Operation

BA: C395049 - NORTH FOSSACESIA BB: 1137 A Hrs BC: Medium level bombing 10500' 270º 24 x 500 MC 43 Set 27 Pistol 36 x 250 GP do do (Rods) (1 x 250 jettisoned H622093 7500' at 1142 Hrs) BD: First box overshot from C390050 on course in short stick. Bombs falling NORTH of wadi WEST of town. Second box hit target area C395050 to C392050. 3 direct hits on road. Bombs fell just NORTH of buildings, N.R.O. BE: 15 bursts H/A/A to NORTH in distance after bombing BF: NIL BG: Verticals and Obliques of bomb bursts BH: Medium fire with yellow ~~XXXXX~~ flame in ~~Western~~ Northern portion of town 4 S/E A/C seen 500' below formation during bombing run, and bombing - interfered with Leader's bombing. AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST. 167S CAPT SMIT LT KAY F/SGT JENSEN A/SGT SCHOOMBIE 181Y LT ROBERTSON LT HANNING F/SGT DU PIESANIE F/SGT VALENTINE 383W LT GREDER LT REES F/SGT GREYLING A/SGT AIREY 387R LT RICHARDS LT KIRBY F/SGT ROBBERTSE A/SGT McCRINDLE 445U CAPT V. BREDA LT NAUDE F/SGT GRATTON P/O GILDON 181T LT HILL LT PIETERS F/SGT V.D.WESTHUIZEN A/SGT JENKINSON 586B CAPT SAUNDERS P/O SMALLMAN LT POTGIETER A/SGT EARP-JONES 545A LT ASKEW LT LAMBERT F/SGT GELDENHUYS LT V.SCHALKWYK 341L LT LONGMORE LT KENDAL F/SGT THEUNISSEN A/SGT MACKAY 426J LT WOOD LT NEL F/SGT JAMES A/SGT ROBERTSON 578G CAPT JOB LT OWEN-HUGHES F/SGT JARVIS LT SHAW 916K LT WITTE LT RUSHFORTH F/SGT EATON A/SGT MARAIS

1943-11-28

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Glossary of Terms * BA–BH: Standardized Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) intelligence reporting blocks for Target (BA), Time (BB), Weaponry/Altitude (BC), Narrative (BD), Opposition (BE), Losses (BF), Photography (BG), and Observations (BH). * MC / GP: Medium Capacity (high explosive blast emphasis) / General Purpose (fragmentation/utility). * Set / Pistol: Detonator and mechanical impact or delay firing mechanism. * Rods: Nose-extension rods fitted to GP bombs to trigger instantaneous detonation at ground level, maximizing fragmentation spread against "soft" targets like infantry. * N.R.O.: No Results Observed. * H/A/A: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire (Flak). * S/E A/C: Single-Engine Aircraft. * A Hrs: Army Hours (Standardized military time). Biographical Analysis * Captain Smit: Serving as Formation Leader in aircraft 167S. Smit maintained a relentless operational tempo throughout the Sangro campaign. * Lieutenants Robertson and Hanning: Flying in aircraft 181Y. This document represents the final combat sortie for this crew; both Robertson and Hanning were killed in a takeoff accident at Tortorella later this same day, November 28, 1943. * Lieutenant Longmore: Piloting aircraft 341L. Longmore remained one of the squadron's most consistent junior leads during the November interdiction missions. Operational Context: Fossacesia (C395049) On 28 November 1943, Fossacesia was a cornerstone of the German Bernhardt Line (Reinhard Line) anchoring the Adriatic flank. The target area, north of the town near a strategic wadi, was being heavily fortified by the German 76th Panzer Corps to repel the British Eighth Army's cross-river assault. The interdiction of the roads at C395050 was intended to paralyze German reserves and artillery support commanding the Sangro River mouth. Execution Constraints and Tactical Incidents * In-Flight Jettison: Section BC records that one 250lb GP bomb was jettisoned at 1142 Hrs over grid H622093 (an area inland near the front lines). Such actions were typically necessitated by mechanical shackle failure or to lighten the aircraft following an engine anomaly. * Aerial Interference: Section BH records a hazardous encounter with 4 S/E A/C (Single-Engine Aircraft) flying 500 feet below the formation. These were likely friendly Allied fighters (Spitfires or Kittyhawks) operating in the same localized airspace; their presence directly interfered with Captain Smit's bombing run, contributing to the "overshot" results mentioned in BD. * Observation Marginalia: The intelligence officer corrected the location of the yellow-flame fire from the "Western" to the "Northern" portion of the town, indicating the precision required for target damage assessment in the immediate rear areas of the Bernhardt Line. 141 The verification date for the archival document 276-2__141.jpg is 28 Nov 43. Phase 1: Verbatim Transcription R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) 222 Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 463 Date. 28 Nov 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores Type of Aircraft. (1 Mk.3, 2 Mk.3A, 8 Mk.4) Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) See over Captain LT/COL KOTZE Crew. LT CARTER Formation Leader Time Up. 1357 A Hrs 1st aircraft Time Down. 1516 A Hrs Last aircraft Total Time. 14.00 Hours Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. Cu Amount of Cloud. Scattered over target 5/10 - inland 10/10 Base of Cloud. 4500' Visibility. 8/10 miles General Weather. Fair with slight haze Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 147 Task or Duty. C330025 - S.E. of LANCIANO Time. Height. Place. Narrative. 1357 — BASE A/B 1411 3000 BASE S/c TERMOLI 1435 10000 TERMOLI S/c PENNA PT. 1447 11500 TARGET BOMBS DROPPED 1510 2000 BASE Circling ) Landed Last aircraft landed (Sgd) [unclear signature] Lt for Capt SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34. /PMEJ-200.000-3/42 P.T.O. Phase 2: Technical & Biographical Expansion Glossary of Terms * A Hrs: Army Hours; military time synchronized for Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) operations. * A/B: Airborne. * BA-BH: Standardized intelligence reporting blocks used on Part B of Form 441 A: Target (BA), Time (BB), Weaponry/Altitude (BC), Narrative (BD), Opposition (BE), Losses (BF), Photography (BG), and General Observations (BH). * Cu: Cumulus clouds. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Mk.3, 3A, 4: Successive Marks (variants) of the Martin Baltimore light bomber. * S/c: Set course. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. Biographical Context * Lieutenant Colonel Kotze: Serving as Formation Leader. Kotze had recently assumed command of 21 Squadron following the loss of Lt. Col. Jack Britz on November 3. * Squadron Tragedy: This report (Oprep Ref No. 463) represents the final successful 12-aircraft sortie coordinated before a major accident later this day. Lieutenants Robertson and Hanning, who had flown on the morning strike (Oprep Ref No. 462), were killed in a takeoff accident at Tortorella shortly after the 1100 Hrs mission. Operational Context: South-East of Lanciano (C330025) The coordinate C330025 targets tactical positions southeast of Lanciano. This mission was flown during the critical final hours before the British Eighth Army launched its full-scale assault to rupture the German Bernhardt Line (Reinhard Line). Lanciano sat on a high ridge commanding the southern approaches to the Sangro River. Interdicting German troop and artillery concentrations in this sector was a tactical prerequisite for the river crossing. Execution Constraints * Meteorological Obstacles: The mission encountered significant cloud cover, recorded as 10/10 (full overcast) further inland. To ensure visual identification through the "scattered" 5/10 cloud over the target, the formation bombed from 11,500 feet. * Operational Tempo: The sortie duration of 1 hour and 19 minutes reflects the high operational reach and tactical efficiency of the Desert Air Force (DAF) units based on the Foggia plain. * Handwritten Marginalia: A clerical correction is visible in the Captain's block where "Leader" was completed by hand. The signature block features the notation "Lt for Capt," indicating that a junior officer signed the formal record for the Senior Intelligence Officer, a common occurrence during the intense operational rotations of the Sangro campaign. 142 The verification date for the archival document 276-2__142.jpg, as cross-referenced from its corresponding Part A (Image 141), is 28 Nov 43.