GZINA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 31 (Part A.) FIRST NIGHT OPERATION BY 21 SQUADRON IN BALTIMORES.

No. One Oprep. Ref. No. 167 Date. 15 JAN 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. Baltimore Mk. 3 Captain Lt/Col. Coppen Aircraft No. 920 Crew. Lt. Farrant Aircraft Letter. O F/Sgt. Bradfield F/Sgt. Herbst. Up. 2210 Down. 0010 Aerodrome or L.G. GZINA Time. 2 hrs. 00 mins. Type of Cloud. Strato-Cumulus Map or Chart Amount of Cloud. 5/10 - 7/10 Reference. Base of Cloud. 3500 ft. over MISURATA. LIBYA 1 : 500,000 Visibility. Fair. Hazy over sea. Sheets 3/9 MISURATA. General Weather. Fair. Task or Duty. Bomb MT on main road from MISURATA to TAUORGA. Height. Place. Narrative. GZINA Airborne and S/C 301 deg. M.

3000 Cut coast 12 miles WEST of SIRTE. 6000 Nine miles NORTH-WEST of BUERAT. A/C 336 deg. M. 7000 Landfall 3 miles SOUTH EAST of MISURATA. A/C 270 deg. M. 4000 Cut road 4 miles SOUTH of MISURATA and turned left down road. 3500 Bombing along road. 2000 Straffing. 1000 Cut coast SOUTH EAST of GIODA and S/C for base. GZINA Landed. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34. PMEJ - 200.000 - 3/42 P.T.O. PART "B"

BA MT on Main Road from MISURATA to TAUORGA. BB 2314 - 2316 hrs. BC 4500 - 3500 ft. 1 x 250 lb. G.P. 43 Det. (Rods) SOUTH of CRISPI. 1 x 250 lb. " " " " shortly before GIODA. 4 x 250 lb. " " " " (stick) 2 mls. SOUTH of GIODA. 600 rounds .300 50 rounds of .303 BD No fires on arrival. No results observed. Bombed black objects along side of road which could have been MT. Pilot fired 600 rounds at MT and gunner fired 50 rounds. No results observed. BE H.A.A. from TAUORGA village. Inaccurate. BF NIL. BG NIL. BH Steady beacon at RX 7590 (Out and in) Steady light SW of TAUORGA in marshes. Continuous flashes were seen over GHEDDAHIA area on outward and return flight. OXYGEN No oxygen available as night operations were undertaken at short notice. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) SIO

1943-01-15 GZINA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 31 (Part A.) FIRST NIGHT OPERATION BY 21 SQUADRON IN BALTIMORES. No. One Oprep. Ref. No. 167 Date. 15 JAN 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. Baltimore Mk. 3 Captain Lt/Col. Coppen Aircraft No. 920 …

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * R.A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Sortie Report form, the standardized document used to record the narrative and technical data for individual aircraft missions. * Baltimore Mk. 3: The Martin Baltimore Mark III, a twin-engine light bomber. This document notes this mission as the "FIRST NIGHT OPERATION" for the squadron using this specific type. * Oprep. Ref. No. 167: Operational Report Reference Number 167, the administrative serial for the mission conducted on the night of 15 January 1943. * 21 SAAF: No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force. * L.G. / GZINA: Landing Ground. Gzina served as a forward operational base in Tripolitania for No. 3 SAAF Wing. * ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for altitude, such as the 3,500-foot cloud base over Misurata. * MT: Mechanical Transport. Refers to Axis supply and troop vehicle convoys. * S/C / deg. M: Set Course in degrees Magnetic. * A/C: Altered Course (used here as a navigational instruction). * Straffing: Low-altitude machine-gun attacks on ground targets (archaic spelling of 'strafing'). Operational Context: This Sortie Report documents a significant milestone for No. 21 Squadron SAAF: its first nocturnal combat operation utilizing the Martin Baltimore light bomber. Strategically, the mission took place during the definitive Allied advance toward Tripoli in January 1943. To prevent the Axis forces from establishing a stable defensive line, the Desert Air Force (DAF) maintained 24-hour pressure on the coastal road network. The tactical objective was the interdiction of Mechanical Transport (MT) on the main road between Misurata and Tauorga, a vital artery for the retreating Afrika Korps. The formation leader, Lieutenant Colonel Coppen, navigated a complex coastal route, cutting the coast west of Sirte and making a landfall south-east of Misurata under "Strato-Cumulus" cloud cover. The engagement was conducted at low to medium altitudes, with "bombing along road" at 3,500 feet followed by aggressive "straffing" at 2,000 feet to maximize damage to soft-skinned vehicle targets. The absence of reported damage or casualties (NIL returns in the associated OPREP 167) suggests that the nighttime environment successfully mitigated the risk from the "spasmodic" anti-aircraft fire typically encountered in the Misurata sector. This document, archived as Folio 31, records the expanding technical proficiency of the SAAF wings as they transitioned to round-the-clock tactical interdiction during the final collapse of Axis resistance in Libya. 35 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 15 JAN 43. (Note: While the literal date column is on the reverse side/Part A, this Part B corresponds to the operational entry for 15 January 1943). Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * MT: Mechanical Transport. Refers to Axis supply and troop vehicle convoys moving along the coastal road network. * ft. / mls.: Feet and miles, respectively. * 250 lb. G.P. 43 Det. (Rods): 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs fitted with No. 43 tail pistols and nose extension rods (known as "daisy cutters"). These rods triggered detonation just above the desert floor to maximize lateral fragmentation blast against soft-skinned vehicles. * .300 / .303: Calibers for the Martin Baltimore’s offensive and defensive machine guns. * H.A.A.: Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery fire. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part B) details the results of the mission conducted on the night of 15 January 1943—noted in Part A as the squadron's "FIRST NIGHT OPERATION" using the Martin Baltimore. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were executing a "fully offensive" campaign to maintain 24-hour pressure on Axis forces retreating toward Tripoli. By operating at night, the Desert Air Force (DAF) intended to deny the Afrika Korps the safety of nocturnal movement and reorganization. The tactical importance of the Misurata-Tauorga axis lay in its role as a bottleneck for Axis logistics. The aircraft attacked from altitudes ranging from 4,500 to 3,500 feet, targeting "black objects" along the road at specific landmarks including Crispi and Gioda. Despite the aggressive use of 600 rounds of forward-firing machine gun fire by the pilot and 50 rounds from the gunner, the darkness made observation of results "difficult" and no fires were confirmed. Environmental and technical challenges are explicitly noted: the crew observed a "steady beacon" and "continuous flashes" over Gheddahia, likely reflecting ongoing ground engagements or artillery fire in that sector. Significantly, the report mentions the absence of oxygen due to the mission being undertaken "at short notice," highlighting the high-tempo and improvised nature of air operations during the definitive breakthrough in Libya. This document, archived as Folio 31, serves as a primary record of the SAAF's expanding operational capability into nocturnal tactical interdiction during the final collapse of Axis resistance in Tripolitania. 36 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 15 JAN 43.