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SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A. (Part A.) H 45 [Handwritten] Flight No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 86 Date. 9/10/42 Squadron 21 Sqn. S.A.A.F. Type of Aircraft. 6 Baltimores and 12 Bos- Captain Capt. Potgieter Aircraft No. tons of 24 Sqn. S.A.A.F. Crew. )- See Overleaf -( Aircraft Letter. Time Up. 1550 hours Time Down. 1804 hours Aerodrome or L.G. 98 Total Time. 13.00 hours [Note: Apparent clerical error for 2 hrs 14 mins] Type of Cloud. Map or Chart Amount of Cloud. 2/10ths at 2000' Reference. Base of Cloud. DABA Visibility. Fair 1:250,000 General Weather. Good Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 021 Time. Height. Place. Narrative. L.G. 98 6 Baltimores formated on 12 Bostons of 24 Squadron, S.A.A.F. and picked up fighter escort

9000' Target Formation bombed on a course of 150°

L.G. 98 All aircraft landed.

PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E Instruction 34. P.T.O. /PMEJ - 200,000 - 3/42 B. A. Dispersed Aircraft on L.G. 021 BB. 1705 hours. B. C. Medium level bombing attack. 29 x 250lb. G.P. 43 detonator with extension rods. 7 x 250 lb. hang up due to electrical failure. These were brought back. B. D. 2 fires on West edge of landing ground and 1 fire on South East corner. B. E. Heavy and medium from target area - inaccurate. B. F. Nil. B. G. 3 Oblique by A/c 912. B. H. An enemy aircraft was seen going down out of control just as formation left target area. CREW LIST --------- A/C No. 912 A/C No. 915 A/C 956

Pilot Capt. Potgieter Lt. Chiddy Lt. Golding Observer Lt. Bennett Lt. Simler Lt. Mulholland Gunners A/Sgt. v. d. Merwe A/Sgt. Stevens Sgt. Dyson M/S van Loggerenberg A/Sgt. Forrest Sgt. Zaaiman A/C No. 877 A/C No. 942 A/C No. 930

Pilot Lt. Gardiner, Lt. Carlisle Lt. Liddiard Observer Lt. Kerr Lt. Simon Lt. Pickerill Gunners A/Sgt. Brown A/Sgt. Waldek Sgt. Abraham A/Sgt. Lane A/Sgt. Schumann Sgt. Kruger (Handwritten: [Illegible signature])

1942-10-09 98

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * R A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Sortie Report form used to document individual mission data. * Oprep. Ref. No. 86: Operational Report reference number 86. * 21 Sqn. S.A.A.F. / 24 Sqn. S.A.A.F.: No. 21 and No. 24 Squadrons of the South African Air Force. Both units operated as part of No. 3 (S.A.) Wing. * Baltimores / Bostons: Refers to the Martin Baltimore and Douglas Boston light bombers, respectively. These aircraft were the primary tactical strike assets of the Desert Air Force (DAF). * Capt. Potgieter: Captain Potgieter, the flight leader for this specific mission. * Aerodrome or L.G. 98 / L.G. 021: Landing Ground 98 (the base of operations) and Landing Ground 021 (the designated target airfield). * DABA: El Daba, the regional map reference for the Egyptian coastal sector. * 9000': Nine thousand feet, the altitude maintained for the bombing run. * 150°: A heading of one hundred and fifty degrees (South-Southeast). * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. * P.T.O.: Please Turn Over, indicating further details are on the reverse side (Part B). Operational Context: The mission on 9 October 1942 represents the third major light bomber strike conducted by No. 21 Squadron SAAF on this date, illustrating the high operational tempo required during the final buildup to the Second Battle of El Alamein. This late-afternoon sortie (Time Up: 1550 hours) involved six Martin Baltimores integrating with twelve Douglas Bostons of No. 24 Squadron SAAF for a combined strike against L.G. 021. Strategically, L.G. 021 was a key Axis landing ground in the El Daba sector. The Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) intensified these "airfield suppression" raids to neutralize Axis air power on the ground, preventing the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica from interdicting the massive Allied logistical concentration along the Alamein front. The tactical execution followed standard DAF "shuttle bombing" procedures: the formation "formated" over L.G. 98 and proceeded with a fighter escort—likely P-40 Kittyhawks—to protect the bombers from Axis interceptors. The medium-level attack was conducted from 9,000 feet on a course of 150°, an approach designed to align the bomb pattern with airfield dispersal areas and runways. This sortie contributed to the broader Allied objective of achieving total air superiority before the 8th Army's ground offensive. The archival notation "H 45" on folio 45 marks its sequential position in the unit's permanent historical record. 57 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No specific date is recorded on this page (Part B); however, internal cross-referencing with the corresponding Sortie Report (Part A) on folio 45 identifies the mission date as 9/10/42. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * L.G. 021: Landing Ground 021. A forward Axis airfield in the El Daba sector of Egypt. * 250lb. G.P.: 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs. * 43 detonator with extension rods: Refers to the No. 43 tail pistol/detonator used in conjunction with "daisy cutter" extension rods on the nose. These rods triggered the bomb above ground level to maximize fragmentation damage to "Dispersed Aircraft". * hang up: A technical malfunction where ordnance fails to release from the aircraft's bomb shackles. * Heavy and medium: Refers to heavy (88mm) and medium (20mm or 37mm) anti-aircraft artillery (flak) encountered over the target area. * Oblique: Oblique aerial photographs taken at an angle to provide a perspective view of the target for damage assessment. * A/c / A/C: Aircraft. In this context, the Martin Baltimore light bombers of No. 21 Squadron SAAF. * M/S: Likely a clerical variation or specific unit shorthand for "Flight Sergeant" (F/Sgt) or a related technical rank like "Mechanic/Sergeant". * Capt. / Lt. / Sgt. / A/Sgt.: Standard rank abbreviations for Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Acting Sergeant. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part B) details the tactical results of the third major strike conducted by No. 21 Squadron SAAF on 9 October 1942. Strategically, the attack on L.G. 021 was part of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) intensified campaign to neutralize Axis air assets in the El Daba sector during the buildup to the Second Battle of El Alamein. The use of "extension rods" highlights the mission's intent to shred unarmored aircraft airframes through lateral fragmentation rather than cratering the landing surface. Despite encountering "Heavy and medium" flak, the formation successfully started three fires on the airfield perimeter. The "hang up" of seven bombs in one aircraft illustrates the ongoing technical strain on electrical release systems during high-tempo "shuttle bombing" operations in the desert. The report of an "enemy aircraft... seen going down out of control" suggests an engagement with Axis interceptors—likely Bf 109s or C.202s—as the formation withdrew. The presence of a fighter escort (recorded in Part A) was critical for protecting these light bomber formations against such interdiction. The crew list, featuring pilots such as Capt. Potgieter and Lt. Chiddy, provides an essential record of the airmen executing these low-to-medium level strikes that successfully suppressed the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica prior to the 8th Army's ground offensive. 58 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 14th October 1942.