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Tuesday, 24 April 1945

Time: 12:00 hrs

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Date
24th APRIL, 1945
APPENDIX "DD"226FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.TO : W.I.O. 3 WING S.A.A.F.H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATION RECORDS)H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( SCORU)REF. : 21S/1016DATE : 24th APRIL, 1945.OPREP NO. 1016 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 1200 HRS. ON THE 24th APRIL, 1945. REF. MAPS YUGOSLAVIA 1:100,000 SHEET Y 10 ( BLED. & ITALY --- 1:100,000 SHEET 40A - GORIZIA. - - - - - - - - -
<u>OPERATION NO. 212/21S/M.</u>
A : 12 Marauders (4-4-4) airborne from Jesi landing ground between0757 - 1114 hrs to bomb PONTESBA JESENICE M/Yards (D.035605).Formation set course from PORTO CORSINI with an escort of 8Spitfires at 0855 hrs. The formation bombed at 0945 hrs. on acourse of 320º from 10500'. Patterns of the 1st and 2nd boxesfell with a slight overshoot. Beginning of patterns scoreddirect hits on buildings on the eastern edge of the yards withhits or near misses on tracks. The third had a slight under-shoot. End of pattern finished in the yards with direct hitson railway trucks. No enemy opposition encountered. Weather;target clear with a good visibility. One Marauder airborne at 0740 hrs. on windfinding mission for the wing, afterwards to bomb Gorizia M/Yards. Wind of 004/25 was found and passed to the wing formations. A/C bombed at 0940 hrs. on a course of 192º from 12000'. Pattern fell with an undershoot in open country. No enemy opposition. Weather; target clear visibility good.
B : (1) 13 Marauders III (ii) NilC : (1) & (11) NilD : (1) 41.10 Hrs (11) NilE : (1) 44,200 x .50 (11) & (111) NilF : (1) 78 x 500 demo (11) 75 x 500 (iii) 3 x 500 (iv) Nil52 x 250 fused 50 x 250 2 x 25020 Pkts Pamphlets dispensedG to Z : Nil S.L. Boshoff [handwritten signature] ___-------------------- Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.2010SA21/852 24 APR 45 F14 || HH G0360 10400 0946 BI4K

Transcriber's Notes

S.I.O
Squadron Intelligence Officer, Capt. S.L. Boshoff.
21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F
No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. By April 1945, this medium bomber unit was part of No. 3 Wing SAAF within the Desert Air Force (DAF).
3 WING S.A.A.F
No. 3 (SAAF) Wing, the administrative and operational command for the squadron during the final spring offensive.
OPREP NO. 1016
Operational Report number 1016, documenting combat results for the period ending 12:00 hours on 24th April 1945.
F14
Focal length of the camera lens (14 inches) utilized for high-altitude vertical strike photography.
HH G0360
Map reference G. 0360 (specifically identifying coordinates near D.035605), identifying the target area for the Pontesba Jesenice Marshalling Yards on the Yugoslavia 1:100,000 Sheet Y 10.
BI4K
Box I, 4th aircraft, Kinematograph. This technical suffix identifies the photographic record from the fourth aircraft in the first four-plane formation (Box I).

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied demolition bombs. This mission utilized demolition ordnance (Demo) to destroy railway infrastructure and rolling stock.

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance classifications. For this mission, the unit utilized 500 lb and 250 lb General Purpose (GP) demolition bombs (Demo) to destroy railway infrastructure.