Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: CUT ROAD AT H 488712BB: From 1355 Hrs to 1410 HrsBC: Did NOT attack as unable to identify target through cloud.18 x 250 G.P. 43 Dets 27 Pistols (With Rods) Jettisoned from 4000 feet in sea (K2030) at 1433 Hrs.BD: N.A.BE: 40 plus bursts H/A/A over target area, accurate for height, inaccurate for direction.BF: NILBG: NILBH: NILAIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.356Z MAJ. STUART LT PAWSON W/O FREESTONE LT HALL445U LT HARGRAVE LT REES F/SGT JENSEN F/SGT VALENTINE181Y MAJ. COULL LT. ROSE F. F/SGT PERKINS F/SGT VAN ROOYEN240O CAPT DUGMORE LT MASTERS F/SGT MAASDORP F/SGT ROGERS387R LT BENNETT LT HARLE F/SGT STRYDOM A/SGT JENKINSON383W LT ROBERTSON LT HANNING F/SGT DU PIESANIE F/SGT LEISCHING586B CAPT SAUNDERS P/O SMALLMAN LT POTGEITER SGT EARP-JONES441F LT FROST LT NEL F/SGT CARTER SGT ALLEN545A LT MURMAN LT WALTERS F/SGT ODENDAAL SGT STEWART437H LT WILLMOTT LT BORCHERDS F/SGT LOOTS F/SGT WALBRIDGE916K LT HEWITT LT HORWITZ F/SGT KIDNEY SGT AIREY167S LT WITTE 2/LT RUSHFORTH F/SGT EATON SGT MARAIS
Transcriber's Notes
- G.P
- General Purpose (bomb type).
- With Rods
- The 250lb G.P. bombs were fitted with nose-extension rods. These were designed to trigger the fuse several feet above the ground, maximizing the blast and fragmentation damage against soft targets like the road infrastructure and troops the squadron was attempting to interdict. 104 The verification date for the document 276-2__104.jpg is 5th Nov 43.
- N.A
- Not Applicable.
- H/A/A
- Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire (Flak).
Expanded Abbreviations
Lieutenant Robertson and Lieutenant Hanning: Flying in aircraft 383W. This crew would later be lost in a tragic takeoff accident at Tortorella on November 28, 1943.