Bombs burst in a good pattern and left the Western area of the village covered in dust and smoke. Numerous direct hits w

BA. Roads through ST MARIE DI LICODIA BB. 1122 hrs LT BC. Medium Level. Height 10500. Courses 355/010° 72 x 250 GP 47 Det 27 Pistols BD. The formation bombed from H790908 to H787919 straddling the target. Bombs burst in a good pattern and left the Western area of the village covered in dust and smoke. Numerous direct hits were scored on buildings and on the main road. BE. Moderate but accurate HAA opened when formation started run-in and continued after bombing to SFERRO. HAA from NW. PATERNO do SOUTH of ADRANO. do WEST of BIANCAVILLE. Effective evasive tactics, climbing and turning and losing height employed by leader. BF. One aircraft a number of minor holes (271F) Cat I BG. Obliques and Verticals, of bomb bursts. Height 10500. Courses 355/0 IAS 210 BH. (1) 1 FW 190 seen 2000 ft above Spitfire escort before bombing. Did NOT attack. (ii) 40 Trucks and coaches in station NORTH of PATERNO. NO engines seen. (iii) At H730900 Rail bridge blown. LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW. 344X Capt. STUART, Lt. PAWSON, F/Sgt. MORLEY, 2/Lt. SCHUMANN (F/L) 291U Lts. HARGRAVE & REES, F/Sgts. JENSEN (RCAF) & BEDFORD 173P Capt. SAUNDERS, Lt. BOOYSE, F/Sgt. MOORE & Sgt. EARP-JONES. 221Y Lts. EATON & MODERKOTT, F/Sgts. FREESTONE (NZAF) & VAN ROOYEN 356Z Lts. SIMPSON & HANDLEY, F/Sgts. ROBERTS & SHEPPERSON. 387R Lts. RICHARDS & DE CONNICK, F/Sgt. ROBERTSE, Sgt. McGRINDLE. 290U Lts. BLIEDEN & ROSE, F/Sgts. JARVIS & PERKINS 341L Lts. WILLMOTT & BORCHERDS, F/Sgts. LOOTS & WALBRIDGE (RAF) 206J Lts. WOOD & NEL, F/Sgt. JAMES, Sgt. BUCHLER. 179A Lts. ASKEW & LAMBERT, F/Sgt. GELDENHUYS, Sgt. CRAWHALL. 916K Lts. FROST & WHITE, F/Sgt. CARTER, Sgt. ALLAN. 271F Lts. MURMAN & WALTERS, F/Sgt. ODENDAAL, Sgt. STEWART.

1943-07-31

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * LT: Local Time. * GP: General Purpose (bombs). * Det: Detonator. * HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft artillery. * Cat I: Category I (Aircraft damage that is minor and repairable within the squadron). * IAS: Indicated Air Speed. * FW 190: Focke-Wulf 190 (German fighter aircraft). * ft: feet. * (F/L): Formation Leader. * RCAF: Royal Canadian Air Force. * NZAF: New Zealand Air Force (referring to Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel). * (RAF): Royal Air Force. Personnel and Tactical Observations * Captain Stuart and Crew: Leading in aircraft 344X, Stuart demonstrated exceptional airmanship. The report explicitly credits his "effective evasive tactics"—including climbing, turning, and losing height—with navigating the formation through "moderate but accurate" heavy anti-aircraft fire that followed them all the way to Sferro. * Sgt. Crawhall: Continuing his intensive service during the Sicilian campaign, Crawhall flew as a gunner in aircraft 179A. * Commonwealth Integration: This list remains a prime example of the multinational nature of 21 Squadron, featuring personnel from the RCAF (F/Sgt. Jensen), NZAF (F/Sgt. Freestone), and RAF (F/Sgt. Walbridge). * Enemy Air Presence: The sighting of a Focke-Wulf 190 lurking 2,000 feet above the Spitfire escort highlights the persistent, if cautious, Luftwaffe presence. The fact it did not attack indicates the effectiveness of the 24 Spitfires providing top cover for the Baltimore formation. Location and Tactical Reality * Santa Maria di Licodia (ST MARIE DI LICODIA): A vital transportation hub on the slopes of Mount Etna. The report records "numerous direct hits" on buildings and the main road, but realistically, area saturation was the goal. The Western area of the village being "covered in dust and smoke" confirms a high density of ordnance delivered into the urban center. * Paternò, Adrano, and Biancavilla: These neighboring towns (modern names unchanged) served as the primary Axis defensive line—the "Etna Line". The presence of "accurate HAA" from all three locations indicates the density of Axis artillery protecting the withdrawal routes toward Messina. * Infrastructure Intelligence: The observation of 40 trucks and coaches at the station north of Paternò and a blown rail bridge at grid H730900 provided the British 8th Army with critical data on Axis logistical movements and rearguard sabotage. Historical Context (Operation HUSKY) * July 31, 1943 (D+21): This was the final day of July and a turning point in the campaign. As the Allied ground forces squeezed the Axis bridgehead, missions like this were designed to smash the remaining infrastructure nodes used by the German 15th Panzergrenadier Division. * The Martin Baltimore: The formation delivered a massive payload of 72 x 250 lb General Purpose bombs from 10,500 feet. The Baltimore's speed (210 IAS) and the leader's aggressive maneuvering were essential for survival in this increasingly lethal environment where Axis flak batteries were concentrated into a shrinking perimeter. 130 The date written in the header of the associated operational report for target file 276-1_130.jpg is 31 JULY 43.