TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 432 Date. 3 Nov 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores (8 Mk.4. 2 Mk.3A. 2 Mk.3) Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) As per list Captain. LT/COL. BRITZ. DFC Crew. LT. BOOYSE Time Up. 0908 A Hrs 1st A/C Time Down. 1045 A Hrs Last A/C Total Time. 15 Hours Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. Cu. Amount of Cloud. Thin layer 5/6000 Tops Base of Cloud. On hills Visibility. Very good over target General Weather. Good Map or Chart Reference. NAPOLI 1:500,000 Sheet NE 40/14 Target or Duty. Medium level bombing. attack on Road Junction at H029479 (ALFEDENA) | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | — | BASE | A/B | | 5000 | FOGGIA | S/c CAMPOBASSO with 4 Spitfires as escort | | 12000 | CAMPOBASSO | S/c Target (ALFEDENA) | | 12600 | ALFEDENA | Bombs dropped on target Co. 285º | | 12000 | ALFEDENA | S/c TRIVENTO | | 10000 | TRIVENTO | S/c FOGGIA | | 1000 | BASE | Over Base | | | BASE | Landed | | | | Last aircraft landed | (Sgd) J.E. Bennett Capt. SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

1943-11-03 TORTORELLA

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Expanded Abbreviations * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force * SAAF / S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number * Mk.: Mark (designating the version of the Martin Baltimore aircraft) * LT/COL: Lieutenant Colonel * DFC: Distinguished Flying Cross * A Hrs: Army Hours (Military Time) * A/C: Aircraft * L.G.: Landing Ground * Cu.: Cumulus (cloud type) * A/B: Airborne * S/c: Set course * Co.: Course * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer * Sgd: Signed Observations on Individuals * Lieutenant Colonel Jack Britz, DFC: Acted as the Formation Leader for this 12-aircraft strike on Alfedena. Britz was the highly respected Officer Commanding (OC) of 21 Squadron. This document records one of his final acts of leadership; tragically, Britz was killed later this same day (November 3, 1943) in a mid-air collision during a subsequent sortie near Termoli. * Lieutenant Booyse: Served as the regular observer/navigator for Lieutenant Colonel Britz. As the lead navigator, Booyse was responsible for the precision transit across the Apennines and the high-altitude bomb run at 12,600 feet. * Captain J.E. Bennett: Signed the report as the Senior Intelligence Officer (SIO). Bennett’s role involved debriefing the returning crews at Tortorella to ascertain target damage and observe German troop movements in the mountains. Location Information and Modern Geography * Alfedena (H029479): A historic village in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo region. It occupies a strategic position at the confluence of the Sangro and Rio Torto rivers, making its road junctions vital logistical targets. * Modern Name: Alfedena remains a prominent mountain municipality today, situated within the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. * Campobasso: Used as a major navigational waypoint and assembly point for the formation and its fighter escort. Campobasso had recently been captured by the British Eighth Army, serving as a hub for air-ground coordination. * Trivento: An egress waypoint used during the return flight. It is an ancient hilltop town in the Molise region. * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): The home base for 21 Squadron. Located east of the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport, it was a primary Desert Air Force (DAF) light bomber hub. Historical Context * Interdiction of the Winter Line: This mission on November 3, 1943, was part of the Desert Air Force’s campaign to isolate the German front-line units occupying the Bernhardt Line (the precursor to the Gustav Line). By striking the road junction at Alfedena, the squadron aimed to prevent reinforcements and heavy artillery from reaching the Sangro River valley. * Escorted Operations: The narrative notes the formation was met by "4 Spitfires as escort" over Foggia. These aircraft provided essential protection against the Luftwaffe's Jagdgeschwader units, which were increasingly active over the central mountains. * Operational Flight Profile: The crews climbed to 12,000 feet at Campobasso to clear the "Thin layer" of clouds reported on the hills, ensuring a visual release from 12,600 feet. This high-altitude approach was standard for the Martin Baltimore to maximize bomb accuracy while staying above the most effective range of light German anti-aircraft fire. * Mission Statistics: The individual sortie time was approximately 1 hour and 37 minutes. The "Total Time" of 15 hours likely represents the flight hours for a sub-set of the formation or a calculation error by the SIO, as 12 aircraft flying for 1.6 hours usually equates to ~19 hours. 101 The verification date for the target image 276-2__101.jpg is 3 Nov. 43. This document is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for Operational Report Reference Number 432.