Operation

"C" 172 TO : H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION 23rd SCORU) H.Q. T.A.F. ITALY ( ATTENTION SCORU) S.A.O.S. S.A.A.F. FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. REF. : 21S/ 816 DATE : 2nd SEPTEMBER, 1944 OPREP NO. 816 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 2100 HRS. ON THE 1st SEPTEMBER 1944 REF. MAP ITALY 1:100,000 SHEET 100 FORLI. OPS. NO. 51 to 53/ 21 /M. A. : 12 Marauders in three boxes of 4 A/C each airborne from PESCARA between 1603 and 1620 Hrs. to attack Cesena M/Y with a mixed load of frag. and demo bombs. whole formation bombed at about 1730 hrs., boxes bombing individually on leaders. Due to bad visibility (haze) first box did a dummy run to identify target and eventually bombed immediately after third box. Both of these undershooting with patterns which commenced in open country north of the target and finished about 100 yards short of the M/Yards. Second box did not bomb due to the leader experiencing trouble with bomb doors, but one A/C released five bombs with unobserved results. Moderate accurate H.A.A. during run-up ( 8 A/C holed). Target clear of cloud but visibility extremely bad due to haze. All A/C down by 1852 hrs. B. : (1) 12 Marauders III (ii) Nil C. : (1) & (ii) Nil D. : (1) 27.40 hrs (ii) Nil E. : (1) 45600 x .50 (ii) & (iii) Nil F. : (1) 72 x 500) Fusings 52 – 42 and 36 – 27 Nose 48 x 250) 36 – 30 Tail (ii) 51 x 500 34 x 250 (iii) & (iv) Nil G. : (1) Nil (ii) 8 Marauders III ( Slight Damage) H. : Nil. (Signed) S. L. Boast Lt. for Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.