Operation

BA. GUN POSITIONS AT H762980 BB. 1532 hrs LT BC. Medium level. Height 9000 ft. Course 100° 72 x 250 GP 52 Det 44 Pistol Nose fused. BD. Observers did not see the track NORTH from target but leader of formation identified the target by secondary road going SW. The area to the NORTH and SOUTH of the main track and across the cross roads was covered in a very good tight pattern and the target was left covered in bomb-bursts. NO results observed but flashes seen from SOUTH of road in target area. BE. HAA inaccurate 6/8 bursts from NORTH of ADRANO BF. NIL. BG. Obliques and Verticals of bomb bursts. Height 9000 ft Course 100°. IAS 210 BH. NIL Roads. LIST OF AIR CRAFT AND CREW: 903B Major Cormack, Lt. Lombaard, F/Sgt. Finberg, 2/Lt. Viljoen (FL) 341L Lts Dugmore & Masters, F/Sgts Maasdorp & Rogers 195G Lts A'Bear & Owen-Hughes, 2/Lt Harrison & Pickup 290U Lts Blieden & Rose, F/Sgts Jarvis & Perkins (VL) 271F Lts Frost & White, F/Sgt Carter, Sgt Allan 206J Lts Wood & Nel, F/Sgt James, Sgt Buchler 356Z Capt Stuart, Lt Pawson, F/Sgt Morley, 2/Lt Schumann (BL) 280P Lts Simpson & Handley, F/Sgts Roberts & Shepperson 387R Lts Bennett & Harle, F/Sgts Strydom & Oswald 167S Capt Smit, Lt Kay, 2/Lts Purdon & Wright (VL) 383W Lts Smyth & Hanning, F/Sgt de Piesanie, Sgt Leisching 344X Lts Grader & Gould, F/Sgt Greyling, 2/Lt Groenewald.

1943-08-03

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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. * SW: South-West. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery. * IAS: Indicated Air Speed. * FL: Formation Leader. * VL: Vic Leader (leader of a three-aircraft sub-formation). * BL: Box Leader (leader of a six-aircraft section). Personnel and Tactical Observations * Major Cormack and Crew: Leading in aircraft 903B, Major Cormack demonstrated high-level airmanship. Despite the observers being unable to see the primary track to the north, Cormack successfully identified the target via a secondary road, ensuring the 12 Baltimores delivered a "very good tight pattern" into the gun area. * Squadron Leadership: The mission was divided into boxes, with Captain Stuart (aircraft 356Z) serving as the Box Leader for the second group and Captain Smit (aircraft 167S) acting as a Vic Leader. Stuart had previously led the hazardous morning strike on Santa Maria di Licodia just days earlier. * New Personnel: The appearance of Lts Grader & Gould in aircraft 344X indicates the constant influx of fresh crews to replace the heavy losses sustained during the preceding month. Location and Tactical Intelligence * Gun Positions (Grid H762980): This target area is located on the northwestern slopes of Mount Etna, north of Paternò. These batteries were part of the "Etna Line" defenses intended to shield the Axis withdrawal routes toward Messina. * Adrano: Modern name unchanged. The report mentions "inaccurate HAA" coming from the north of Adrano, which was currently a major defensive bastion under siege by the British 78th Division. * Visible Impact: While smoke and cloud obscured the final damage assessment, the sighting of "flashes seen from SOUTH of road" suggests secondary explosions, likely from Axis ammunition dumps hit by the 72 x 250 lb GP bombs. Historical Context (The Final Week of Sicily) * August 3, 1943: This raid took place as the Allied ground offensive intensified against the rugged mountain defenses. 21 Squadron's role was to degrade the heavy artillery that was inflicting significant casualties on the advancing Allied infantry. * Precision in Chaos: The mention of a "very good tight pattern" is notable given the altitude (9,000 feet) and the cloud conditions (10/10ths north of target). * The Martin Baltimore: On this mission, the squadron used nose-fusing (Section BC), a realistic tactical choice for field fortifications. It ensured the ordnance exploded instantly upon impact with the volcanic soil or rock around the gun pits, maximizing fragmentation and blast effect against personnel and equipment. 142 The date written in the 'Date' column of target file 276-1__142.jpg is 4 Aug 43.