Operation

BA. INTERRUPT ROAD COMMUNICATIONS BY DROPPING FLARES, INCENDIARIES AND BOMBING IN AREA B5228, C3305, H 0677 CENTRAL SICILIA. BB. 2307 hrs to 0028 hrs LT. BC. MEDIUM LEVEL. 2500/5000' above ground level. 42 x 250 GP 43 Det. (Rods). 9 x 4.5 Recce Flares No. 6. 150 x 4 lb Incendiaries. 28000 Pamphlets (Mussolini 28 NOV 40). 250 x .5 BD. Aircraft searched the roads and wadis at times from 200' above ground level for enemy transport. Flares were dropped. Little movement was seen. 7 bombs and incendiaries were aimed at ROADS between LEONFORTE to PETRALIA. 9 bombs and incendiaries were aimed at ROADS between SERRADIFALCO to ENNA. 24 bombs and incendiaries were dropped from VALLELUNGA to ENNA. 2 bombs were dropped near ROAD at RAFFADALI. Incendiaries started a fire giving off explosions and bombs straddled 10 MT at CALTANISSETTA VILLAGE. A near miss was scored on 6 MT in bend of road at LEONFORTE and a direct hit on road at ENNA. 6 bombs burst across a cutting at G9055. Top gunner of one aircraft straffed large trucks at RAFFADALI and started a fire. BE. LAA slight and inaccurate from CALTANISSETTA. 1 Blue S/L inaccurate from C3805. BF. NIL. BG. NIL. BH. The pamphlets were thrown out over the entire target area. LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW. 903 B Maj. CORMACK, Lt. LOMBAARD, 2/Lt. VILJOEN & F/Sgt. FINBERG. 930 K Lt. HAMILTON, Lt. WHITTLE, 2/Lt. HODGKINSON & F/Sgt. PHELAN. 271 F Lt. GUARD, Sgt. SMALLMAN (Rhod) F/Sgt. GREEN & 2/Lt. de VILLIERS. 195 G Lt. A’BEAR, Lt. OWEN-HUGHES, 2/Lts. HARRISON & PICKUP. 291 U Lt. HARGRAVE, Lt. REES, Sgt. JENSEN (Can) F/Sgt. BEDFORD. 167 S Capt. SMIT, Lt. KAY, 2/Lts. TOMS & WRIGHT. 957 W Lt. WOOD, Lt. GOULD, 2/Lts. PURDON & GROENEWALD.

1943-07-14

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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. (Rods): Detonator (referring to 6-inch standoff rods used to trigger lateral blast). * Recce: Reconnaissance (flares). * lb: pound (weight of incendiaries). * MT: Motor Transport. * LAA: Light Anti-Aircraft artillery. * S/L: Searchlight. * Maj. / Capt. / Lt. / 2/Lt. / F/Sgt.: Major / Captain / Lieutenant / Second Lieutenant / Flight Sergeant. * Rhod / Can: Rhodesian / Canadian. * Route and Timing Analysis: * Operational Window: The target area was engaged from 2307 hrs to 0028 hrs LT. * Low-Level Tactics: While the formation maintained a "Medium Level" transit between 2,500 and 5,000 feet, individual aircraft descended to as low as 200 feet above ground level to search "roads and wadis" for enemy transport. * Intruder Profile: This mission represents a significant tactical shift from high-altitude bombing to "armed reconnaissance" or "intruder" operations, where crews actively hunted for mobile targets of opportunity across a broad area of Central Sicily. * Ordnance and Strike Observations: * Interdiction Success: The report details a high degree of success against Axis logistics. 10 MT were straddled at Caltanissetta, 6 MT were engaged at Leonforte, and a direct hit was scored on the road at Enna. * Ammunition and Strafing: The expenditure of 250 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition (noted as 250 x .5) supported aggressive strafing, such as the top gunner who successfully set fire to "large trucks" at Raffadali. * Psychological Warfare: The delivery of 28,000 pamphlets (Mussolini 28 Nov 40) was a coordinated effort to erode enemy morale by distributing propaganda over the "entire target area" alongside the physical destruction of the roads. * Observations about Individuals Mentioned: * Major Cormack: Commanding the mission in aircraft 903 B, leading the shift into low-level tactical interdiction. * Sgt. Smallman (Rhod) and Sgt. Jensen (Can): These entries highlight the international makeup of 21 Squadron, featuring personnel from the Southern Rhodesian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force serving alongside SAAF crews. * Lt. Wood and Lt. Gould: Flying aircraft 957 W, these crews were highly active during the first four days of the invasion. * Information about the Locations: * Central Sicilia: The mission covered a wide geographical spread, including Leonforte, Petralia, Serradifalco, Enna, Vallelunga, Raffadali, and Caltanissetta. * Modern Names: These names remain consistent today. Caltanissetta and Enna are major provincial capitals in modern Sicily. * Historical Context (Operation HUSKY): Flown on the night of July 13/14, 1943 (D+4), this sortie supported the Allied push into the Sicilian interior. By disrupting road communications and targeting transport columns, 21 Squadron significantly hindered the Axis ability to reorganize and counter-attack the advancing Allied 7th and 8th Armies. * The Martin Baltimore: The variant in use, the Baltimore MK IIIA, was specifically suited for these roles due to its exceptional defensive fire and speed at low altitudes. 76 The date written in the header of target file 276-1_76.jpg is 15 JUL 43.