Operation

TO : H.Q. MAAF (attention 23rd SCORU) H.Q. NATAF (attention 2nd Command Unit 23rd SCORU) SAOA SAAF FROM : SIO 21 SQUADRON SAAF REF : 21S/717 DATE : 12th June, 1944 OPREP No. 717 for the period ending 2100 hrs on the 12th June, 1944 A to V: NIL W: (i) 1 Balt Mk III (ii) NIL (i) 1 Balt Mk IV (ii) NIL X: (i) 1.00 Hrs (ii) NIL (i) 1.00 Hrs (ii) NIL Y & Z: NIL Hallick Capt. S.I.O., 21 Squadron, SAAF.

1944-06-12

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes: * Continued Stand-Down (Weather or Logistics?): * "Nil" Operations: For the second consecutive report (see File 35), the squadron recorded "A to V: NIL", meaning no combat sorties were flown on June 12th. * Context: The War Diary for this period (File 3) noted "No operations... owing to inclement weather." This stand-down provided a respite for crews but created a backlog of maintenance and administrative work for the ground staff. * Non-Operational Activity: * Training Flights: Despite the lack of combat, the squadron logged "1.00 Hrs" of flying time for both a "Balt Mk III" and a "Balt Mk IV". * The Mark III: The persistent presence of the older Mark III Baltimore in these non-operational logs (also seen in File 35) suggests the squadron retained a few "war weary" airframes specifically for training new pilots or purely administrative tasks (like collecting mail or parts from rear bases), saving the engine hours on the newer Mark Vs for combat. * Abbreviations: * MAAF: Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. * NATAF: Northwest African Tactical Air Force. * SCORU: Statistical Control and Operations Research Unit. * SAOA: Senior Air Officer Administration. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * OPREP: Operational Report. * Mk: Mark (Model). * Hrs: Hours. 37 Verification: Target File Verification: The document is dated 13th June, 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 718) labeled APPENDIX "P" (page number 326).