Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: RADIO LOCATION STATION AT CAPE SPARTIVENTO.BB: 1145 Hrs LT.BC: Medium Level Bombing Attack. 9500/10000 feet. Courses 310º/320º44 x 500 50% G.P. 50% M.C. 49 Dets. 28 Pistols.(4 x 500 G.P. & M.C. Jettisoned at D5000. Engine Trouble.BD: Formation attacked in Two boxes of six. Bombs started in the sea and on the beach. Direct hits on main road and rail track. Bursts among railway buildings and into target area, where an explosion took place among buildings immediately S.E. of tall Radio Tower.BE: Nil.BF: Nil.BG: Obliques and Verticals.BH: Nil.AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.903YY MAJOR JANDRELL. LT. CHRISTIE. 2/LTs VILJOEN & LE ROUX387R LT. RICHARDS. LT DECONNICK. F/S. ROBERTSE. SGT. MCGRINDLE356Z LT. GREDER. LT GOULD. F/S. GREYLING. 2/LT. GROENEWALD291U LT. HARGRAVES. LT REES. SGT. JANSEN. F/S. BEDFORD221Y LT. EATON. LT. MCDERMOTT. SGT. FREESTONE. F/S. VAN ROOYEN181T LT. BENNETT. LT. HARLE. F/S. STRYDOM. P/O GILDEN271F LT. GUARD. LT. WEBBER. F/S. FINBERG. 2/LT. DE VILLIERS206J LT. WOOD. LT. NEL. F/S. JAMES. SGT. ROBERTSON.195G LT MURMAN. LT. WALTERS. F/S. ODENDAAL. SGT. STEWART586B LT/COL. BRITS. P/O SMALLMAN. 2/LTs HARRISON & PICKUP341L LT. WILLMOTT. LT. BORCHARDS. F/S. LOOTS. F/S. WALBRIDGE916K LT. FROST. LT. WHITE. F/S. CARTER. SGT. ALLEN.
Transcriber's Notes
- Hrs LT
- Hours Local Time.
- G.P
- General Purpose bombs.
- M.C
- Medium Capacity bombs.
- Dets
- Detonators.
- S.E
- South East. Personnel and Command Observations
- F/S
- Flight Sergeant.
- P/O
- Pilot Officer.
- LT/COL
- Lieutenant Colonel.
Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded
Lieutenant Colonel J.F. Britz (as "BRITS"): The Commanding Officer (C.O.) of No. 21 Squadron personally participated in this mission, flying Baltimore 586B. His presence as a "tail-end Charlie" or part of the secondary box reflects the importance of this specific strike.