Operation

21 SQUADRON S. A. A. F. OPERATIONAL REPORT NO. 11 COPY NO...6.... ( Op. Order: Telephonic orders from 261 Wing and Lt. Col. Pretorius) MAP REF: Tobruk 1:500000 DATE OF OPERATION. 13th. October 1941 NUMBER AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. 2 Marylands DUTY. Search over sea for possible survivors from two Allied Vessels, reported sunk North of Bardia. NARRATIVE. The two Marylands took off as soon as possible after receipt of the orders, and proceeded to the first indicated spot ( 32 10' N 25 25' E ) It had been intended that both Aircraft should search each locality, but as a dust haze made visibility almost nil, one of the aircraft left at once for the other spot ( 32 15' N 24 45' E ). Conditions here were the same. Both aircraft carried out "Square searches" at a low altitude, for an hour and a half, and an hour respectively, without any success. Visibility range varied from one mile down to 0. WEATHER. Thick haze TIMES. Airborne 1152 hours Over indicated co-ordinates. 1250 - 1425 hours. Landed 1450 and 1545 hours. Total hours flown. 6 hours 50 minutes. CREWS AND MACHINES. MACHINE NO. "Q" 1649 "B" 1672 PILOT. Lt. McDonald Lt. Reid OBSERVER. 2/Lt. Reynecke 2/Lt. Beddy OP. GUNNER. Sgt. Russell Sgt. Papenfus GUNNER. Sgt. du Pre Sgt. Conn DISTRIBUTION LIST. 204 Intelligence 204 Operations 261 Wing War Diary do do do File [handwritten signature] L Saunders. Lt. SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.

1941-10-13

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. During October 1941, the unit was equipped with the Martin Maryland, a twin-engine medium bomber utilized for both strike and maritime reconnaissance duties in the Western Desert. * 261 WING: The higher Royal Air Force tactical formation to which 21 Squadron was attached for operational orders and coordination. * MACHINE NO. (Serial Numbers): The airframes 1649 and 1672 listed are Martin Marylands. These aircraft were favored for maritime search due to their relatively high speed and the visibility provided for the observer in the nose. * OP. GUNNER: Operator Gunner. This aircrew member was responsible for wireless telegraphy (Morse code radio) communication and aerial photography in addition to manning defensive machine guns. * SQUARE SEARCHES: A systematic maritime search pattern where an aircraft flies increasing concentric squares to ensure comprehensive coverage of a specific geographic coordinate. Operational Context Operational Report No. 11, dated 13th October 1941, details a non-combat Air-Sea Rescue (ASR) mission North of Bardia. The strategic importance of this location was tied to the ongoing maritime supply contest; Bardia was a heavily fortified Axis logistical hub, and Allied naval assets frequently operated in the vicinity to intercept Axis shipping. The report indicates that two Allied vessels had been reported sunk at coordinates 32° 10' N, 25° 25' E and 32° 15' N, 24° 45' E. This mission demonstrates the versatility of the Western Desert Air Force (WDAF) medium bomber squadrons, which were frequently diverted from interdiction strikes—such as the recent heavy raids on Derna and Bardia—to perform emergency reconnaissance or rescue support. These efforts were vital for preserving experienced naval personnel amidst the high-attrition Mediterranean naval campaign. Execution Constraints The mission was severely hampered by environmental conditions. The narrative records a "thick haze" and "dust haze" that reduced visibility to a range of one mile down to zero. This atmospheric interference made visual detection of survivors in the water "almost nil". Technical execution involved the two Marylands splitting up to cover the two distinct reported sinking locations independently, rather than searching each together as originally intended. Despite conducting low-altitude square searches for over an hour at each location, the crews—led by Lt. McDonald and Lt. Reid—found no survivors. The 6-hour and 50-minute cumulative sortie ended with the aircraft returning to base after failing to locate any trace of the sunken vessels or their crews due to the prevailing meteorological constraints. 80 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 14. 10. 41.