123456789101112

Operation No. 98

APPROXIMATELY 20 DISPERSED A/C ON LG 104

Wednesday, 21 October 1942

Over target: 1404 hrs Landed: 1440 hrs Aircraft: N Time: 14:04 hrs

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Duty
Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 104. Time. Height. Place
"N" 53SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A.(Part A.)Flight No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 98 Date. 21/10/42 Squadron 21 SAAF.Type of Aircraft. 6 Bostons of 24 Sqdn. Captain Lt. J.A. MoutonAircraft No. and 12 Baltimores of Crew.Aircraft Letter. 21 Squadron.Time Up. 1305Time Down. 1440 Aerodrome or L.G. 98Total Time. 1 hr. 35 mins.Type of Cloud. Cumulus Map or ChartAmount of Cloud. 4/10 to 10/10 Reference.Base of Cloud. 7000 ft. Daba 1:250000Visibility. Good. Sheet 14.General Weather. Good.Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 104.Time. Height. Place. Narrative.LG 98 12 Baltimores of 21 Squadron airborne with sixBostons of 24 Squadron leading. Fighter escort(233 Wing) picked up.1330 6000 LG 98 Formation set course for target.1404 9800 Target Formation bombed on course of 107° at 220 M.P.H.Target:dispersed A/C on L.G. 104.LG 98 All A/C returned.Lt. L.C. Weir (Pilot) and Lt. W.J. Magid (observer)A/C 840 T, were slightly wounded by Ack/Ackshrapnel. Neither of the two is in hospital.(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 Approximately 20 dispersed A/C on LG 104.BB 1404 hrs.BC Medium level bombing attack from 9800 ft.72 x 250lb. G.P. 43 detonator with extension rods.BD All bombs fell in the target area. Number of nearmisses on A/C. Whole aerodrome covered by bursts.One fairly large fire observed. Very little smoke.Fire in NW corner of target.BE Heavy, accurate and intense Ack/Ack. Encounteredshortly after leaving target. Over target Ack/Acknot so intense or accurate. No enemy A/C observeduntil over target when three fighters were seentaking off from LG 104. Top cover seen in combat scoring hits onone Macchi 202. One Macchi 202 attacked our formation without success.BF Six of our A/C holed. Lt. L.C. Weir (Pilot) and Lt.W.J. Magid (Observer) in A/C 840 T were slightly wounded.BG 30 Vertical and 11 Oblique photos taken. Speed: 220 M.P.H.Course: 120° Height: 9400 to 10400 ft.BH Four single engined A/C observed on Southern edgeof LG 104 and Six more in the North-East corner. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])54 Aircrews. A/C 870 E. A/C 879 K A/C 877 J
Lt. Mouton Lt. Chisholm Lt. GardinerLt. Venter 2/Lt. Campbell Lt. KerrA/Sgt. Rowe A/Sgt. Hodgkinson A/Sgt. LaneA/Sgt. Smith A/Sgt. de Villiers A/Sgt. Brown oooooooooooooooooooooooo
A/C 141 M A/C 942 G A/C 933 L
Capt. Rhodes Lt. Carlisle Lt. MeredithLt. Hudson 2/Lt. Simon 2/Lt. BaillieA/Sgt. Stringer A/Sgt. Waldek A/Sgt. SmithA/Sgt. H.-Barber A/Sgt. Schumann A/Sgt. O’Regan oooooooooooooooooooooooo
A/C 940 V A/C 958 W A/0 915 S
Maj. Coppen Lt. Metcalfe Lt. ChiddyLt. Farrant Lt. Smythe Lt. SimlerA/Sgt. Bradfield A/Sgt. Forrest A/Sgt. StevensLt. Noakes. A/Sgt. Herbst A/Sgt. Forrest oooooooooooooooooooooooo
A/C 840 T A/C 935 Y A/C 873 N
Lt. Weir Lt. Liddiard Lt. SmithLt. Magid Lt. Pickerill 2/Lt. ChristieA/Sgt. Stopforth A/Sgt. Perkins A/Sgt. MooreA/Sgt. Carberns A/Sgt. Kruger A/Sgt. Viljoen oooooooooooooooooooooooo
(Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])54 Aircrews. A/C 870 E. A/C 879 K A/C 877 J
Lt. Mouton Lt. Chisholm Lt. GardinerLt. Venter 2/Lt. Campbell Lt. KerrA/Sgt. Rowe A/Sgt. Hodgkinson A/Sgt. LaneA/Sgt. Smith A/Sgt. de Villiers A/Sgt. Brown oooooooooooooooooooooooo
A/C 141 M A/C 942 G A/C 933 L
Capt. Rhodes Lt. Carlisle Lt. MeredithLt. Hudson 2/Lt. Simon 2/Lt. BaillieA/Sgt. Stringer A/Sgt. Waldek A/Sgt. SmithA/Sgt. H.-Barber A/Sgt. Schumann A/Sgt. O’Regan oooooooooooooooooooooooo
A/C 940 V A/C 958 W A/0 915 S
Maj. Coppen Lt. Metcalfe Lt. ChiddyLt. Farrant Lt. Smythe Lt. SimlerA/Sgt. Bradfield A/Sgt. Forrest A/Sgt. StevensLt. Noakes. A/Sgt. Herbst A/Sgt. Forrest oooooooooooooooooooooooo
A/C 840 T A/C 935 Y A/C 873 N
Lt. Weir Lt. Liddiard Lt. SmithLt. Magid Lt. Pickerill 2/Lt. ChristieA/Sgt. Stopforth A/Sgt. Perkins A/Sgt. MooreA/Sgt. Carberns A/Sgt. Kruger A/Sgt. Viljoen oooooooooooooooooooooooo
(Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])

Transcriber's Notes

L.G. 104
Landing Ground 104, a vital Axis forward airfield located in the El Daba sector of Egypt.
233 Wing
No. 233 Wing R.A.F., providing the fighter escort (likely P-40 Kittyhawks or Spitfires) for the light bomber formation.
M.P.H
Miles Per Hour, the ground speed during the bombing run.
M.P.H
Miles Per Hour, the airspeed maintained during the photo-reconnaissance run.
A/C
Aircraft.
A/C
Aircraft. Specifically, the Martin Baltimore light bombers of No. 21 Squadron SAAF and the Douglas Bostons of No. 24 Squadron SAAF involved in the strike.
A/C
Aircraft. In this context, the Martin Baltimore light bombers operated by No. 21 Squadron SAAF.
A/C
Aircraft. In this context, the Martin Baltimore light bombers operated by No. 21 Squadron SAAF.
Ack/Ack
Anti-Aircraft artillery fire.
Ack/Ack
Anti-Aircraft artillery fire.

R A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Sortie Report form, the standard document for recording mission parameters and initial narrative summaries.

Oprep. Ref. No. 98: Operational Report reference number 98.

Aerodrome or L.G. 98: Landing Ground 98, the operational base for the squadron during the October 1942 campaign.

ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the cloud base and release altitude.

43 detonator with extension rods: Refers to the No. 43 tail pistol/detonator used with "daisy cutter" extension rods on the nose. These rods triggered the bomb above ground level to maximize lateral fragmentation damage against "dispersed A/C".