Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: DI PALENA STATION (H087682)BB: 1151 Hrs LTBC: Medium level. Height 14000', Course 230º24 x 500 MC 43 Det 27 Pistol30 x 250 GP do do (Rods)3 x 250 GP 52 Det 37 Pistol ( 6 Hour Delay)3 x 250 GP 52 Det 37 Pistol (12 Hour Delay)BD: Formation attacked in two boxes of six aircraft. No. 1 box startedlong pattern from H091654 and across target. No. 2 box bombed inclose pattern from H088686 to 085677. Two hits were scored on theRail Road SOUTH of the target, causing explosions, one a brightflash which started a fire with a large column of smoke. Six burstswere observed in M/Y yards, one being a direct hit on tracks, otherswere near to Station buildings.BE: 2 HAA bursts, inaccurate.BF: NILBG: Verticals and Obliques of bomb burstsHeight 14000'. Course 230ºBH: Village smoking in CANTALUPO area. Large fires in PESCO PENNATAROCANTALUPO, MONTAGNOLAAIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.181Y MAJOR COULL LT McARAVEY 2/LTs PERKINS & VAN ROOYEN426J LT HEWITT 2/LT HORWITZ F/SGT KIDNEY A/SGT BOWEN545A LT MURMAN LT WALTERS F/SGT ODENDAAL A/SGT STEWART341L LT WILLMOTT BORCHERDS 2/LT LOOTS F/SGT WALBRIDGE441F LT WITTE 2/LT RUSHFORTH F/SGT EATON A/SGT MARAIS467D LT LONGMORE LT KENDAL F/SGT THEUNISSEN A/SGT MACKAY356Z MAJOR STUART LT PAWSON LT HALL A/SGT SCHOOMBIE167S LT BENNETT LT HARLE 2/LT STRYDOM P/O GILDEN181T LT ROBERTSON LT HANNING F/SGT DU PIESANIE A/SGT LEISCHING240O CAPT DUGMORE LT MASTERS 2/LT MAASDORP F/SGT ROGERS445U CAPT V. BREDA LT NAUDE F/SGT GRATTON A/SGT ROBERTSON383W LT HILL LT PIETERS F/SGT V.D. WESTHUIZEN A/SGT JENKINSON
Transcriber's Notes
- LT
- Local Time.
- M/Y
- Marshalling Yard.
- HAA
- Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire (Flak).
Expanded Abbreviations
Pescopennataro, Cantalupo, and Montagnola: Villages mentioned in observation BH as smoking or on fire. These areas were part of the German "scorched earth" policy or were damaged by Allied tactical bombing as the front line moved through the Molise and Abruzzo regions. Historical Context