98 SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A.
(Part A.) F 43
Flight No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 84 Date. 9/10/42 Squadron 21 S.A.A.F.
Type of Aircraft. 6 Baltimores and 12 Bos- Captain Major Barnby M.
Aircraft No. tons of 24 Sqn. S.A.A.F. Crew.
Aircraft Letter.
Time Up. 1225 hrs.
Time Down. 1410 hrs. Aerodrome or L.G. 98
Total Time. 1030 hrs.
Type of Cloud. Map or Chart
Amount of Cloud. Reference.
Base of Cloud. DABA
Visibility. Good 1:250,000
General Weather. Good
Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 104
Time. Height. Place. Narrative.
L.G. 98 6 Baltimores formated on 12 Bostons of 24 Squadron,
and picked up fighter escort.
9600' Target Formation bombed on a course of 090°.
L.G. 98 All aircraft landed
PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E Instruction 34.
P.T.O.
/PMEJ - 200,000 - 3/42
B.A. L.G. 104 Dispersed aircraft on L.G. 104
B.B. 1335 hours.
B.C. Medium level Bombing attack from 9600 ft.
36 x 250lb. G.P. 43 detonator with extension rods.
B.D. All bombs in target area ; several near misses, one
direct hit on shelter (possibly aircraft shelter).
B.E. Heavy A.A. fairly accurate and intense from target area.
B.F. Three aircraft holed (slightly), crews uninjured.
B.G. NIL.
B.H. Nil observed.
CREW LIST
---------
A/C No. 108 A/C No. 910 A/C No. [Illegible]
Pilot Major Barnby Lt. Hotchkiss Lt. Martin A.R.
Observer Lt. Blackman Lt. Morrell Lt. Sadler
Gunner: Lt. Sandilands A/Sgt. Memet F/Sgt. Palmer
F/Sgt. van Schaik A/Sgt. Reid A/Sgt. Lotter
(Handwritten: No delay)
A/C No. 933 A/C No. 957 A/C No. 879
Pilot: Lt. Meredith Lt. Mouton Lt. Chisholm
Observer: Lt. Baillie Lt. Venter Lt. Campbell
Gunners: A/Sgt. Smith A/Sgt. Heyman A/Sgt. (Handwritten: DEV)
A/Sgt. O’Regan A/Sgt. Lyne A/Sgt. Hodgkinson
(Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])
SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A.
(Part A.) F 43
Flight No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 84 Date. 9/10/42 Squadron 21 S.A.A.F.
Type of Aircraft. 6 Baltimores and 12 Bos- Captain Major Barnby M.
Aircraft No. tons of 24 Sqn. S.A.A.F. Crew.
Aircraft Letter.
Time Up. 1225 hrs.
Time Down. 1410 hrs. …
__o_O_o__
Form 541 6 Baltimores and 12 Bos- Captain Major Barnby M.
Lt. Meredith Lt. Pilot
Lt. Baillie Lt. Observer
Transcriber's Notes Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms:
* R A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Sortie Report form used for documenting individual mission results.
* Oprep. Ref. No. 84: Operational Report reference number 84.
* 21 S.A.A.F. / 24 Sqn. S.A.A.F.: No. 21 and No. 24 Squadrons of the South African Air Force.
* Baltimores / Bostons: Refers to the Martin Baltimore and Douglas Boston light bombers used by the South African Air Force in the Western Desert.
* Major Barnby M.: Milton Barnby, the flight leader for this sortie.
* L.G. 98 / L.G. 104: Landing Ground 98 (the squadron's base) and Landing Ground 104 (the target airfield).
* DABA: El Daba, the regional map reference area.
* 9600': Nine thousand six hundred feet, the release altitude for the bombing run.
* 090°: A heading of ninety degrees (due East).
* H.Q. R.A.F. M.E: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.
* P.T.O.: Please Turn Over.
Operational Context:
The mission on 9 October 1942 was a concerted effort by No. 3 (S.A.) Wing to suppress Axis air capabilities during the critical fortnight preceding the Second Battle of El Alamein. Stationed at L.G. 98, No. 21 Squadron contributed six Martin Baltimores to a larger formation led by twelve Douglas Bostons from No. 24 Squadron SAAF.
The target, L.G. 104, was a vital Axis forward landing ground in the El Daba sector. By targeting these airstrips, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) aimed to achieve local air superiority by destroying Axis aircraft on the ground and cratering runways, thereby preventing the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica from interdicting Allied logistical buildups.
The tactical execution involved a "medium level bombing attack" at 9,600 feet, supported by a fighter escort—likely P-40 Kittyhawks—to defend against Axis interceptors. The specific bombing course of 090° indicates an approach from the west, designed to maximize the spread of ordnance across the target airfield's dispersal areas. This sortie was indicative of the "Boston Tea Party" and "Baltimore" shuttle-bombing tactics that characterized the Desert Air Force's (DAF) campaign to exert maximum pressure on German-Italian air assets prior to the 8th Army's ground offensive. The archival notation "F 43" on folio 43 indicates this report's chronological placement within the unit's permanent operational record.
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Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: No specific date is recorded on the reverse of this form (Part B); however, internal cross-referencing with the front of the document (Part A) identifies the date as 9/10/42.
Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms:
* L.G. 104: Landing Ground 104. A forward Axis airfield located in the El Daba region of Egypt.
* ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the release altitude of 9,600 feet.
* 250lb. G.P.: 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs.
* 43 detonator with extension rods: Refers to the No. 43 tail pistol/detonator fitted with "daisy cutter" extension rods on the nose. These rods were designed to trigger the bomb slightly above the ground to maximize the lateral fragmentation blast against soft targets like "dispersed aircraft".
* A.A.: Anti-Aircraft fire, specifically noted as "Heavy" and "accurate" during the bomb run.
* A/C No.: Aircraft Number, the unique serial identification for the Martin Baltimore bombers used in the sortie.
* A/Sgt. / F/Sgt. / Lt. / Major: Rank abbreviations for Acting Sergeant, Flight Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Major respectively.
* No delay: A handwritten technical note indicating that the bomb fuses were set for instantaneous detonation upon impact (via the extension rods) rather than a timed delay.
* DEV: A handwritten notation, likely referring to the individual's name or a specific crew assignment (possibly "De Villiers").
Operational Context:
This Sortie Report (Part B) details the tactical results of a medium-level strike against L.G. 104 on 9 October 1942. Strategically, the attack was part of a concerted "airfield neutralization" campaign conducted by the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) during the final phase of the buildup to the Second Battle of El Alamein.
The use of "extension rods" on the 250lb G.P. bombs confirms the intent to maximize lethality against Axis aircraft parked in the open. By detonating the ordnance just above the surface, the blast radius effectively shredded airframes and punctured fuel stores without the energy being absorbed by cratering the desert floor. The report of "several near misses" and a "direct hit on a shelter" indicates that despite "intense" and "accurate" heavy anti-aircraft fire from the El Daba sector, the formation successfully delivered its payload.
The damage sustained—three aircraft "holed"—illustrates the mounting pressure Axis ground defenses were placing on Allied light bomber formations as they intensified their "shuttle bombing" sorties. The crew list, featuring six Martin Baltimores led by Major Barnby, provides a record of the specific personnel involved in these high-stakes interdiction missions designed to cripple the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica on the ground before the 8th Army launched its offensive.
54
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 9/10/42
