Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Duty
- Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 104 Time. Height. Place
SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A.(Part A.) F 43Flight 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. 98Total Time. 1030 hrs.Type of Cloud. Map or ChartAmount of Cloud. Reference.Base of Cloud. DABAVisibility. Good 1:250,000General Weather. GoodTask or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 104Time. 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 - 3/42B.A. L.G. 104 Dispersed aircraft on L.G. 104B.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, onedirect 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. SadlerGunner: Lt. Sandilands A/Sgt. Memet F/Sgt. PalmerF/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. ChisholmObserver: Lt. Baillie Lt. Venter Lt. CampbellGunners: A/Sgt. Smith A/Sgt. Heyman A/Sgt. (Handwritten: DEV)A/Sgt. O’Regan A/Sgt. Lyne A/Sgt. Hodgkinson (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])
Transcriber's Notes
- Major Barnby M
- Milton Barnby, the flight leader for this sortie.
- DABA
- El Daba, the regional map reference area.
- L.G. 104
- Landing Ground 104. A forward Axis airfield located in the El Daba region of Egypt.
- H.Q. R.A.F. M.E
- Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.
- 250lb. G.P
- 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs.
- 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.
- 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
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.
9600': Nine thousand six hundred feet, the release altitude for the bombing run.
ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the release altitude of 9,600 feet.
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".
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.
Crew
Pilot Lt. Meredith Lt. Mouton
Observer Lt. Baillie Lt. Venter