Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Duty
- Medium level bombing attack on enemy strong positions at P 3698, 3298, 3295, 3595 (90th. LIGHT DIV.) Time. Height. Place
R.A.F. Form 441 A.SORTIE REPORT 103(Part A.)Sheet No. 1Oprep. Ref. No. 294Date. 12 MAY 43Squadron. 21 SAAF.Type of Aircraft. 18 Baltimores.Aircraft No. See reverse.Aircraft Letter. "Leader of Formation:Captain Maj. JendrellCrew. Lt. Christie (Observer)See reverse.Time Up. 1420 hrs. (1st. A/C)Time Down. 1610 hrs. (Last A/C)Total Time. 28 hrs. 30 mins.Aerodrome or L.G. EL DJEM MAIN.Type of Cloud. ---Amount of Cloud. Nil.Base of Cloud. ---Visibility. Good (Slight ground haze)General Weather. Good.Map or Chart Reference. TUNISIA 1:500,000 Sheet NJ.32.SE TUNIS.Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on enemy strong positions at P 3698, 3298, 3295, 3595 (90th. LIGHT DIV.)Time. Height. Place. Narrative.1420 EL DJEM Airborne.1436 500 " S/C MONASTIR.1500 1200 MONASTIR Picked up fighter escort (7 SA Wing). S/C SW end lake KELBIA.1512 4500 KELBIA S/C Coast NW ENFIDAVILLE.1527 7500 TARGET Bombed on course of 255 deg. Left hand turn off.1539 7300 S/C Base.1610 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 90 th. LIGHT DIV. in strong positions at P 3698, 3298, 3295 & 3595.BB 1527 hrs.BC Medium level bombing attack from 7700 ft.108 x 250 lb. GP 43 Det. (Rods).BD There were three fires burning in the target area (SW corner) onarrival. Formation attacked on course of 285 deg. bombs falling fromP 3597. The target area was covered in a good pattern Westwardsto P 3197. A small fire was started in a wadi.BE A few bursts of LAA seen below and behind formation.BF Nil.BG Obliques and Verticals of bomb-bursts.BH Army smoke signal fired from 25-pounders was very clearly seen.Groups of badly dispersed MT in wadi's in target area. Largefires burning on hills near ZAGHOUAN.List of A/C and Crews:F/L 176 YY Maj. Jendrell, Lt. Christie, F/Sgts. Morley & Abraham.362 X Lt. Clutterbuck, Lt. v.d.Meulen, F/Sgts. Raeburn & Fraser.142 P Lt. Eaton, Lt. Floor, F/Sgt. le Roux & F/Sgt. Gildon (RAF)V/L 930 K Lt. Hamilton, Lt. Whittle, F/Sgts. Rogers F.D. & Phelan.352 D Capt. Stuart, Lt. Pawson, F/Sgts. Carr & de Villiers.271 F Lt. Guard, Lt. Forsman, F/Sgt. Steven & F/Sgt. Prout (RAF)B/L 903 O Capt. Cormack, Lt. Mulholland, F/Sgts. Finberg & McGee.957 W Lt. Wood, Lt. Gould, F/Sgts. Purdon & Groenewald.181 T Lt. Carr, Lt. Lombaard, F/Sgts. Toms & Wright.V/L 916 SS Capt. Smit, Lt. Kay, F/Sgts. Perkins & van Rooyen.221 Y Lt. Hargrave, Lt. Rees, Sgt. McQueen (RCAF) & F/Sgt. Bedford.291 U Maj. Schravesande, Lt. Herring, F/Sgts. Meyer & Stopforth.B/L 877 J Lt. Gardener, Lt. Kerr, F/Sgts. Pearce & Green.179 A Lt. A'Bear, Lt. Owen-Hughes, F/Sgts. Harrison & Pickup.290 C Lt. Elieden, Lt. Rose, F/Sgts. Jarvis & Mendelsohn.V/L 226 H Capt. Ord, Lt. Hodges, F/Sgt. Walker & A/Sgt. Devenish.977 L Lt. Oakes, Lt. Sachs, Sgts. (RCAF) Morrison & Cleland.345 E Lt. Willmot, Lt. Borcherds, F/Sgt. Loots & F/Sgt.Walbridge(RAF)F/L Formation Leader. B/L Box Leader. V/L Vic Leader.[Handwritten Signature]........................Capt.S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
Transcriber's Notes
- Oprep. Ref. No
- Operational Report Reference Number.
- SAAF
- South African Air Force.
- Baltimores
- Martin Baltimore twin-engine light bombers, utilized by 21 Squadron for medium-level tactical interdiction.
- A/C
- Aircraft.
- A/C
- Aircraft.
- L.G
- Landing Ground.
- Base
- Refers to the squadron's home aerodrome, El Djem Main.
- 90th. LIGHT DIV
- The 90th Light Africa Division, an elite German unit under the command of Heeresgruppe Afrika.
- S/C
- Set Course.
- 7 SA Wing
- 7 South African Wing, providing fighter escort (typically Supermarine Spitfires) for the bomber formation.
R.A.F. Form 441 A.: Standard Royal Air Force form utilized for reporting narrative and technical details of a combat sortie.
deg.: Degrees (compass heading).
GP 43 Det. (Rods): General Purpose 250 lb bombs utilizing 1943 Rod-type detonators. These fuzes extended from the nose of the bomb to ensure instantaneous surface detonation, maximizing fragmentation against personnel and soft-skinned vehicles.
deg.: Degrees (referring to the bombing heading).
25-pounders: Ordnance QF 25-pounder field guns utilized by British and Commonwealth artillery to fire colored smoke markers for air-ground coordination.