Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Date
- 15th APRIL, 1945
APPENDIX "S"215FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.TO : W.I.O. 3 WING S.A.A.F.H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATIONS RECORDS)H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( SCORU)REF. : 21S/1004DATE : 15th APRIL, 1945.OPREP NO. 1004 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 1400 HRS. ON THE 15th APRIL, 1945 REF. MAP ITALY 1:100,000 SHEET 88 - IMOLA.
<u>OPERATION NO. 199/21S/M ( 1st Raid)</u>
A : 12 Marauders (4-4-4) airborne between 1145 - 1355 hrs.from Jesi L/G to attack a 29th Panzer Div. concentrationwith a central pp at M.260635 near ARGENTA in supportof the 56th London Div. Formation bombed at 1300 hrs.on courses 240º, 315º and 340º at a height of 10,000'.Due to experiencing difficulty with bombsight, first boxdid two dummy runs and eventually overshot by about 1000 yards;one A/C did not release and brought bombs back. Secondand third boxes straddled briefed area with good overlappingpatterns. Moderate inaccurate H/A/A encountered target area.Weather; target clear, visibility hazy.B : (1) 12 Marauders III (ii) NilC : (1) & (ii) NilD : (1) 24.00 Hrs (ii) NilE : (1) 40,800 x .50 (ii) and (iii) NilF : (1) 72 x 500 Frag (ii) 66 x 500 (iii) & (iv) Nil48 x 250 Fused 44 x 250G to Z : Nil S.L. Boshoff [handwritten signature] ___-------------------- Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.681SA21 | 668 15APR 45 F14 || HH M 2663 11400 1225 BWG (94)
Transcriber's Notes
- S.I.O
- Squadron Intelligence Officer, Capt. S.L. Boshoff. Operational Context Target File 271-4_44 documents Operation No. 199/21S/M, a high-priority tactical support strike executed on the morning of 15th April 1945. This mission took place during the decisive breakthrough phase of Operation Grapeshot, the final Allied spring offensive in Italy. The strategic objective was the neutralization of the 29th Panzergrenadier Division concentrations near Argenta (Map Ref: Sheet 88 - IMOLA, pp. M.260635). This German formation represented a mobile reserve critical to holding the Argenta Gap, a narrow strip of dry land that the Eighth Army (specifically the 56th London Division) needed to penetrate to break out into the Po Valley. The 12 Marauder III aircraft achieved varying results due to technical complications. The first box experienced bombsight malfunctions, requiring multiple runs and ultimately overshooting the target by 1,000 yards. One aircraft in this box failed to release and returned to Jesi L/G with its full ordnance. Conversely, the second and third boxes achieved "good overlapping patterns" that successfully straddled the briefed concentration area with fragmentation ordnance. This persistent air interdiction against high-value German mechanized assets was fundamental in degrading the tactical integrity of Heeresgruppe C and facilitating the terminal Allied breakthrough. 45
- 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F
- No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a medium bomber unit operating under the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF).
- 3 WING S.A.A.F
- No. 3 Wing SAAF, the higher tactical formation overseeing the squadron’s Martin Marauder operations.
- SCORU
- South African Operations Records Unit.
- OPREP NO. 1004
- Operational Report documenting the first mission (1st Raid) executed on 15th April 1945.
- 29th Panzer Div
- 29. Panzergrenadier-Division, a highly mobile German mechanized formation currently serving as a primary defensive obstacle in the Argenta sector.
- 56th London Div
- The 56th (London) Infantry Division of the British Eighth Army, currently engaged in offensive operations to force the "Argenta Gap."
- H/A/A
- Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire.
- F14
- Focal length of the camera lens (14 inches) utilized for high-altitude vertical strike photography.
- HH M 2663
- Map reference M. 2663 (specifically identifying coordinates near M. 260635), identifying the target area for a 29th Panzer Div. concentration near ARGENTA on the Imola 1:100,000 Sheet 88.
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance. For this tactical support mission, fragmentation clusters were prioritized over GP demolition bombs to maximize lethality against exposed mechanized units.
BWG (94): Box White, Green. This technical suffix denotes the specific sub-formation and indicates this is the 94th frame in the strike film sequence.
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance classifications. For this tactical support mission, the unit prioritized 500 lb and 250 lb Fragmentation (Frag) bombs (totaling 72 x 500 and 48 x 250 for the formation) to maximize coverage against unarmored personnel and mechanized assets.