BEN HAGEN LG.

SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) R.A.F. Form 441 A. W. Diary 30 NIGHT OPERATION Sortie No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 329 Date 7/8 July 43 Squadron. 21 Sqdn. Type of Aircraft. 1 MK 3A & 3 MK 3 BALTIMORES Aircraft No. ) as per List. Aircraft Letter. ) Captain Lt. Col. Coppen DFC. Capt. Farrant. Crew. Other aircraft followed same course 3 minute intervals. Time Up. 0220 (Pathfinder) LT. Time Down. 0610 LT last aircraft. Total Time. 11 hrs 35 mins. Aerodrome or L.G. BEN HAGEN LG. Type of Cloud. Amount of Cloud. Base of Cloud. Visibility. General Weather. Map or Chart Reference. SICILIA. 1:500,000 NE 36/12. Task or Duty. MEDIUM LEVEL BOMBING ATTACK ON SCIACCA LG. | Time | Height | Place | Narrative | |---|---|---|---| | 0220 | | Ben Hagen | Airborne and set course 035° Mag. | | 0226 | 2500 | Ras Fortass | set course MENZEL TEMIME. | | 0244 | 4000 | Menzel Temime | set course for HERGLA. | | 0255 | 6000 | Hergla (vicinity) | set course for MONTEIA. | | 0316 | 8000 | South of Kelibia | set course for GRANITOLA 061° Mag. | | 0339 | 10000 | Granitola. | Did 4 min circuit over point. | | 0347 | 10000 | Granitola | set course for TARGET. | | 0354 | 10000 | Marinella | aircraft 094° Mag. | | 0349 | 10000 | | Dropped two flares – course 094° Mag. | | 0401 | 10000 | S. Marco | set course 034° Mag. | | 0356 | 10000 | | Dropped one flare. | | 0401 | 8000 | C. Bianco | set course 323° Mag. | | 0403 | 8000 | | Dropped two flares. | | 0410 | 8000 | | Bombing on course 310° Mag. | | 0420 | 6000 | Marinella | set course for KORBA 245° Mag. | | 0500 | 4000 | Korba | aircraft for BEN HAGEN. | | 0522 | | Ben Hagen | Landed. | | 0610 | | | | (Signature: J.S. Besson) Capt. SIO. 21 SQUADRON. SAAF. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34. P/PMEJ - 200,000 - 3/42 P.T.O.

1943-07-08 BEN HAGEN LG.

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded: * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * Oprep: Operational Report. * MK: Mark (designating the version of the aircraft). * DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross. * LT: Local Time. * L.G. / LG: Landing Ground. * Mag. / ° Mag.: Magnetic (referring to compass headings). * S. Marco: San Marco (Capo San Marco). * C. Bianco: Capo Bianco. * SIO: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E.: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. * Observations about Individuals Mentioned: * Lieutenant Colonel C.S. Coppen, DFC: The Commanding Officer (C.O.) of No. 21 Squadron. This name is frequently listed interchangeably with Lt. Col. J.A.G. Rademan, DFC, in various official squadron documents of this period. His leadership of the "Pathfinder" aircraft—responsible for precise navigation and target illumination—was a critical "lead from the front" role during this high-stakes period. * Captain Farrant: Farrant served as the primary Captain of the lead crew alongside the C.O.. * Captain J.S. Besson: The SIO who certified this detailed navigational log. * Information about the Location: * Ben Hagen, Tunisia: The squadron’s forward operating base in North Africa. * Sciacca LG: A strategic Axis satellite airfield in southwestern Sicily targeted to suppress air defenses before the invasion. * Modern Name: Today, Sciacca is a prominent coastal town in the Province of Agrigento, Italy. * Coastal Landmarks: The log traces a complex navigational path across the Mediterranean using points like Ras Fortass, Menzel Temime, Hergla, and Kelibia in Tunisia, before making landfall at Granitola and Capo San Marco in Sicily. * Historical Context and Theatre Events: * Operation HUSKY Countdown: Flown on the night of July 7/8, 1943, this mission occurred less than 48 hours before the massive Allied invasion of Sicily began on July 10. * Pathfinder Tactics: This report provides a rare technical look at Pathfinder operations. Coppen's aircraft acted as the "flare dropper," circuiting key coastal points like Granitola at 10,000 feet to establish a precise "gate" for the following bombers to follow at 3-minute intervals. * Tactical Resilience: Following the unit’s heavy losses on July 3, the shift to night operations with specialized Pathfinder-led formations was a tactical evolution designed to maintain pressure on Axis airfields while mitigating the threat of daytime flak and fighters. * The Martin Baltimore: The formation utilized the Martin Baltimore III and IIIA, light-medium bombers that were instrumental to SAAF operations in the Mediterranean. 39 The document in target file 276-1_39.jpg is a continuation of a Sortie Report and a Crew List; while it does not contain a dedicated 'Date' column on this page, the header of the crew list at the bottom establishes the mission date as 7/8 JULY 43.