| TORTORELLA |

M 31 R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A) | [Header Columns] | [Content] | |---|---| | Sheet No. | 1 | | Oprep. Ref. No. | 520 | | Date | 19 Jan 44 | | Squadron | 21 SAAF | | Type of Aircraft | 12 Baltimores (1 Mk.3A, 11 Mk.4) | | Aircraft No. | See over | | Aircraft Letter | | | Captain | MAJOR ORD | | Crew | LT HODGES | | | Formation Leader | | Time Up | 1019 A Hrs 1st a/c | | Time Down | 1214 A Hrs last a/c | | Total Time | 19.20 Hours | | Aerodrome or L.G. | TORTORELLA | | Type of Cloud | Alto. St. | St. | |---|---|---| | Amount of Cloud | 8/10 over target. | 5/10-7/10 | | Base of Cloud | 20000' | 3/4000' | | Visibility | 15/20 mls over target. | 5/10 SAN SEVERA | | General Weather | Good with heavy haze near Base. | | | Map or Chart Reference | ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 146 SULMONA | |---|---| | Task or Duty | SULMONA RR. STN. - C914843 | |---|---| | Time | Height | Place | Narrative | |---|---|---|---| | 1019 | | BASE | a/b | | 1034 | 2000 | BASE | S/c TERMOLI | | 1056 | 9000 | TERMOLI | S/c PENNA PT. | | 1102 | 11000 | PENNA PT. | S/c CASOLI | | 1108 | 13700 | CASOLI | S/c PRATOLA PELIGNA | | 1115 | 12000 | SULMONA | On Bombing run Co. 070°M. | | 1116 | 11800 | SULMONA | CASOLI | | 1121 | 9000 | CASOLI | S/c BASE | | 1147 | 2000 | BASE | Over Base | | 1152 | | BASE | Landed | | 1214 | | | 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.

1944-01-19 | TORTORELLA |

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes: * Sortie Report 520 (Sulmona - First Raid): This report details the first of two raids on Sulmona Railway Station conducted on January 19th, 1944. The War Diary entry for this day (file 269-1__9.jpg) describes the raid as successful: "the target was well hit, the pattern falling across the Northern half of the R.R. Yards with a direct hit on the Station". * Target Geography: Sulmona (spelled "Sulmona" and "Solmona" interchangeably in records) sits in a strategic valley deep in the Apennines. The narrative mentions a waypoint at Pratola Peligna, a smaller town just north of Sulmona. This approach allowed the bombers to line up their run ("Co. 070°M" - Magnetic Heading 070 degrees) along the valley floor to hit the rail yards effectively. * Weather Clearance: The weather report shows "Alto. St." (Altostratus) at 20,000 feet, but with visibility of "15/20 mls over target." This high ceiling and good visibility were crucial for the accuracy mentioned in the diary, allowing the bombardiers a clear view of the station from 12,000 feet. * Mission Commander: Major Ord continues his intense operational schedule, leading this mission with Lt. Hodges. The consistency of this lead crew (Ord/Hodges) throughout January 1944 is remarkable. * Route: The flight path follows the standard "safe corridor" up the coast: Base -> Termoli -> Penna Point -> Casoli (turning inland) -> Target. This route minimized time over enemy territory while maximizing navigational certainty using coastal landmarks. * San Severo: The weather section mentions visibility at "SAN SEVERA" (San Severo), a large town near the airfields on the Foggia plain, often used as a local weather reference point. The spelling "Severa" is a minor phonetic error common in these typed logs. 41 Verification: Target File Verification: This document is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for January 19th, 1944 (Sortie No. 520). Although there is no specific "Date" column on this side, the target "SULMONA RR. STN" matches the Part A document from the previous image (269-1__40.jpg) dated Jan 19, 1944, and the War Diary entry for that date.