Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Duty
- Medium level bombing attack on gun positions included by pp. P 2490, 2494, 2794, 2790. Time. Height. Place
R.A.F. Form 441 A."L1" 59SORTIE REPORT(Part A.)Sheet No. 1Oprep. Ref. No. 280Date. 29 APR 43Squadron. 21 SAAF.Type of Aircraft. 18 Baltimores.Aircraft No. See reverse.Aircraft Letter. "FORMATION LEADER:Captain Maj. JondrellCrew. Lt. Christie (Observer)See reverse.Time Up. 0540 hrs. (1st. A/C)Time Down. 0735 hrs. (Last A/C)Total Time. 28 hrs. 00 mins.Aerodrome or L.G. EL DJEM MAIN.Type of Cloud. Cumulus.Amount of Cloud. 10/10.Base of Cloud. 10,000 ft.Visibility. Poor.General Weather. Fair.Map or Chart Reference. TUNISIA 1:500,000 Sheet NJ.32. SE. TUNIS.Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on gun positions included by pp. P 2490, 2494, 2794, 2790.Time. Height. Place. Narrative.0540 EL DJEM Airborne.0555 400 " S/C for rendezvous point. out M. (RAS EL-MASSE)0615 500 R. Pt. Picked up fighters (79th. Grp. USAAF) S/C 287 deg. (Lake Ste. KELBIA)0632 6700 Lake. S/C ENFIDAVILLE 032 deg.0648 9000 ENFIDA. S/C Target 330 deg.0650 8000 TARGET Bombed in long stick. Left-hand turn on and off.0714 " S/C Base.0735 EL DJEM Last A/C 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 Gun positions in area enclosed by pp. P 2490, 2494, 2794, 2790.BB From 0651 hrs. to 0652 hrs. L.T.BC Medium level bombing attack from 7500/8500.108 x 250 lb. GP 43 Det. (Rods).BD Visibility was poor and the target was not hit. The bombs bursta very good pattern in area P 2290, 2292, 2391, 2392 among LAAand infantry positions in the wadi's. One fire was started.BE Moderate HAA, fairly inaccurate, encountered over enemy territorHAA positions: 2 guns at P 2593. 3 guns at P 2695.4 " " P 2590. 4 guns at P 2192.4 " " P 2892. 4 " " P 2796.4 " " P 2299.Guns firing from P 0896.One gun firing from P 1995.Heavy concentration of guns firing from P 3795.BF One A/C slightly holed. Minor damage.BG Obliques & Verticals of bomb bursts.BH Anti-Tank ditch at P 2488.Army smoke shells (Aids to navigation) very clearly seen.List of A/C and Crews:F/L 176 YY Maj. Jondrell, Lt. Christie, F/Sgts. Morley & Abrahms.142 P Lt. Liddiard, Lt. Pickerill, F/Sgts. Zaaiman & Cliff.221 Y Lt. Pocock, Sgt. Edmeades (RAF), F/Sgts. B.-Thomas & Clark.V/L 977 L Lt. Meredith, Sgt. Smallman (RAF), F/Sgts. Smith S.C. & O'R290 C Lt. Blieden, Lt. Rose, F/Sgts. Jarvis & Mendelsohn.271 F Lt. Guard, Lt. Forssman, F/Sgt. steven & F/Sgt. Prout (RAF).B/L 115 M Capt. Budd, Lt. Sadler, F/O Cornelius (RCAF) & F/Sgt. Woods.877 J Capt. Ord, Lt. Hodges, F/Sgt. Walker & A/Sgt. Devenish.951 V Lt. Eaton, Lt. Floor, F/Sgt. le Roux & F/Sgt. Gilden (RAF)V/L 108 B Lt. Chisholm, Lt. Campbell, F/Sgts. Hodgkinson & de Villiers.352 D Lt. Dugmore, Lt. Masters, F/Sgts. Maasdorp & Rogers C.L.179 A Lt. Willmot, Lt. Borcherds, F/Sgt. Loots & F/Sgt. WalbridgeB/L 259 X Capt. McBride, Lt. Gibson, F/Sgts. Daniels & White.916 SS Lt. Clutterbuck, Lt. v.d.Meulen, F/Sgts. Raeburn & Fraser.957 W Lt. Wood, Lt. Gould, F/Sgts. Purdon & Groenewald.V/L 903 O Maj. Schrave sande, Lt. Herring, F/Sgts. Meyer & Stepforth.183 S Lt. Hargrave, Lt. Rees, Sgt. McQueen (RCAF), F/Sgt. Bedford.982 N Lt. Simpson, Lt. Hocknell, F/Sgts. Roberts & SheppersonF/L Formation Leader. B/L Box Leader. V/L Vic Leader.[Handwritten Signature]........................ Capt.S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.21 Squadron S.A.A.F.Middle East Command60DAILY CASUALTY RETURNDate.....30th April 1943.'M1'S.A.A.F. PERSONNEL| | On Strength | Casualties | Total on Duty ||---|---|---|---|| Officers. | 76 | 1 | 75 || W.O's & Belgians | 8 | 1 | 7 || F/Sgts. | 63 | - | 63 || Sgts. | 38 | - | 38 || Cpls. | 63 | - | 63 || A.M's | 5 | - | 5 || A/M's | 148 | 6 | 142 || TOTALS. | 405 | 10 | 395 |ATTACHED PERSONNEL i. S.A.| | On Strength | Casualties | Total on Duty ||---|---|---|---|| Officers. | 2 | - | 2 || W.O's. | 4 | - | 4 || Others. | 5 | - | 5 || TOTALS | 11 | - | 11 |ii. R.A.F. : R.A.A.F. ETC.| | On Strength | Casualties | Total on Duty ||---|---|---|---|| Officers. | 1 | - | 1 || N.C.O's. | 11 | - | 11 || Others. | 3 | - | 3 || TOTALS | 15 | - | 15 |ATTACHED CAPE CORPS| | On Strength | Casualties | Total on Duty ||---|---|---|---|| Cpls. | 9 | - | 9 || Ptes. & L/Cpls | 31 | 1 | 30 || Ptes. | 111 | 3 | 108 || TOTALS | 151 | 4 | 147 |M E S S I N G S T R E N G T H| Officers' Mess. | Sergeants' Mess. | Mechanics' Mess. | N.E.A.S. Mess. ||---|---|---|---|| Strength......... | Strength......... | Strength......... | Strength......... || Att.S.A.......... | Att.S.A.......... | Att.S.A.......... | || Ors.............. | Ors.............. | Ors.............. | || S.A. 78 | 123 | 220 | 147 |Totals: 582 Cas: 14 568[Handwritten Signature]HOSPITAL:32473 F/Sgt. Waldek V.D. Tripoli Hospital 14/4/4394546 A/M Rossouw G.P. 25 M.R.S. 11/4/4395853V " Cockroft R.A. " 21/4/4328724 Cpl. Alamat R. 8 C.C.S. 28/3/43301436 Pte Van Wyk I. " 16/4/43285948V " Lodewyk T. S.C.Q. 26/4/43DETACHED:95742 W.O.II Mitchell M.H. Castel Benito 16/4/43100785 A/M Vicklewright J.B. do "208141 " Armstrong W.C. do "98302 " Wooldridge D.H. do "0288120 Pte Prior H. do 14/5/43LEAVE:103850V Lieut. Webber E.G. Tripoli (20 Days) 19/4/43206842V F/Sgt Schumann M. do "181557 A/M Smith D.H. Cairo (28 Days) 20/3/43..............................
Transcriber's Notes
- R.A.F
- Royal Air Force.
- R.A.F
- Royal Air Force.
- Oprep. Ref. No
- Operational Report Reference Number.
- SAAF
- South African Air Force.
- Maj
- Major.
- Lt
- Lieutenant.
- A/C
- Aircraft.
- A/C
- Aircraft.
- L.G
- Landing Ground.
- S/C
- Set Course.
pp.: Pinpoints (specific map coordinates).
deg.: Degrees.
pp.: Pinpoints (specific map coordinates used for navigation and targeting).
Det. (Rods): Detonators, specifically rod fuzing. These extended from the nose of the bomb to ensure an instantaneous burst upon ground contact, maximizing surface-level fragmentation against infantry and light equipment.
wadi's: Dry riverbeds, frequently utilized by Axis forces for concealment of infantry and light artillery.
Ptes. & L/Cpls: Privates and Lance Corporals.