EL DJEM NORTH.

R.A.F. Form 441 A. "D1" 45 SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 273 Date. 23 APR 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 18 Baltimores (One A/C returned.) See reverse side. Aircraft No. Aircraft Letter. Captain Maj. M. Barnby D.F.C. Crew. Lt. C. Evans (Observer) (See reverse side.) Time Up. 1128 hrs. (1st. A/C) Time Down. 1315 hrs. (Last A/C) Total Time. 25 hrs. 00 mins. Aerodrome or L.G. EL DJEM NORTH. Type of Cloud. Strato.-Cu. Amount of Cloud. 2/10 Base of Cloud. 3/4,000 ft. Visibility. Hazy. General Weather. Fair. Map or Chart Reference. TUNISIA 1:500,000 Sheet N.J. 32. SE. TUNIS. Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on gun positions in square bounded by pp. P 2389, 2689, 2695 & 2395. Time. Height. Place. Narrative. 1128 500 EL DJEM NORTH Airborne. 1138 500 S/C TP 3911. 1147 500 TP 3911 Rendezvous with fighters. (79th. F.Grp. USAAF) 1151 500 S/C 026 deg. HAMMAM-SOUSSE. 1207 4500 HAMMAM S/C 328 deg. ENFIDAVILLE. 1223 8000 ENFIDAVILLE. 1226 7500 TARGET TP 2494. Bombed Co. 310 deg. IAS 210 m.p.h. 1315 EL DJEM MAIN Last A/C landed. Note: The Squadron was in the process of moving to EL DJEM NORTH, from where this operation took place, but the formation landed at EL DJEM MAIN, as the move had subsequently been cancelled. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34. /PMEJ-200.000-3/42 P.T.O. PART "B" BA Gun positions in area bounded by pp. P 2389, 2689, 2695 & 2395. BB From 1225 hrs. to 1227 hrs. BC Medium level bombing attack from 7/8,000 ft. 102 x 250 lb. GP 43 Det. (Rods) (One A/C failed to catch up with formation, and landed with its six bombs.) BD The majority of the bombs fell in the Southern half of the target area, starting from P 255900 and ending at P 230915. One box dropped its bombs from P 2595 to P 2396. Bombs fell in a good pattern among dug-in positions. Two near misses on 2 MT, and a near miss on a blockhouse. The nature of the country made full observation of results difficult. BE HAA accurate, but not intense. LAA intense, but well below. 4 HAA guns at P 236909. 4 " " " P 236885. 3 HAA " " P 233895. 2 HAA " " P 237898. BF Two A/C holed by Ack/Ack. (Cat. 1) BG 3 Vert. 8" Cameras & 1 20" Obl. Camera were used to photograph the bomb bursts. (Ht. 7500'. Co. 320 deg. IAS 230 m.p.h. BH The barrage of smoke from P 245880 to P 255880 as an aid to navigation, was clearly seen, but the red smoke at P 274824 was not seen. List of A/C and Crews: F/L 105 B Maj. Barnby D.F.C., Lt. Evans, F/O Lt. Sandilands & F/O Lot 930 K Lt. Hamilton, Lt. Whittle, F/Sgts. Hodgkinson & de Villiers. 226 H Capt. Ord, Lt. Hodges, F/Sgts. Walker & A/Sgt. Devenish. V/L 259 X Capt. McBride, Lt. Gibson, F/Sgts. Daniels & White. 582 N Maj. Schrave sande, Lt. Herring, F/Sgts. Meyer & Stepforth. 142 P Lt. Hargrave, Lt. Rees, Sgt. McQueen (RCAF) & F/Sgt. Bedfor B/L 115 M Capt. Budd, Lt. Sadler, F/O Cornelius (RCAF) & F/Sgt. Woods. 290 C Lt. Blieden, Lt. Rose, F/Sgts. Jarvis & Mendelssohn. 271 F Lt. Oakes, Lt. Sachs, Sgts. Morrison & Cleland (RCAF). V/L 382 D Lt. Hotchkiss, Lt. Merrell, Sgts. Hemet & Mills. 877 J Lt. Dugmore, Lt. Masters, F/Sgts. Maasdorp & Rogers C.L. 977 L Lt. Guard, Lt. Foreman, F/Sgts. Steven & Prout (RAF) B/L 903 O Capt. Cormack, Lt. Pawson, F/Sgts. Finberg & McGee. 221 Y Lt. Pocock, Sgt. Edmonds (RAF), F/Sgts. Beaumont-Thomas & 918 T Lt. Eaton, Lt. Floor, F/Sgts. le Roux & Gilden. V/L 143 S Capt. Smit, Lt. Kay, F/Sgts. Perkins & van Rooyen. 176 YY Lt. Carr, Lt. Lombard, F/Sgts. Toms & Wright. 957 W Lt. Desner, Lt. Manning, F/Sgts. van Coller & Koff. [Handwritten Signature] ........................ Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

1943-04-23 EL DJEM NORTH.

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * Oprep.: Operational Report. * A/C: Aircraft. * Maj.: Major. * D.F.C.: Distinguished Flying Cross. * Lt.: Lieutenant. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Strato.-Cu.: Stratocumulus (cloud type). * pp.: Pinpoints (map coordinates). * S/C: Set Course. * TP: Turning Point. * F.Grp. USAAF: Fighter Group, United States Army Air Forces. * deg.: Degrees. * Co.: Course. * IAS: Indicated Air Speed. * m.p.h.: Miles per hour. * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E.: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. Operational Context The mission conducted on 23 April 1943 occurred during the initial phases of Operation Vulcan, the final Allied ground offensive intended to collapse the Axis bridgehead in Tunisia. Following the Allied breakthrough at the Akarit Line, German and Italian forces had withdrawn into a defensive perimeter in the northeast of the country, specifically the Cap Bon peninsula and the hills surrounding Tunis. 21 Squadron SAAF, utilizing 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft, was tasked with a medium-level bombing attack against Axis gun positions near Enfidaville. The strategic importance of this location cannot be overstated; Enfidaville formed the southern anchor of the final Axis defensive line, where the German 90th Light Division and Italian units held high ground that overlooked the coastal plain. The mission's integration with the 79th Fighter Group, USAAF for fighter escort at 1147 hours underscores the coordinated nature of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) during this decisive period. The "Note" regarding the cancellation of the move to El Djem North reflects the fluid logistical situation as the Desert Air Force (DAF) attempted to keep pace with the rapidly shifting front lines. By striking these gun positions from 7,500 feet, 21 Squadron aimed to suppress Axis artillery and facilitate the British Eighth Army's advance, maintaining the relentless pressure that would lead to the eventual Axis surrender in North Africa less than three weeks later. 63 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 23 APR 43. Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * pp.: Pinpoints (specific map coordinates). * GP: General Purpose (bomb type). * Det. (Rods): Detonators (specifically "tail rod" fuzing used to ensure an instantaneous burst upon ground contact, maximizing surface fragmentation). * A/C: Aircraft. * MT: Motor Transport (enemy vehicles). * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire. * LAA: Light Anti-Aircraft fire. * Ack/Ack: Anti-Aircraft artillery fire. * Cat. 1: Category 1 damage (damage repairable by the unit's own technical resources). * Vert. / Obl.: Vertical and Oblique (referring to aerial camera orientations). * Co. / IAS: Course and Indicated Air Speed. * RCAF / RAF: Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Air Force (personnel integrated into the SAAF squadron). * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. Operational Context The detailed Part "B" report for 23 April 1943 documents the execution phase of a major 18-aircraft strike by 21 Squadron SAAF during the final Allied offensive in Tunisia, Operation Vulcan. The target area was a concentration of Axis gun positions and dug-in fortifications on the Cap Bon peninsula. Strategically, the mission served to suppress the artillery and anti-tank defenses of the German 90th Light Division and Italian First Army as the British Eighth Army attempted to break through the rugged terrain toward Tunis. The formation utilized "boxes" to create a dense bomb pattern, successfully straddling dug-in positions and recording near misses on a blockhouse and motor transport. The technical precision of the mission is highlighted by the use of four specialized aerial cameras (vertical and oblique) to document the strike results from 7,500 feet. The mention of a "barrage of smoke" at P 245880 underscores the complexity of Allied navigation aids used to guide formations into the shrinking Axis pocket, while the loss of two aircraft to Category 1 damage from accurate Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire (HAA) indicates the high risk persistent in the final defensive perimeter of the Heeresgruppe Afrika. The crew list confirms the multi-national character of the unit, featuring South African, British (RAF), and Canadian (RCAF) personnel flying the American-built Martin Baltimore light bombers. 64 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 24 APR 43