Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: RD BLOCK G910350BB: 1048 A HrsBC: Medium level bombing. 72 x 250 G.P. 49 Dets 27. Pistol 270º/14000'/14500'BD: Target identified. Good pattern from 1st box from G913351 across bridge to G909350 scoring at least 4/6 hits on Rd and causing bridge likely damage. Second box covered Rd, bombs bursting from G911350 to G904353. Many bright flashes, 2 large seen among bomb bursts.BE: Intense H/A/A after bombing, accurate for second box. 4 H/A/A guns at G839320. Others in areas G8826 and G9327.BF: 2 A/C slightly holed (Cat.1)BG: Verticals and obliques of bomb bursts.BH: N.M.S. except for occasional M.E.T.AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.437H MAJ ORD LT HODGES F/SGT WALKER A/SGT DEVENISH441F LT LONGMORE LT KENDAL F/SGT THEUNISSEN A/SGT MACKAY545A LT MURMAN LT WALTERS F/SGT ODENDAAL A/SGT STEWART341L LT WILLMOTT LT BORCHERDS F/SGT LOOTS F/SGT WALBRIDGE916K LT WITTE 2/LT RUSHFORTH F/SGT EATON A/SGT MARAIS240O LT FROST LT LAMBERT F/SGT CARTER A/SGT ALLEN356Z CAPT SMIT LT KAY LT PURDON A/SGT SCHOOMBIE181T LT BENNETT LT HARLE F/SGT STRYDOM A/SGT JENKINSON383W LT GREDER LT ROSE. F. F/SGT GREYLING A/SGT AIREY445U LT HARGRAVE LT REES F/SGT JENSEN F/SGT VALENTINE181Y LT ROBERTSON LT HANNING F/SGT DU PIESANIE A/SGT LEISCHING387R LT RICHARDS LT ROSE. A. F/SGT ROBBERTSE A/SGT McCRINDLE
Transcriber's Notes
- RD
- Road.
- G.P
- General Purpose (bomb type).
- H/A/A
- Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire (Flak).
- A/C
- Aircraft.
- Cat.1
- Category 1 damage (aircraft repairable on-site by the unit).
- N.M.S
- No Movement Seen.
- M.E.T
- Motor Enemy Transport.
Expanded Abbreviations
Lieutenant Robertson and Lieutenant Hanning: Flying in 181Y, this crew was a regular fixture in the unit's mission manifests. Tragically, they would be killed just three weeks later in a takeoff accident at Tortorella on November 28, 1943. Location Information and Historical Context