HALFAR

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) 2nd OP OF DAY 92 Sheet No. Oprep. Ref. No. 359 Date. 31 Jul 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF ADV Type of Aircraft. 12 BALTIMORES (2 Mk 3, 9 Mk 3A, 1 Mk 4) Aircraft No. ) as per list Aircraft Letter. ) Leader of Formation. Captain MAJOR CORMACK Crew. LT. LOMBAARD Time Up. 1427 hrs LT 1st aircraft Time Down. 1641 hrs LT last aircraft Total Time. 25 hrs Aerodrome or L.G. HALFAR Type of Cloud. S/Cu and Cu Amount of Cloud. 6/10 - 8/10 Base of Cloud. 7000 ft Tops 13500 ft varying Visibility. Fair through breaks General Weather. Hazy Map or Chart Reference. 1: 500,000 SICILIA NE 36/12. Task or Duty. ROADS IN ST MARIE DI LICODIA. | Time | Height | Place | Narrative | |---|---|---|---| | 1427 | | Halfar | Airborne | | | 1800 | | S/c PALAZZOLO | | 1457 | 6500 | Palazzolo | S Cu 7/10 base 7000 ft. | | 1512 | 10,200 | | S/c TARGET | | 1525 | 12,500 | Gerbini | Turned back to rendezvous cloud 8/10-10/10ths S/Cu. Tops 13500. Target area 10/10 s/Cu. Coast clear, visibility 2/3 miles. | | | 5500 | Palazzolo | S/c BASE | | 1600 | 3000 | Pozzallo | 175° - 7 miles. Bombs jettisoned on leader. | | 1625 | 1500 | Halfar | | | | | | Landed | | 1641 | | | Last aircraft landed. | (Signature: J. S. Bester) Capt. SIO. 21 SQUADRON SAAF.

1943-07-31 HALFAR

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF ADV: South African Air Force Advanced (Headquarters). * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * Mk: Mark (designating aircraft version). * LT: Local Time. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * S/Cu and Cu: Stratocumulus and Cumulus (cloud types). * ft: feet. * SIO: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * S/c: Set Course. Personnel and Command Observations * Major Cormack and Lieutenant Lombaard: This veteran crew led the 12-aircraft "box" for the second mission of the day. Major Cormack was a primary tactical lead for 21 Squadron, often entrusted with navigating complex formations through the unpredictable Mediterranean weather. * Captain J.S. Bester: Certified the report as the SIO. His records (OPREP 359) explain that the mission was aborted because the target area was completely obscured by 10/10ths cloud cover. * The Decision to Abort: Upon reaching Gerbini at 12,500 feet, Cormack encountered towering cloud banks reaching 13,500 feet. Continuing a 12-ship formation into such conditions over the Sicilian interior was tactically unsound, leading to the realistic decision to turn back. Location and Tactical Reality * Santa Maria di Licodia (ST MARIE DI LICODIA): The intended target, a strategic road junction on the slopes of Mount Etna. Modern name unchanged. * Gerbini Aerodrome: A major Axis airbase complex in the Catania plain. It served as a landmark for the formation before they turned back toward the coast. * Pozzallo (Jettison Area): To ensure a safe landing at the short runways of Hal Far, Malta, the Baltimores had to shed their heavy ordnance. The log notes that at 1600 hours, the formation "jettisoned on leader" at a position 7 miles out from Pozzallo village to avoid civilian or friendly ground casualties. * Palazzolo Acreide (Palazzolo): Used as a standard navigational rendezvous and waypoint between the coast and the inland targets. Historical Context (Operation HUSKY) * July 31, 1943 (D+21): This was the final day of July and a frustrating end to a month of intensive SAAF operations. While the morning strike on Santa Maria di Licodia was successful, the afternoon follow-up was defeated entirely by weather. * Environmental Combat: The narrative highlights how "general weather" and haze could render even the most sophisticated medium-bomber formation of the era ineffective. Without radar-bombing capability, 21 Squadron remained entirely dependent on visual identification of targets. * The Martin Baltimore: The formation consisted of 12 aircraft, including a mix of Mk 3, Mk 3A, and the newer Mk 4 variant. The jettisoning of 72 x 250 lb General Purpose bombs (as detailed in OPREP 359) was a necessary but costly waste of resources dictated by the landing safety requirements of the Baltimore at the Malta bases. 132 The date written in the 'Date' column of the associated Sortie Report (found on the preceding sheet, page) is 31 Jul 43.