Between El Abiar and Barce.

21 SQUADRON S. A. A. F. OPERATIONAL REPORT NO. 18. COPY NO. 5.... (O.O. Nos. 261 Wing Operation order No. "A" and Squadron Operation order No. 18) DATE: 30. 10. 41. MAP REF: Target map B./2 and Benghazi 1:500000 DATE OF OPERATION. 30th. October 1941. NUMBER AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. 9 Marylands DUTY. Bombing attack from 20000 ft. on shipping in Benghazi Harbour. Shipping likely to be anchored in area between Mole Giuliana and Central Mole. NARRATIVE. The Squadron took off from L. G. 075 at 1015 hours, after information received by the Squadron Intelligence Officer from Intelligence 261 Wing, had been imparted to the crews. The Squadron ran into 10/10 cloud at 1154 hours. The Leader saw what appeared to be the coast line ahead and turned to starboard to approach the target, but approximately 20 minutes later unfamiliar landmarks were observed along the coast that now became visible. Formation leader turned to port in an endeavour to locate target. At this stage a collision occurred between the leader and No. 3 of the last vic. Both damaged aircraft fell away from the formation. No. 3 in a very steep glide. Two of the crew were seen to bale out and the diving aircraft was soon lost in cloud and haze. The leader of the formation on receiving this information and also that 3 enemy fighters were seen about a mile away, but below, decided to turn to port and enable No. 3 to link up. At this stage a camp of about 200 tents and buildings were seen. It had the appearance of a permanent camp. Five to ten miles to the South West of this camp, were some white buildings and what appeared like two small forts. The white buildings were bombed and two sticks are reported to have scored direct hits. One other stick was dropped on a row of hutments, with unobserved results. The rest of the bombs were jettisoned and seven aircraft returned to base, at 1500 hours. Half an hour later the Leader of the third vic landed. His aircraft was badly damaged, and to enable him to keep height, guns and ammunition were jettisoned. The aircraft maintained a height of 4000 ft., and the line was crossed at Halfaya Pass, where evasive tactics were employed to avoid Breda fire from five or six batteries. The aircraft landed at base at 1539 hours. It was airborne for 5 hours 30 min., and had 60 gallons of petrol left. Seven of the eight bombs were not jettisoned, as the electrical system failed, due to the collision. NOTE: Approximate position where bombs were dropped and collision [strike-through] XXXXX [/strike-through] took place: Between El Abiar and Barce. 2000 pamphlets ( of No. 4 ) were dropped over the area where the bombs were dropped. No. of damaged machine "D" 1661. No. of missing machine "S" 1672. WEATHER. 8/10 to 10/10 cloud over target. Depth of cloud approximately 10000 ft. Haze over desert. TIMES. Airborne 0710 hours. Landed 075 L.G. 0800 hours. Airborne 1015 hours. Collision and Bombing 1240 hours. Landed base 1500 hours. Total hours flown ( 8 Acft.) 45h. 19m. PHOTOGRAPHY. 5 cameras. Only one used which shows bombs bursting across buildings. DISTRIBUTION. Same as Report No. 17. [handwritten signature] L Saunders 2/Lt. for S. I. O.

1941-10-30 Between El Abiar and Barce.

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. At this period of the Western Desert Campaign, the unit was equipped with Martin Maryland medium bombers, performing high-altitude horizontal bombing. * 261 WING: The higher tactical command (Royal Air Force Wing) overseeing 21 Squadron, responsible for coordinating operational orders and intelligence. * B./2 (TARGET MAP): A specific 1:500000 scale tactical reference map for Benghazi, used for identifying harbor infrastructure and shipping berths. * BREDA FIRE: Anti-aircraft fire from Italian-manufactured Breda machine guns or light cannons, such as the 20mm Breda Model 35. * EL ABIAR AND BARCE: Geographic locations in the Cyrenaican interior (the Jebel Akhdar region) where the mid-air collision and subsequent emergency bombing took place after the formation was pushed off course. * HALFAYA PASS: A strategic mountain pass on the Egypt-Libya border. Known colloquially as "Hellfire Pass," it was a heavily contested and fortified Axis position. * L. G. 075: Landing Ground 075 (Libya), a forward refueling point essential for extending the operational radius of Marylands for deep-penetration strikes. * MACHINE "D" 1661 / MACHINE "S" 1672: Martin Maryland airframe serial numbers. Machine 1661 sustained damage but returned to base; Machine 1672 was the "missing machine" following the collision. * MOLE GIULIANA / CENTRAL MOLE: Key man-made breakwater and dock structures in Benghazi Harbour. * S. I. O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * VIC: A standard tactical flying formation consisting of three aircraft in a "V" shape. Operational Context Operational Report No. 18, dated 30 October 1941, documents a high-altitude daylight strike that deviated significantly from its intended strategic objective. The primary mission was the interdiction of Axis shipping in Benghazi Harbour, specifically vessels moored between the Mole Giuliana and the Central Mole. Strategically, destroying maritime logistics at Benghazi was a prerequisite for Allied success in the upcoming Operation Crusader, as the port was the primary terminal for German and Italian fuel and ammunition. The mission was heavily compromised by meteorological conditions. The formation encountered 10/10 cloud cover (a solid overcast) at 11:54 hours, leading to a navigational error that placed the squadron over the El Abiar and Barce areas instead of the intended harbor. The engagement shifted from a strategic port strike to a target of opportunity—an Axis military camp—following a catastrophic mid-air collision within the formation. Execution Constraints The operation faced extreme execution failures due to both environment and accidents. Navigational difficulties in the 10/10 cloud (with a depth of 10,000 ft) resulted in the leader missing the target and spending 20 minutes searching for familiar landmarks. During a subsequent turn to port, a mid-air collision occurred between the leader and No. 3 of the last vic. The collision led to the loss of Maryland "S" 1672, with only two crew members observed parachuting before the aircraft disappeared into the haze. The damaged leader, in Maryland "D" 1661, was forced to jettison guns and ammunition to maintain a height of 4,000 ft for the return flight. Mechanical failure (electrical system damage) prevented the leader from jettisoning seven of his eight bombs. The remaining aircraft attacked an Axis camp and forts between El Abiar and Barce, with one stick hitting "white buildings" and another hitting "hutments". The report also notes the psychological component of the mission: 2000 pamphlets were dropped over the secondary target area. The return leg necessitated crossing the heavily defended Halfaya Pass at low altitude, requiring evasive action against multiple Breda batteries. The total cumulative flight time of 45 hours and 19 minutes for the surviving eight aircraft underscores the high cost of this unsuccessful sortie. 101 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: There is no specific 'Date' column on this document. However, the file serves as Appendix "A" to Operational Report No. 18, which is dated 30th. October 1941 on the primary report page.