Moderate accurate H.A.A. encountered. Eight A/C holed. Leader of last Box hit over target immediately after bombing and

"L" 181 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/827 DATE : 14th SEPTEMBER, 1944 OPREP NO. 827 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 2100 HRS ON THE 13th SEPTEMBER '44 REF. MAP ITALY, 1:100,000 SHEET 101 RIMINI. OPS. NO. 85 to 90 /21/M A. : 24 Marauders in Boxes of 4 A/C each airborne from PESCARA during the day to attack enemy strongpoints near RIMINI, each A/C carrying 10 x 250 frag. bombs. First three boxes at 0940 hrs and at 1040 hrs. bombed an area around p.p. R.835950. First Box straddled Northern Portion with an excellently spaced pattern; 2nd Box all bombs in N.E.section; 3rd Box bombed an area about 1000 yrds N.W. of briefed p.p. by mistake – Direct Hits on large buildings. Slight inaccurate H.A.A. from Target Area. Two A/C returned with load due to Bomb Door trouble. Next three Boxxs off by 1510 hrs. to attack an area around R. 835 950, bombing at approximately 1620 hrs. All Bombs of all three boxes in Northern Portion of Target. Moderate accurate H.A.A. encountered. Eight A/C holed. Leader of last Box hit over target immediately after bombing and A/C started spinning, eventually crashing in sea 5 miles S.E. of RIMINI. It was later confirmed by forward Troops that 4 Chutes opened, two landing in enemy territory and two among our own troops. Details being awaited. B. : (i) 24 Marauders III (ii) Nil C. : (i) & (ii) Nil D. : (i) 48.10 hrs. (ii) Nil E. : (i) 106400 x .50 (ii) Nil (iii) 3800 x .50 F. : (i) 240 x 250 (ii) 220 x 250 (iii) & (iv) Nil G. : (i) 1 Marauder III (ii) 8 Marauders III damaged. H. : Missing – Lt. Gvd. H. Whitehouse and F/Sgt. J.E.Carter(Pilots) Lt. C.van Trotsenburg (Observer); W/O's N.H.Swale, H.E.Horscroft and J.Wilson ( Airgunners) J to V : Nil W. : (i) 1 Marauder III (ii) Nil X. : (i) 20 Minutes (ii) Nil Y to Z : Nil (Signed) S. L. Boast Lt. for Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.

1944-09-14

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations Expanded: * H.Q.: Headquarters. * M.A.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. * SCORU: Section Central Operational Research Unit. * T.A.F.: Tactical Air Force. * S.A.O.S.: South African Operational Section. * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * OPREP: Operational Report. * HRS / hrs: Hours. * A/C: Aircraft. * frag.: fragmentation. * p.p.: pinpoint (target coordinates). * N.E. / N.W. / S.E.: Northeast / Northwest / Southeast. * H.A.A.: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire (Flak). * Lt. / Lieut.: Lieutenant. * F/Sgt.: Flight Sergeant. * W/O's / W.Os.: Warrant Officers. * Observations about Individuals: * Lieutenant G. v.d. H. Whitehouse and Crew: This report (OP No. 827) documents the tragic loss of Marauder HD 591 and its six-man crew. The detailed account of the aircraft spinning into the sea after being hit by "moderate accurate" flak became the subject of a major intelligence investigation to determine if the men captured by the Germans or those reaching Allied lines survived. * Lieutenant S. L. Boast: Acting S.I.O. who compiled this report. His role required balancing the statistical success of the morning raids with the grim reality of a lost crew in the afternoon. * Location and Modern Names: * Pescara: The squadron's Adriatic base. Now the Abruzzo Airport (Aeroporto d’Abruzzo). * Rimini: The strategic focal point of the mission. The target coordinates (R.835950) place the strongpoints in the hills southwest of the city, near the current Rimini Miramare district. * Historical Theatre Context: * The Battle of Rimini: This mission on September 13, 1944, occurred as the British Eighth Army was engaged in the bloodiest fighting of the campaign to break the Gothic Line. * Maximum Effort Sorting: Launching 24 Martin B-26 Marauder III aircraft in a single day illustrates the urgency of Allied air support during the "Operation Olive" breakthrough. * Flak Intensity: The fact that eight aircraft were "holed" in the afternoon raid alone underscores the concentration of German 88mm batteries defending the southern approaches to the Po Valley. * The Fate of HD 591: While initial reports from "forward troops" suggested four chutes opened, subsequent investigations found that only three crew members successfully baled out, with at least one confirmed as a Prisoner of War after being "collected" by German soldiers. 23 Target File Verification: The date written in the 'DATE' column of this operational report is 15th SEPTEMBER, 1944.