CUTICCHI.

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. I Oprep. Ref. No. 392 Date. 2/9/43. Squadron. 2I SAAF Type of Aircraft. BALTIMORES. 3 Mk.3., 7 Mk.3A, 2 Mk.4. Aircraft No. As per list. Aircraft Letter. do. Leader of Formation. Captain Major Jandrell. Crew. Lt Christie. Time Up. I030 Hrs LT. Time Down. I236 Hrs LT. Total Time. 22 Hours. Aerodrome or L.G. CUTICCHI. Type of Cloud. Target clear. / amount of Cloud. 7/IO over inland ITALY. Base of Cloud. 7000 Tops 9000. Visibility. Good General Weather. Good Map or Chart Reference. I/500,000 / MESSINA NE/38/I4 Task or Duty. MEDIUM LEVEL BOMBING, RADIO LOCATION STATION, CAPE SPARTIVENTO | Time | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---|---| | I030 | — | BASE | Airborne | | I050 | 2000 | BASE | S/c PATERNO | | II03 | 2I000 | PATERNO | Circuit (Picked up 6 Warhawks, Escort) | | II07 | 2I000 | PATERNO | S/c SPARTIVENTO | | II35 | I0900 | TARGET | Bombed | | II36 | I0000 | TARGET | S/c Base | | I230 | — | BASE | Landed. | | I236 | | | Last aircraft Landed. | (Signature: illegible) Capt. S.I.O. 2I Squadron, SAAF.

1943-09-02 CUTICCHI.

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force * SAAF: South African Air Force * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number * Mk.: Mark (designating aircraft version) * Hrs LT: Hours Local Time * L.G.: Landing Ground * S/c: Set Course * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer Personnel and Command Observations * Major A.C. Jandrell: Acting as the Formation Leader, Major Jandrell was a premier tactical lead for No. 21 Squadron SAAF, noted for leading several high-stakes "box" formations during the Central Mediterranean campaign. * Lieutenant Christie: Flying as the crew for the formation leader, Christie was a regular navigator/bomb-aimer frequently paired with Jandrell for complex lead duties. * Escort Coordination: The mission involved a sophisticated rendezvous over Paterno to pick up an escort of 6 Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, likely from the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) 57th or 79th Fighter Groups, which were operating in the sector. Location and Tactical Reality * Cuticchi (Aerodrome/L.G.): Located in central-eastern Sicily, near Enna. By early September 1943, this landing ground served as the primary forward operating base for No. 21 Squadron following their move from Malta. * Paternò (PATERNO): A town on the southern slopes of Mount Etna used as a standard assembly point for Allied aircraft transitioning from Sicilian bases toward the Italian mainland. * Cape Spartivento (CAPE SPARTIVENTO): The southernmost point of mainland Italy in Calabria. The target was a Radio Location Station (radar installation), critical for Axis early warning against Allied air and naval movements in the Strait of Messina. * Operational Profile: The total flight time of 22 hours (aggregated across the 12 participating aircraft) represents a substantial effort to neutralize a single strategic radar site just before major amphibious landings. Historical Context: The Final Softening * September 2, 1943: This mission took place exactly one day before Operation BAYTOWN, the Allied invasion of mainland Italy. * Target Significance: Striking a Radio Location Station at the "toe" of Italy was a realistic tactical necessity to blind Axis coastal defenses and air-interception capabilities immediately prior to the crossing of the Strait of Messina by the British 8th Army. * The Martin Baltimore: The formation consisted of a mix of three different Baltimore versions (3 Mk.III, 7 Mk.IIIA, and 2 Mk.IV), illustrating the unit's ongoing transition to newer American-built medium bombers while maintaining older versions in active service. * Weather Conditions: Bombing from 10,900 feet was facilitated by the "Target clear" conditions, although the report notes 7/10 cloud cover further inland over Italy, which may have masked secondary Axis movements. 186 The date for this sortie report, recorded in the header of the primary document, is 2/9/43.