| TORTORELLA |

SORTIE REPORT (Part A) R.A.F. Form 441 A. B 19 | [Header Columns] | [Content] | |---|---| | Sortie No. | 1 | | Oprep. Ref. No. | 504 | | Date | 4 Jan 44 | | Squadron | 21 SAAF | | Type of Aircraft | 12 Baltimores 1 Mk.3A, 11 Mk.4 | | Aircraft No. | See over | | Aircraft Letter | See over | | Captain | LT/COL KOTZE | | Crew | CAPT CARTER | | Formation Leader | [Blank - aligned with Captain field] | | Time Up | 0919 A Hrs 1st aircraft | | Time Down | 1108 A Hrs last aircraft | | Total Time | 19.00 Hours | | Aerodrome or L.G. | TORTORELLA | | State of Cloud | Clear over target. Cloud forming at sea and SOUTH of Base. | |---|---| | Amount of Cloud | - | | Base of Cloud | - | | Visibility | 30/40 miles | | General Weather | Good | | Map or Chart Reference | ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 147 LANCIANO | |---|---| | Task or Duty | PRETORO TOWN - C1201 | |---|---| | Time | Height | Place | Narrative | |---|---|---|---| | 0919 | | BASE | a/b | | 1005 | 8000 | TERMOLI | S/C SANGRO RIVER | | 1025 | 14000 | TARGET | Bombs dropped | | 1050 | | BASE | Landed | | 1108 | | | Last aircraft landed | [Signature Block] (Signed) [Signature unreadable - similar to "Lt Thompson"?] Lt for Capt S.I.O 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. HQP/1,500,000/4-42 P.T.O.

1944-01-04 | TORTORELLA |

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes: * Sortie Report 504 (Pretoro/Manoppello): This report corresponds to the morning raid described in the War Diary on January 4th (see file 269-1__2.jpg). The diary noted that due to snow cover, the formation was unsure of their target and "ascertained later that the bombs had been dropped on Manopello" instead of the intended target, Pretoro. * Target Discrepancy: The "Task or Duty" is listed as "PRETORO TOWN - C1201". The map reference "Sheet 147 LANCIANO" covers the operational area. The discrepancy between the tasked target (Pretoro) and the actual drop (Manoppello, as noted in the diary) highlights the navigation challenges caused by the "ground covered in snow" mentioned in the diary narrative. * Lt. Col. Kotze (Captain): The mission was led by the Officer Commanding, Lt. Col. C.P. Kotzé, with Capt. Carter as his observer. Leading from the front was standard practice, even (or especially) in difficult weather conditions. * Route: The formation flew via Termoli (coastal checkpoint) and set course ("S/C") for the Sangro River, following the river valley inland towards the target in the Maiella mountains. * Aircraft Mix: The formation consisted of "1 Mk.3A, 11 Mk.4" Baltimores. The predominance of Mark IVs indicates the squadron was well-equipped with the latest variant featuring the power-operated dorsal turret. * Total Time: The "Total Time" of "19.00 Hours" is the cumulative flight time for all 12 aircraft (approx. 1 hour 35 minutes per plane). * Signature: The document is signed by the same Intelligence Officer (S.I.O.) as the previous report, signing "for Capt" (Capt. Bester, the S.I.O.). 20 Verification: Target File Verification: This document is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for January 4th, 1944 (Sortie No. 504), corresponding to the Part A document in the previous image (269-1__19.jpg).