Weather good.

P O S T A G R A M. 73 To : SCOR Officer, AHQ. MALTA. Please repeat to : HQ. RAF. ME. HQ. NAAF. (attention 23rd SCORU) N.A.T.A.F. (attention 2nd Command Unit, 23rd SCORU) SIO. TBF. SIO. HALFAR RAF STATION. From : SIO. 21 SQUADRON. SAAF. Ref : 21 Sqdn/350. OPREP NO. 350 for 24 hrs ending 1800 hrs LT on 25 JULY 43. A. Formation took off at 1427 hrs LT and attacked ADRANO VILLAGE CROSS ROADS from 11500 ft on course of 345º at 1614 hrs LT. Landed 1712 hrs. Bombs burst across buildings and Railway station NE of village. Bursts observed in dump of yellow boxes SOUTH of village. NO results observed. Spasmodic HAA inaccurate from Target. Weather good. B. 12 Baltimores (2 MK III and 10 MK IIIA) C. NIL. D. 32 hours. E. (1) 2 MK 3: 6400 x .30, 4600 x .303. 10 MK 3A: 32000 x .30, 7000 x .5, 3000 x .303. (ii) (iii) NIL. F. (1) 2 MK 3 : 12 x 250 GP 47 Det 28 Pistol. 10 MK 3A: 60 x 250 GP 47 Det 28 Pistol. (ii) As in (1). (iii) (iv) NIL. G. H. J. V. NIL. W. (i) 2 (ii) NIL. X. (1) MK 3: 4 hrs 25 mins (ii) NIL. Y. Z. NIL. (Signature: J.S. Bester) Capt. SIO. 21 SQUADRON. SAAF.

1943-07-25

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * AHQ: Air Headquarters. * RAF: Royal Air Force. * ME: Middle East. * NAAF: Northwest African Air Forces. * SCORU: Section Control and Operational Research Unit. * N.A.T.A.F.: Northwest African Tactical Air Force. * SIO: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * TBF: Tactical Bomber Force. * SAAF: South African Air Force. * OPREP: Operational Report. * LT: Local Time. * ft: feet. * NE: North-East. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery. * MK: Mark (referring to aircraft version). * GP: General Purpose (bombs). * Det: Detonator. Personnel Observations * Captain J.S. Bester: Certified this report as the SIO. Bester appears to have managed the intense transition of the squadron from Tunisia to Hal Far, Malta, ensuring that intelligence and reporting remained consistent as the squadron increased the tempo of daylight strikes. Location and Historical Context * Adrano, Sicily: A town situated on the southwestern slopes of Mount Etna. During the campaign, Adrano (its modern name, though often referred to as Adernò in contemporary documents) was a vital defensive anchor for the Axis "Etna Line". * Targeting Logistics: The strike targeted the village crossroads and the railway station to the northeast. The specific mention of bursts in a "dump of yellow boxes SOUTH of village" is an intriguing detail, likely signifying a confirmed hit on a munitions or fuel storage facility, as yellow was a common color coding for certain Axis supply crates. * Operation HUSKY (D+15): July 25, 1943, was a day of monumental political and military significance. In Rome, Benito Mussolini was dismissed by King Victor Emmanuel III and arrested, signaling the beginning of the Italian collapse. On the ground in Sicily, 21 Squadron's bombing of Adrano supported the British 8th Army's push against the stubborn German paratrooper and panzergrenadier units holding the heights around the volcano. Ordnance and Strike Analysis * The "Malta Effect": Operating from Hal Far, the squadron was able to launch a 12-aircraft formation for a mission lasting nearly three hours, delivering 72 x 250 lb General Purpose bombs. * Ammunition Expenditure: The report details a staggering expenditure of over 45,000 rounds of .30, .303, and .50 caliber machine gun ammunition. This volume suggests either heavy suppression fire during the run or significant defensive fire against Axis interceptors silhouetted against the bright Sicilian afternoon sun. * The Martin Baltimore: The formation utilized a mix of 2 Mk III and 10 Mk IIIA aircraft. This reflects the squadron's high operational availability, with the Mk IIIA increasingly becoming the workhorse for high-altitude daylight formation strikes. 104 The date written in the 'Date' column of the sortie report for target file 276-1_104.jpg is 25.Jul.43.