TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 453 Date. 21 Nov. 43 Squadron. 21 SA No. of Aircraft. 12 Baltimores 2 Mk.3, 3 Mk.3A, 7 Mk.4 Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) See over Captain. MAJOR STUART Crew. LT PAWSON Formation Leader Time Up. 0843 A Hrs (1445 A/22) 1st A/C Time Down. 1040 A Hrs (1523 A/22) Last A/C Total Time. 24.00 Hours Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. Cu and local rain Amount of Cloud. 10/10 at base. 1/10 over target Base of Cloud. 6000' 15000' Visibility. Poor at base. Good over target General Weather. Heavy rain and cloudy Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 148 Target or Duty. GUNS AND TROOPS POSITIONS. C395041 | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | 0843 | TORTORELLA | A/B | | 2000 | TORTORELLA | S/c RODI GARGANICO (Below cloud) | | 3000 | RODI GARGANICO | FOLLOWING COAST TO PENNA POINT (Below cloud) | | 5000 | PENNA PT. | CIRCLING. CLIMBING TO OPERATIONAL HEIGHT | | 10000 | PENNA PT. | S/c TARGET | | 11000 | TARGET | BOMBED | | 5000 | PENNA PT. | S/c BASE | | 3000 | PIETRE NERE PT. | WEATHER CLOSED IN.- RAIN S/c MACNA L/G | | 3000 | MACNA L/G | LANDED | | | TORTORELLA | LAST A/C LANDED | | | | | | 22/11/43 | | | | 1445 | MACNA | A/B | | 1500 | MACNA | S/c TORTORELLA | | 1523 | TORTORELLA | LANDED | (Sgd) [unclear signature] Capt. SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

1943-11-21 TORTORELLA

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Expanded Abbreviations * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SA / S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * Mk.: Mark (designating the version of the aircraft). * LT: Lieutenant. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Cu: Cumulus (cloud type). * A/B: Airborne. * S/c: Set course. * PT.: Point. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Sgd: Signed. Observations on Individuals * Major Charles Stuart: Served as the Formation Leader for this 12-aircraft strike. Stuart had recently assumed the role of Acting Officer Commanding following the loss of the unit's previous commander on November 3, 1943. * Lieutenant B.F. Pawson: Acted as the regular observer/navigator for Major Stuart. The Stuart/Pawson pairing was a highly experienced lead crew, tasked with navigating under the difficult meteorological conditions described in the narrative. Location Information and Modern Geography * Target C395041 (near San Salvo Marina): The grid coordinate points to German gun and troop positions along the Adriatic coast, just north of the Trigno River near modern-day San Salvo Marina. * Rodi Garganico: A coastal town on the Gargano Peninsula used as a navigational waypoint to fly under the cloud base. Today, it is a prominent seaside resort and a gateway to the Tremiti Islands. * Punta della Penna (Penna Pt.): A distinctive headland near Vasto used by the squadron as a "stepping stone" to climb through cloud breaks to operational altitude. * Magna Landing Ground (Macna L/G): A temporary Allied airstrip used as a weather diversion. Located in the Molise region near the town of Campomarino, the site is now largely agricultural land. * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): The squadron's home base. Now primarily farmland, it is located east of the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. Historical Context * The Trigno-Sangro Offensive: This mission on November 21, 1943, was part of the Allied Eighth Army's push to break the Bernhardt Line. German artillery positions north of the Trigno River were high-priority targets to facilitate the ground advance. * Extreme Weather Operations: The report highlights the "heavy rain" and "10/10 cloud at base" that characterized the onset of the Italian winter. To complete the mission, the formation had to stay below the clouds while following the coastline before finding a gap to climb to 11,000 feet. * Operational Diversion: On the return flight, the "weather closed in" over Tortorella, forcing the entire 12-ship formation to divert and land at Magna L/G. They remained there overnight, only returning to their home base on the afternoon of November 22nd, as noted at the bottom of the narrative. * Logistical Strain: The "Total Time" of 24.00 hours reflects the cumulative flight time of all 12 Martin Baltimores. The necessity of diverting to a foreign airfield added significant logistical and maintenance burdens for the ground crews following behind in trucks. 66 The verification date for the target image 276-2__66.jpg is 21 Nov. 43. This image is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report initiated on the previous page.