BE. Slight inaccurate HAA and LAA from target area. Flashes seen North

BA. SCIACCA LG SICILY. BB. 0402/0415 hrs LT. BC. Medium Level. 7600ft to 13000 ft. 24 x 250 GP Rods 43 Det. 90 x 4 lb incendiaries. 5 flares 4.5 Mk 5 Capsules. 3 No. 10 and 2 No. 6. BD. Three aircraft identified the target and straddled the LG with their bombs and incendiaries. One aircraft bombed on ETA. An explosion giving off orange flash was seen SW of LG, but no fire developed. There was a small fire burning between SCIACCA Town and the LG. Many bomb bursts were observed mostly West of target. BE. Slight inaccurate HAA and LAA from target area. Flashes seen North of SCIACCA Town and MENFI village. NO searchlights. BF. Nil. BG. Nil. BH. (i) Steady light at Cape S. MARCO. (ii) This Squadron's Pathfinder dropped flares from 0349 hrs to 0411 hrs, and himself bombed at 0415 hrs. The flares lasted from 2 to 3 minutes and the target was not very well illuminated. LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST ATTACHED TO OP.REF. NO. 329. 21 SQUADRON, SAAF. dated 7/8 JULY 43. 951 V Lt.Col. Coppen DFC, Capt. Farrant, F/Sgts. Lyne & Bradfield 903 B Major Cormack, Lt.Lombard, F/Sgts. Finberg & Viljoen. 108 O Capt. Stuart, Lt. Pawson, F/Sgts. Morley & Schumann. 221 Y Lt. Eaton, Lt. McDermott, Sgt. Freestone & F/Sgt. van Rooyen

1943-07-08

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded: * LG: Landing Ground. * hrs LT: hours Local Time. * ft: feet. * GP: General Purpose (bombs). * Det.: Detonator. * lb: pound (weight of incendiaries). * Mk: Mark (version of equipment). * SW: South-West. * ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival. * HAA / LAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft / Light Anti-Aircraft. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * Lt.Col.: Lieutenant Colonel. * DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross. * Capt. / Major / Lt. / Sgt. / F/Sgts.: Captain / Major / Lieutenant / Sergeant / Flight Sergeants. * Observations about Individuals: * Lieutenant Colonel C.S. Coppen, DFC: The Commanding Officer of 21 Squadron. His crew in aircraft 951 V acted as the "Pathfinder," a high-risk role involving target illumination that required precise navigation and timing. * The Pathfinder Role: The notes in section BH detail the CO's specific performance, dropping flares for 22 minutes to guide the following three aircraft before dropping his own bombs last at 0415 hours. * Information about the Location: * Sciacca LG: A strategic Axis satellite airfield in southwestern Sicily. * Modern Name: Today, the area is part of Sciacca, Italy. The wartime airfield has since been replaced by the town's expansion and local agriculture. * Menfi Village: A settlement northwest of Sciacca where Axis anti-aircraft flashes were observed during the raid. * Cape S. Marco: Modern Capo San Marco, a prominent cape used as a navigational landfall point. * Historical Theatre Context: * Operation HUSKY (The Invasion of Sicily): This raid on the night of July 7/8, 1943, occurred just two days before the Allied invasion of Sicily. Suppressing Axis fighters at satellite fields like Sciacca was critical to protecting the massive Allied landing fleet. * Tactical Assessment: The report highlights the difficulty of night bombing, noting that the target was "not very well illuminated" despite the Pathfinder's best efforts. This led to one aircraft being forced to bomb on ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) rather than visual identification. * The Martin Baltimore: 21 Squadron operated the Martin Baltimore, an American-built light-medium bomber optimized for tactical interdiction missions in the Mediterranean. 40 The date written in the 'Date' line of the postagram is 9 Jul 43.