Operation

BA. PATERNO VILLAGE. BB. 1623 hrs LT. BC. Medium level. 12000 ft. Course 040°. 29 x 500 GP ) 49 Det Tail fused. 24 x 250 GP ) (3 x 500 GP 49 Det Hungup and jettisoned at 36° 35'N 14° 47'E) BD. There was little movement seen on the roads around Target area. Formation missed the village and bombs burst among isolated buildings to NE and EAST of village and across the road and railway line. NO results observed. BE. 15 bursts of HAA from guns firing SE of village. After bombing. Inaccurate in except for height. BF. NIL. BG. Oblique and verticals: 12000 ft Course 040°. I.A.S. 215. BH. Dinghy (with parachute?) 049°/11 miles HALFAR at 1659 hrs, 2/3000 ft. LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW. 903 B Major CORMACK, Lt. LOMBAARD, F/Sgt. FINBERG, 2/Lt. VILJOEN. (L) 271 F Lt. GUARD, Lt. WEBBER, F/Sgt. GREEN, 2/Lt. de VILLIERS. 136 M Lt. DUGMORE, Lt. MASTERS, F/Sgt. MAASDORP, F/Sgt. ROGERS. 290 C Lt. BLIEDEN, Lt. ROSE, F/Sgt. JARVIS, F/Sgt. PERKINS. 195 G Lt. FROST, Lt. WHITE, F/Sgt. CARTER, Sgt. ALLAN. 179 A Lt. ASKEW, Lt. LAMBERT, F/Sgt. GELDENHUYS, Sgt. CRAWHALL. 167 S Capt. SMIT, Lt. KAY, 2/Lt. TOMS, 2/Lt. WRIGHT. 344 X Major COULL, Sgt. SMALLMAN (RhoA), 2/Lt. SHAW, F/Sgt. STRYDOM. 291 U Lt. HARGRAVE, Lt. REES, F/Sgt. JENSEN (RCAF), F/Sgt. BEDFORD. 181 T Lt. SIMPSON, Lt. HARLE, F/Sgt. ROBERTS, F/Sgt. SHEPPERSON. 221 Y Lt. SMYTH, Lt. MANNING, F/Sgt. de PIESANE, Sgt. LEISCHING. 173 P Capt. SAUNDERS, Lt. BOOYSE, F/Sgt. MOORE, Sgt. EARP-JONES.

1943-07-22

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * LT: Local Time. * ft: feet. * GP: General Purpose (bombs). * Det: Detonator. * NE / SE: North-East / South-East. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft (artillery). * I.A.S.: Indicated Air Speed. * RhoA / RCAF: Southern Rhodesian Air Force / Royal Canadian Air Force. * (L): Leader (of formation). Personnel Observations * Major Cormack and Formation Leaders: Major Cormack led a formidable formation of 12 Baltimores. The crews consisted of experienced personnel, many of whom had survived intense nocturnal "armed recce" (reconnaissance) missions earlier in the month. * Multinational Integration: The list of crews highlights the SAAF’s role within the wider Commonwealth effort, featuring Sgt. Smallman (RhoA) and F/Sgt. Jensen (RCAF). Location and Historical Context * Paternò, Sicily: A town on the southern slopes of Mount Etna, it served as a vital hub on the Axis "Etna Line". The mission targeted logistical infrastructure—roads and the railway line—crucial for Axis reinforcements attempting to stall the British 8th Army's advance toward Catania. * Operation HUSKY (D+12): Flown on July 22, 1943, this was the squadron's first full-strength combat mission after relocating to Hal Far, Malta just one day prior. The move to Malta significantly shortened the transit time to Sicilian targets, enabling 21 Squadron to shift from solo night "intruder" sorties to heavy daylight formation bombing. * Tactical Incident: The report notes a common technical failure: three 500 lb GP bombs "hungup" (failed to release) and had to be jettisoned over the Mediterranean at coordinates 36° 35'N 14° 47'E to ensure the safety of the aircraft during landing at Malta. * Navigational Sighting: On the return flight, the formation spotted a dinghy—possibly including a parachute—drifting 11 miles from Hal Far. Such sightings were critical for Sea Rescue operations in the congested and dangerous waters of the Mediterranean theater. The Martin Baltimore * The squadron utilized a mix of Baltimore Mk III and Mk IIIA aircraft. This mission demonstrates the aircraft's transition into a traditional medium bomber role, carrying heavy payloads of 250 lb and 500 lb bombs at an indicated air speed of 215 mph while protected by 12 Spitfires. 99 The date written in the header of the postagram on target file 276-1__99.jpg is 23 JULY 43.