Bardia Harbour

SECRET BOMBING REPORT 34 45 REFERENCE Pilot : Maj. Britz Observer : 2/Lt. M. A. Oberholzer Squadron : 21 BR Details of Target : Sgts. Earnshaw & Petterson Ship in Bardia Harbour Place : Bardia Harbour Date : 27 / 9 / 41 Weather : Time : 1632 hrs. 15000 Height : 15000 feet. (1) Bombs dropped : (2) Failures : 1 stick of 4 X 250 lbs 4 x 250 jettisoned in sea when attacked by fighters. (3) Observed effects : Stick to the right of ship. W/O maintained it missed the ship by 50 yards. A/Gunners also report that the whole Harbour was covered in smoke just when we left Target. (4) Details of photographs taken : None (5) Casualties to own aircraft and personnel : One Maryland shot down by ME 109. Two of bomber crew seen baling out. (6) Casualties to enemy aircraft and personnel : 2 ME shot down. 1 by Pilot of 1653. Pilot of ME bailed out but was alight. Other was smoking diving towards land. (7) Enemy A.A. ground defences encountered (a) location of defences (b) type (c) strength : Along Coast. (b) Heavy (c) Very intensive and fairly accurate. (8) Hostile patrols encountered (a) position (b) type and number of aircraft (c) if engagement resulted : Only fighters over Target, how many unknown. We were at first attacked by 2 ME’s after that another one took up the chase and chased us to Sidi Barrani. (9) Special comments : Near miss with first stick, and had to drop other stick in the sea when fighters attacked us. Signed 2/Lt. Oberholzer. NOTE — (1) For intelligence purposes RECONNAISSANCE REPORT (A. M. FORM 401) must always accompany a BOMBING REPORT. (2) COMBAT (BOMBER) REPORT also to be completed if engagement with enemy aircraft occurred during flight.

1941-09-27 Bardia Harbour

__o_O_o__

Form 541

15,000ft.

MAP

Baltimore

2/Lt. M. A. Oberholzer Squadro Observer

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. During the period of September 1941, the unit was a critical medium bomber component of the Western Desert Air Force, operating from Egyptian bases against Axis supply lines in Libya. * A.A. (Enemy A.A.): Anti-Aircraft artillery fire. Ground defenses located along the coast were characterized as "Heavy," "Very intensive," and "fairly accurate". * BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): A twin-engine medium bomber manufactured by Glenn L. Martin. While the squadron famously converted to the Baltimore in 1942, during the 1941 campaign it was equipped with the Martin Maryland, the direct technical and operational precursor to the Baltimore in S.A.A.F. service. * MC/GP (MEDIUM CAPACITY / GENERAL PURPOSE): The classification for standard Allied high-explosive demolition bombs. The mission utilized 250 lb GP munitions; the aircraft (1653) dropped half its load (4 bombs) near the target and was forced to jettison the remaining 4 in the sea due to fighter interception. * ME / ME 109: Messerschmitt Bf 109, the primary Luftwaffe single-engine interceptor encountered by the squadron during the desert war. * MET: Meteorological data. Specific atmospheric conditions are not detailed on this sheet beyond the visual observation of the harbour being "covered in smoke" after the attack. * W/O: Wireless Operator. Operational Context Operational Report No. 4 documents a high-priority strike on 27th September 1941 targeting Axis maritime logistics in Bardia Harbour. The strategic importance of this location centered on its role as a fortified port for German and Italian reinforcements and supplies destined for the frontier. Interdicting Axis shipping was essential to Allied efforts to weaken Rommel’s Panzergruppe Afrika prior to the launch of Operation Crusader. This report, filed by the observer for Maryland 1653 (piloted by Maj. Britz), details the second run of a two-pass horizontal bombing profile at 15,000 feet. The first stick of four 250 lb GP bombs was a "near miss," impacting approximately 50 yards to the right of the target ship. Smoke from the cumulative squadron strike obscured the harbour facilities as the aircraft egressed. Execution Constraints The operation faced severe tactical resistance from both ground and air defenses. Intense coastal anti-aircraft fire bracketed the formation, while a large force of enemy fighters intercepted the bombers over the target. The crew of Maryland 1653 witnessed another squadron Maryland being shot down by an Me 109, with only two crew members seen "baling out". Interception by two Me 109s forced Maj. Britz to jettison the second half of his bomb load into the sea to regain performance for defensive maneuvering. In the ensuing combat, Maj. Britz personally shot down one Me 109, whose pilot bailed out while on fire; a second Messerschmitt was last seen diving toward land smoking heavily after being engaged by the squadron's air gunners. The formation was pursued as far as Sidi Barrani. This document, signed by 2/Lt. M. A. Oberholzer, serves as a primary record of the high-intensity combat and tactical trade-offs (such as jettisoning ordnance) required for survival during unescorted S.A.A.F. medium bomber operations. 46 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 27 / 9 / 41.