Sortie Report (Form 541)
L 30R.A.F. Form 441 A.SORTIE REPORT(Part A)| [Header Columns] | [Content] ||---|---|| Sheet No. | 1 || Oprep. Ref. No. | 517 || Date | 16 Jan 44 || Squadron | 21 SAAF || Type of Aircraft | 12 Baltimores (Mk.4) || Aircraft No. | See over || Aircraft Letter | || Captain | MAJOR ORD || Crew | LT HODGES || | Formation Leader || Time Up | 1427 A Hrs 1st aircraft || Time Down | 1623 A Hrs last aircraft || Total Time | 21.00 Hours || Aerodrome or L.G. | TORTORELLA || Type of Cloud | St.Cu and Cu. ||---|---|| Amount of Cloud | 9/10 - 10/10 || Base of Cloud | 4500' 10000' Tops || Visibility | Good through breaks || General Weather | Cloudy || Map or Chart Reference | ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 141 CHIETI ||---|---|| Task or Duty | DEFENDED STRONG POINTS C275150 - C275155 - EAST of TOLLO ||---|---|| Time | Height | Place | Narrative ||---|---|---|---|| 1427 | | BASE | A/b || 1456 | 2500 | BASE | S/c TERMOLI || 1506 | 4000 | 5 mls. N.W. S. SEVERO | A/c to point on coast, 4 miles N.W. of LESINA, to climb through gap in cloud || 1516 | 9000 | TERMOLI | Made circuit to pick up 223 Squadron || 1520 | 9000 | TERMOLI | S/c VITO || 1531 | 12000 | VITO | Crossed coast || 1532 | 12000 | C315088 | S/c 10 miles EAST of ORTONA. Lost height through gap in cloud || 1537 | 3000 | 10 mls EAST of ORTONA | S/c BASE || 1603 | 2000 | BASE | Over Base || 1608 | | | Landed || 1623 | | | Last a/c 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.
Transcriber's Notes
- Aircraft
- The entire formation consisted of 12 Baltimores (Mk.4), the modern turreted variant, which would have offered better defense had they encountered fighters while circling. 39 Verification: Target File Verification: This document is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for January 16th, 1944 (Sortie No. 517). While there is no "Date" column on this side, the "Time over Target" in section BB is 1532 A Hrs, and the target "Defended Strong points... EAST of TOLLO" aligns perfectly with the Part A document (file 269-1__38.jpg) and the War Diary entry for that date.