L. G. 98.

R A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 69 (Part A.)

No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 104 Date. 24/10/42 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 6 Baltimores of 21 Sqdn. Captain Baltimore leader: Aircraft No. and 12 Bostons of 24 Sqdn. Crew. Lt. Golding Aircraft Letter. ( (See attached list. ( Up. 1121 hrs. Down. 1255 hrs. Aerodrome or L.G. L. G. 98. Time. 1 hr. 34 mins. Type of Cloud. ----- Map or Chart Amount of Cloud. ----- Reference. Base of Cloud. ----- 1:250000 Visibility. Good over target. Dust haze as far Egypt and Cyrenaica. General Weather. as El Alamein. Sheet 14. El Daba. Good. Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 104. Time. Height. Place. Narrative. 1121 LG. 98 6 Baltimores airborne. 1137 LG. 98 Set course for target after picking up escort. 1214 10000 Target Formation bombed on course of 100 deg. 1255 LG. 98 All Baltimores landed. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])

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 Target L. G. 104. BB 1214 hrs. BC Medium level bombing attack. 30 x 250 G. P. 43 Det. with rods (Baltimores) four x 250 hang-ups jettisoned into the sea. 2 x 250 hang-ups shaken off wide of target. BD Near miss on Ack/Ack post. BE Intense, accurate and heavy Ack/Ack encountered over target area. Followed formation out to sea. Ack/Ack posts seen also on escarpment on coast. No E/A encountered. BF Nil. (Baltimores) BG Photographs: 15 vertical and 2 oblique, from 11000. Taken on turn. BH Dust plumes at pp. 840310 gave the appearance of A/C taking off from there. Boston seen gliding down. Estimated probable landing point pp. 830300. Four A/C seen on NW corner of L.G. 104. Three A/C dispersed near coast a few miles NW of L.G. 104. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])

1942-10-24 L. G. 98.

R A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 69 (Part A.) No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 104 Date. 24/10/42 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 6 Baltimores of 21 Sqdn. Captain Baltimore leader: Aircraft No. and 12 Bostons of 24 Sqdn. Crew. Lt. Golding Aircraft Letter. ( (See attached list. ( Up. …

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * R A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Form 441 A, the standardized primary document for recording operational sortie narratives and technical parameters for light/medium bomber units. * Oprep. Ref. No. 104: Operational Report Reference Number 104, the sequential administrative identifier for this specific mission. * 21 SAAF / 24 Sqdn.: No. 21 and No. 24 Squadrons of the South African Air Force, constituent units of No. 3 (S.A.) Wing. * Baltimores / Bostons: Refers to the Martin Baltimore and Douglas Boston light bombers, respectively. These aircraft provided the core tactical strike capability for the Desert Air Force during the 1942 campaign. * Lt.: Lieutenant, the rank held by Baltimore element leader Lt. Golding. * L.G. 98 / LG. 98: Landing Ground 98, the operational forward base for No. 21 Squadron SAAF in Egypt. * L.G. 104: Landing Ground 104, a vital Axis forward airfield located in the El Daba sector. * deg.: Degrees, referencing the 100-degree bombing course. * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part A) documents the "Fourth Show" executed by No. 21 Squadron SAAF on 24 October 1942, representing the squadron's fourth major tactical effort on the first full day following the commencement of the Second Battle of El Alamein. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were engaged in a maximum-effort campaign to ground the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica as the Eighth Army initiated its primary ground assault against the Axis lines. The target, Landing Ground 104, was a critical nodal point for Axis air operations in the El Daba sector. The mission utilized a joint-squadron formation consisting of six Martin Baltimores (No. 21 Squadron) and twelve Douglas Bostons (No. 24 Squadron). The tactical narrative highlights the integration of fighter escorts, essential for protecting these light bombers from Axis interceptors during the medium-level delivery from 10,000 feet. Weather conditions were recorded as "Good over target," though significantly impacted by "Dust haze as far as El Alamein," a frequent environmental challenge for air operations in the Western Desert. While the bombing run on a 100-degree course was executed successfully, the corresponding Intelligence Postagram (OPREP 104) indicates that while all ordnance fell in the target area, the primary results were near misses on anti-aircraft (A.A.) posts. This mission underscores the relentless operational tempo maintained by the SAAF wings to exert continuous pressure on German-Italian air and ground assets during the definitive breakthrough in Egypt. 90 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No specific date is recorded on the reverse of this form (Part "B"); however, internal cross-referencing with the corresponding Sortie Report (Part A) on folio 69 identifies the mission date as 24/10/42. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * L. G. 104: Landing Ground 104. A vital Axis forward airfield located in the El Daba sector of Egypt. * 250 G. P. 43 Det. with rods: 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs fitted with No. 43 tail pistols and nose extension rods. These "daisy cutter" rods were designed to trigger detonation above the desert floor to maximize lateral fragmentation blast against soft targets like parked aircraft. * Baltimores: Refers to the Martin Baltimore light bombers of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. * hang-ups: Ordnance that failed to release from the aircraft's bomb shackles during the primary attack sequence. * Ack/Ack: Anti-Aircraft artillery fire. * E/A: Enemy Aircraft. * vertical / oblique: Types of aerial reconnaissance photographs; vertical shots are taken straight down for mapping, while obliques are taken at an angle for perspective. * A/C: Aircraft. * pp.: Point position, referring to specific map grid coordinates used for intelligence reporting. * Boston: The Douglas Boston light bomber, operated by No. 24 Squadron S.A.A.F. during this joint mission. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part B) details the tactical results of the "Fourth Show" executed on 24 October 1942, the first full day of daylight operations following the commencement of the Second Battle of El Alamein. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were executing maximum-effort interdiction of Axis air capabilities to prevent the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica from disrupting the Eighth Army's ground offensive. The target, Landing Ground 104, was a critical nodal point for Axis air operations. The mission utilized a joint formation of six Martin Baltimores (No. 21 Squadron) and twelve Douglas Bostons (No. 24 Squadron). The tactical narrative highlights the persistent technical difficulties of desert air operations, noting six 250lb G.P. "hang-ups" that were either jettisoned into the sea or "shaken off wide of target" to ensure the aircraft could land safely. Resistance from the ground was "Intense, accurate and heavy," with flak following the formation as it egressed toward the coast. Intelligence observations in section BH are of high strategic value, identifying "Seven A/C" dispersed on and near the airfield and noting "Dust plumes" suggesting active Axis flight operations at coordinate 840310. Of tactical concern was the sighting of an Allied Boston bomber "seen gliding down" toward a probable crash-landing at coordinate 830300, illustrating the high attrition rates during the definitive breakthrough in Egypt. This document, archived as Folio 70, serves as a primary record of the Desert Air Force's (DAF) aggressive efforts to neutralize Axis forward air assets during the Alamein campaign. 91 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 24 Oct 42.