Sortie Report (Form 541)
21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. OPREP NO. 971 20th MARCH, 1945RAID ON DOBOVA M/YARDS pp E. 282020 OPERATION No. 173.T/Off 1330561 B : Maj. Musgrove Goble Hatswell Jones Cpt. Rabie Cook.519 G : Lt. Stuart Watermeyer Owen Hughes Fraser Howden Du Plessis474 D : F/O Hanna McDonald T Dickenson Oldfield vd Berg Ras513 Hv: Lt. Fraser Jandrell du Plessis Richardson Barrow Jenner577 U : Lt. Muir Dale Lister Jonker Fester Rourke471 R : Collender Gillam Deane Benson Banfield Suter583 V : Lt. Quail Louwrens Winn Douglas Wilson Solomon429 A : Lt. Isted Williams Gelb Bedford Botha Collins545 K : Lt. Hussey Quaife Wells Boast Kennedy Pienaar539 T : P/O Long Markham Naude Goodwin Dodson McHughAnti Flak Ships:-537 YY: Lt. Becke Meyer Johnstone Gidlow Heale McCausland550 C : Lt. Reyneke Cordell Harle Hennesey Tennant CloeteTimes:- The following A/C ex:) YY } . . 3.40 hrs.C }D. . . . . 3.10 hrs.G. . . . . 30 minsThe Rest. . . . . . . . . . . 3.25 hrs.Handwritten Marginalia / Stamps:
Folio Number: 170 (Handwritten, Top Right).
Marginalia: A bracketed notation "ex:)" appears next to the Times entry for aircraft YY and C.
Marginalia: Small handwritten dots and dashes are used as leaders in the Times section.
Reference Stamp:
Transcriber's Notes
- OPREP
- Operational Report. OPREP No. 971 details the administrative and tactical outcome of Operation No. 173.
- Anti Flak Ships
- Tactical designation for aircraft assigned to suppress enemy anti-aircraft ground batteries during the bomb run. In this mission, aircraft 537 YY and 550 C were tasked with this role.
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard high-explosive ordnance (typically 250lb or 500lb) carried by Baltimore crews for the destruction of rail infrastructure.