TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 463 Date. 28 Nov 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores (1 Mk.3, 2 Mk.3A, 9 Mk.4) Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) See over Captain. LT/COL KOTZE Crew. LT CARTER Formation Leader Time Up. 1357 A Hrs 1st aircraft Time Down. 1516 A Hrs Last aircraft Total Time. 14.00 Hours Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. Cu inland Amount of Cloud. Scattered over target 5/10 - 10/10 Base of Cloud. 4500' Visibility. 8/10 miles General Weather. Fair with slight haze Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 147 Target or Duty. C330025 - S.E. of LANCIANO | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | — | BASE | A/B | | 3000 | BASE | S/c TERMOLI | | 10000 | TERMOLI | S/c PENNA PT. | | 11500 | TARGET | BOMBS DROPPED | | 2000 | BASE | Circling | | | | Landed | | | | Last aircraft landed | (Sgd) [unclear signature] Lt for Capt SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

1943-11-28 TORTORELLA

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Expanded Abbreviations * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF / S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * Mk.: Mark (designating the version of the Martin Baltimore aircraft). * LT/COL: Lieutenant Colonel. * LT: Lieutenant. * A Hrs: Army Hours (Military Time). * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Cu: Cumulus (cloud type). * A/B: Airborne. * S/c: Set course. * PT: Point. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Sgd: Signed. Observations on Individuals * Lieutenant Colonel Kotze: Acted as the Formation Leader for this 12-aircraft strike. Kotze had recently assumed command of the squadron following the death of Lieutenant Colonel Jack Britz on November 3, 1943. Leading a 12-ship formation from the front was a clear demonstration of leadership during the intense interdiction phase of the Italian campaign. * Lieutenant Carter: Served as the regular observer/navigator for Lieutenant Colonel Kotze. As the lead navigator, Carter was responsible for the precision navigation required to coordinate the formation's timing and course over mountainous terrain under variable cloud conditions. Location Information and Modern Geography * Target C330025 (S.E. of Lanciano): The grid coordinate points to German defensive positions and supply lines situated southeast of the historic city of Lanciano in the Abruzzo region. * Modern Name: Lanciano remains a prominent city today, famous for the Miracle of Lanciano. The area southeast of the city, near the Feltrino valley, was a critical sector during the Allied advance. * Punta della Penna (Penna Pt.): A distinctive headland near Vasto that served as a major navigational "gate" for Allied aircraft flying north along the Adriatic coast toward the Sangro front. * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): The home base for 21 Squadron. Now largely agricultural land, the site is located just east of the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. Historical Context * The Battle of the Sangro: This mission on November 28, 1943, was the second of the day for 21 Squadron, following a morning strike led by Captain Smit. These operations were part of the British Eighth Army's major offensive to break the German Bernhardt Line. * Tactical Interdiction: The objective was to isolate German front-line units by destroying troop concentrations and logistical hubs. By targeting the area southeast of Lanciano, the Desert Air Force (DAF) aimed to prevent reinforcements from reaching the Sangro River ridge where the decisive ground battle was occurring. * Seasonal Weather Challenges: The report notes scattered cloud (5/10) increasing to total coverage (10/10) inland, with visibility limited to 8-10 miles. This underscores the difficulty of medium-level bombing during the Italian winter, where crews often had to find small gaps in the cloud deck to identify their targets visually. * Operational Intensity: The mission lasted approximately 1 hour and 19 minutes. The proximity of the front lines to the Foggia airfields allowed for a blistering operational tempo, with the squadron capable of launching multiple 12-ship strikes in a single day when the weather permitted. 83 The verification date for the target image 276-2__83.jpg is 28 Nov 43. This document is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for Operational Report Reference Number 463.