Operation

BA. INTERRUPT ROAD COMMUNICATIONS BY BOMBING IN AREA B8228-C3305-CALTANISSETTA- along bombline to AGRIGENTO, keeping 6 miles from this town — B8228. If no movement seen or target discovered bomb TERMINI HARBOUR. BB. From 2149 to 2342 hrs LT. BC. Medium level bombing 8000'. 42 x 250 GP Rods 43 Det. 190 x 4 lb Incendiaries. 21 Flares Recce 4.5 No. 4. BD. 15/17 MT seen G8997, had been bombed by earlier aircraft of 21 Squadron and fire in area, suspected movement along route NOT positively identified. Cross-roads, bridges and ship and mole at TERMINI HARBOUR seen. NO certain hits but near misses at various points and on ship and mole. Bombs dropped, a few incendiaries at the same time as bombing and flares intermittently along route, as in following list: B8012 – 13 bombs – small fires caused. G8997 – 6 " – " H0195 – 2 " – " H0587 – 3 " – " H3290 – 2 " – " H1597 – 1 " – " C0309 – 3 " – " B8715 – 4 " – " B8222 – 4 " – " Termini Harbour – 3 bombs Castelvetrano – 1 " Other small fires seen at various points along route. BE. 4 bursts HAA inaccurate H0195. Slight HAA inaccurate CASTELVETRANO. LAA fairly accurate C.S. MARCO. 1 S/L CAMMARATA inaccurate. 1 S/L CASTELVETRANO inaccurate. BF. NIL. BG. NIL. BH. Pamphlets distributed along roads. Large fires seen PALERMO. Long fire on Eastern slope MT. MADONIE, many small fires in target area. Large fire CASTELVETRANO-MARSALA area. Ships seen heading SE between PANTELLERIA and SICILY. Steady strong white light pointing to sea SOUTH MONASTIR area. LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW. 951 V Col. DURRANT, Capt. FARRANT, 2/Lt. LYNE & F/Sgt. BRADFIELD. 108 O Capt. STUART, Lt. PAWSON, F/Sgt. MORLEY & 2/Lt. SCHUMANN. 221 Y Lt. EATON, Lt. MACDERMOTT, F/Sgts. FREESTONE (NZ) & VAN ROOYEN. 173 P Capt. SAUNDERS, Lt. BOOYSE, F/Sgt. MOORE & Sgt. EARP-JONES. 226 H Capt. ORD, Lt. HODGES, F/Sgts. WALKER & DEVENISH. 136 M Lt. DUGMORE, Lt. MASTERS, 2/Lt. MAASDORP & F/Sgt. ROGERS. 290 G Lt. BLIEDEN, Lt. ROSE, F/Sgts. JARVIS & PERKINS.

1943-07-15

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded: * LT: Local Time. * GP Rods: General Purpose bombs fitted with standoff rods (typically 6-inch rods). * Det.: Detonator. * Recce: Reconnaissance (flares). * MT: Motor Transport. * HAA / LAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft / Light Anti-Aircraft artillery. * S/L: Searchlight. * Col. / Capt. / Lt. / 2/Lt. / F/Sgt.: Colonel / Captain / Lieutenant / Second Lieutenant / Flight Sergeant. * NZ: New Zealand (referring to personnel from the Royal New Zealand Air Force). * SE: South-East. * Route and Mission Observations: * Continuous Interdiction: The squadron maintained a steady stream of seven aircraft over central Sicily for nearly two hours. This staggered presence allowed for the harassment of Axis logistics and the systematic identification of targets along the primary road networks. * Targeting Logic: The primary focus was the "bombline" road communications between Caltanissetta and Agrigento. If movement was not found on the roads, crews were authorized to divert to Termini Imerese, the primary northern logistical port. * Visual Conditions: Crews observed widespread fires across the theater, including large blazes at Palermo, the Castelvetrano-Marsala area, and the eastern slopes of Mt. Madonie. A "steady strong white light" was noted south of the Monastir area in Tunisia, likely a coastal beacon for Allied navigation. * Ordnance and Tactical Analysis: * Bombing Success: The report lists 42 high-explosive bombs dropped at multiple grid locations, starting numerous small fires. While direct hits on motor transport were not confirmed, near misses were claimed on vital infrastructure, including bridges, cross-roads, and the mole (harbor wall) at Termini. * Psychological Warfare: In keeping with the operations from previous nights, crews "widely dispersed" pamphlets along the road networks to target Italian morale. * Observations about Individuals Mentioned: * Colonel J.T. Durrant: Commanding Officer of 3 (S.A.) Wing, flying the lead aircraft (951 V). His active participation in these night interdiction missions highlights the high priority senior command placed on paralyzing Axis interior movement. * Captain Saunders and Lieutenant Booyse: Flying aircraft 173 P, this crew was a regular fixture in the squadron's high-precision night pathfinding and interdiction sorties. * Flight Sergeant Freestone (NZ): Serving in aircraft 221 Y, Freestone represents the integration of Commonwealth personnel into SAAF tactical units. * Location and Historical Context: * Operational Sector: The mission covered the central Sicilian logistical heartland, including Caltanissetta, Enna, and the northern port of Termini Imerese. * Modern Names: Caltanissetta remains a provincial capital, while Termini Imerese is still a major port city in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. * C.S. Marco: Refers to Capo San Marco, a heavily defended headland near Sciacca that served as a landfall navigational fix. * Operation HUSKY Momentum: Flown on the night of July 14/15, 1943 (D+5), this mission supported the Allied drive toward the Sicilian interior. By systematically striking the road network, 21 Squadron effectively "blinded" Axis mobile reserves, preventing coordinated counter-attacks against the advancing Allied 7th and 8th Armies. * The Martin Baltimore: The variant in use, the Baltimore Mk IIIA, was ideally suited for this role. Its high cruise speed allowed it to cross the Mediterranean, spend significant time "loitering" for targets, and return to Tunisia within a single 4-hour sortie window. 79 The date written in the header of the postagram is 16 JUL 43.