Sortie Report (Form 541)
List of Aircrew and Aircraft attached to Sortie Report No. 173 dated the 19th January, 1943. - 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. --------------------------------------------------------------
1. 176 YY Major Jandrell, Capt. Hatswell, F/Sgt. Morley, Lt. te Water Pohl
2. 920 O Capt. Cormack, Lt. Moore, F/Sgt. Finberg, F/Sgt. McGee.
3. 944 R Lt. Rich, Sgt. Smallman (R.A.F.) F/Sgt. Roberts, F/Sgt. Lovell-Wright.
4. 108 B. Major Barnby D.F.C., Lt. Blackman, Lt. Sandilands, F/Sgt. Lotter
5. 900 F Lt. Mouton, Lt. Cooper F/Sgt. Goodchild, F/Sgt. Champion.
6. 940 V Lt.-Col. Coppen, Lt. Farrant, F/Sgt. Herbst, F/Sgt. Bradfield.
7. 957 W Capt. Bell, Lt. Levi, F/Sgt. Kosviner, F/Sgt. Myburgh.
ooooooo "D1" 51
P O S T A G R A M -----------------
To : H.Q., R.A.F., M.E.From : S.I.O., 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.Serial No. : 21 Squadron/174Date : 21st January, 1943. OPREP No. 174 for period ending 0600 hours on 21st January, 1943.
A. M.T. on Main Road West of TRIPOLIB. 10 Baltimores.C. (1) Medium level Bombing(ii) 3200 ft to 8000ft.(iii) 1940 - 2030 hours.D.. (i) 60 x 250 G.P. (43 Det) Rods.(ii) Nil(iii) 54 Bombs were dropped from R.L. 4367 to pointon Road North of ZANZUR and six bombs fromEast to West on Road CASTEL BENITO to Cross-Roads. Twelve fires were started.Map Reference TRIPOLI 1:500,000 Sheet 2.E. NilF. NilG. NilH. (i) 1815 hours (ii) 32 hours 46 mins.J. 5/10 irregular layers staba Cu: apart from haze, Fine.K. 5 Heavy Ack/Ack bursts from GASR GARABULLI. InaccurateLight Ack/Ack 5 miles West of TRIPOLI. Inaccurate. COMM.: 5 hours 10 mins (3)
(Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Capt. Senior Intelligence Officer, 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.
Transcriber's Notes
- 21 Squadron S.A.A.F
- No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a light bomber unit operating under the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) framework.
- S.A.A.F
- South African Air Force.
- R.A.F
- Royal Air Force. Sergeant Smallman is identified as an R.A.F. member integrated into the S.A.A.F. crew of aircraft 944 R.
- D.F.C
- Distinguished Flying Cross, a military decoration awarded to Major Barnby for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy".
- Lt.-Col. Coppen
- Lieutenant Colonel Coppen, the Officer Commanding (OC) of 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. Operational Context: The date of this manifest, 19 January 1943, corresponds to the final seventy-two hours of the Western Desert Campaign before the fall of Tripoli to the British Eighth Army. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were executing a maximum-effort "road purification" campaign, intended to shatter the logistical tail of the Afrika Korps as it retreated toward the Tunisian border. The tactical objective for Sortie No. 173 involved seven Martin Baltimore light bombers targeting Mechanical Transport (MT) concentrations on the coastal road between Gasr Garabulli (Castel Verde) and Tripoli. The inclusion of the unit’s entire senior leadership tier—the Squadron Commander (Lt.-Col. Coppen), two Majors (Jendrell and Barnby), and several Captains—emphasizes the operational priority placed on these early nocturnal Baltimore strikes. Operating from the forward landing ground at Gzina, the crews faced severe meteorological conditions, including sea mist and rain storms, necessitating sophisticated high-altitude navigation before descending to 4,000 feet to deliver ordnance. The mission successfully utilized 250lb General Purpose bombs with nose rods ("daisy cutters") to initiate ten fires along the primary evacuation artery, despite accurate anti-aircraft fire that resulted in the wounding of Lieutenant Cooper and Category 2 damage to aircraft 900 (F). This document, archived as Folio 50, provides the personnel data for the veteran crews spearheading the tactical isolation of Tripoli during the definitive Axis collapse in Libya. 64
- H.Q., R.A.F., M.E
- Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.
- S.I.O
- Senior Intelligence Officer.
- OPREP No. 174
- Operational Report No. 174, recording the sequential mission results for the period ending 0600 hours on 21 January 1943.
- M.T
- Mechanical Transport. Refers specifically to German and Italian supply and troop vehicle concentrations targeted during the retreat.
- Baltimores
- The Martin Baltimore Mark III light bomber, utilized extensively by the S.A.A.F. for tactical interdiction during the North African campaign.
Sortie Report No. 173: The formal administrative record documenting the squadron's nocturnal interdiction mission conducted during the 24-hour cycle of 19–20 January 1943.
ft: Feet.
250 G.P. (43 Det) Rods: 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs utilized 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 against soft-skinned vehicles and personnel.
staba Cu: Stratocumulus cloud formation.