| | Time | Height | Place | Narrative | |---|---|---|---| | 0911 | | BASE | A/B | | 0932 | 2500 | BASE | S/c TERMOLI | | 0948 | 8500 | TERMOLI | S/c PENNA PT. | | 0954 | 12000 | PENNA PT. | S/c CASOLI | | 0959 | 12500 | CASOLI | S/c PALENA | | 1002 | 11300 | PALENA | Over target - bombing course 260° | | 1003 | 11000 | PALENA | S/c BASE | | 1027 | 2000 | BASE | Over Base | | 1033 | | Base | Landed | | 1052 | | | Last aircraft landed | [Signature Block] (Signed) [Signature unreadable - similar to "Lt Thompson"?] Lt for Capt SIO 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34. HQP/1,500,000/4-42 P.T.O.

1944-01-12 | TORTORELLA |

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes: * Sortie Report 513 (Palena - Third Strike): This report details the third consecutive daily raid on Palena (Jan 10, 11, 12). The War Diary for Jan 12th (file 269-1__6.jpg) notes that hits were scored "amongst and on buildings" and the "second box bombed short." The flight profile shows a quick turnaround over the target (10:02 to 10:03), indicating a single pass without the circling issues seen on previous days. * Mission Commander: Major Ord leads the mission again (he also led on Jan 10th). His regular observer, Lt. Hodges, accompanies him. This pair was instrumental in the squadron's operations during this period. * Flight Profile: The route remains consistent with previous days: Base -> Termoli -> Penna Point -> Casoli -> Palena. This standardized approach allowed the navigators to become very familiar with the landmarks, though it also risked becoming predictable to German flak gunners. * Bombing Altitude: The bombing altitude of 11,300 feet is slightly lower than the previous day's 12,300 feet. This adjustment might have been to get below the "Alto.St" (Altostratus) cloud layer mentioned in the weather section, ensuring better visibility for the bombardiers. * Weather: "Alto.St. general in battle area" suggests a high overcast layer, but visibility was "20 miles," which is excellent for visual bombing provided the cloud base is high enough. 32 Verification: Target File Verification: The document is a "SORTIE REPORT (Part A)" dated 13 Jan 44.