Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Date
- 7th APRIL, 1945
APPENDIX "H"204FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.TO : W.I.O. 3 WING S.A.A.F.H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATIONS RECORDS)H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( SCORU)REF. : 21S/992DATE : 7th APRIL, 1945OPREP NO. 992 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 2100 HRS ON THE 6th APRIL, 1945 REF. MAP ITALY 1:100,000 SHEET 64 - ROVIGO.
<u>OPERATION NO. 188/21S/M.</u>
A : 8 A/C in two boxes, plus 2 Anti-Flak A/C, airborne between1639 and 1900 hrs to attack ROVIGO M/Yards at G.254121.In company with 24 Squadron, formation set course frombase at 1705 hrs. and bombed at 1752 hrs. from 12000'on a course of about 200º. Both Boxes straddled M/Yardswith majority of bombs, but detailed results difficult toobserve due to previous squadron's bombsmoke. Moderatefairly accurate H.A.A. from target area. Two A/C hit : oneeffected emergency landing at base (Cat. II) Area fightercover provided. Weather; target clear; vis. hazy.Two Anti-Flakships briefed to bomb gunpositions in targetvicinity with 20lbs clusters - 1st A/C had left errorof about 100 yards; 2nd A/C only dropped 2 clusters, dueto non-operation of intervalometer, remainder jettisonedin sea.B : (1) 10 Marauders III (ii) NilC : (1) & (ii) NilD : (1) 22.05 hrs. (11) NilE : (1) 34,000 x .50 (11) & (111) NilF : (1) 48 x 500 ANM/64) Demo fused. (ii) 48 x 500 ; 18 Pkts Window32 x 250 ANM/57) 32 x 250 ; 44 Pkts Pamp.384 x 20 lbs 216 x 20 (iii) 168 x 20 (iv) Nil
G : (1) Nil (ii) 1 Marauder III - Cat. 1.1 Marauder III - Cat. 2.H to N : NilW : (1) 1 Marauder III (ii) NilX : (1) 2.15 Hrs (ii) NilY to Z : Nil S.L. Boshoff [handwritten signature] ___-------------------- Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.AOS9605SA 21 / 514 6 APR 45 F20 || HH G 2612 12600 1752 B I O N
Transcriber's Notes
- S.I.O
- Squadron Intelligence Officer, Capt. S.L. Boshoff. Operational Context Target File 271-4_25 documents Operation No. 188/21S/M, a kinetic strike executed on 6th April 1945 against the Rovigo Marshalling Yards. This raid was a critical element of the preliminary interdiction phase of Operation Grapeshot, the final Allied spring offensive in Italy. The location of Rovigo was strategically vital as a primary rail bottleneck for the German 10th Army (10. Armee) and the LXXVI Panzer Corps (LXXVI. Panzerkorps) defending the Adriatic sector. By striking the marshalling yards, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) aimed to achieve the total logistical paralysis of Heeresgruppe C prior to the Eighth Army's breakthrough toward the Argenta Gap. The 10 Marauder III aircraft (8 main bombers and 2 anti-flak ships) operated in coordination with 24 Squadron S.A.A.F. under a close escort of area fighters. While both boxes successfully "straddled" the yards with 500 lb and 250 lb GP bombs, smoke from previous strikes obscured the detailed damage assessment. The anti-flak Marauders targeted gun positions with 20 lb fragmentation clusters, though technical failure in one aircraft's intervalometer resulted in most of its ordnance being jettisoned. Despite "moderate fairly accurate" flak that forced one emergency landing and damaged another airframe, the mission successfully maintained the terminal pressure on Axis logistics in Northern Italy just three days before the opening of the main Allied ground offensive. 26
- 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F
- No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force, a medium bomber unit.
- 3 WING S.A.A.F
- No. 3 Wing SAAF, the higher administrative and tactical formation overseeing 21 Squadron's Martin Marauder operations.
- SCORU
- South African Operations Records Unit.
- OPREP NO. 992
- Operational Report number 992, documenting activity for the period ending 21:00 hours on 6th April 1945.
- H.A.A
- Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire.
- F20
- Focal length of the camera lens (20 inches) used for high-altitude vertical strike photography.
- HH G 2612
- Map reference G. 2612 (specifically identifying the coordinates for the Rovigo Marshalling Yards) on the Rovigo 1:100,000 Sheet 64.
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Allied aerial ordnance. The squadron transitioned to American GP munitions on 5 April 1945.
B I O N: Box I, Observer Nose. Indicates the vertical strike photograph was captured by the nose camera of the lead aircraft in the first four-plane formation (Box I) during the bombing run.
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance. For this mission, the squadron utilized ANM/64 (500 lb) and ANM/57 (250 lb) GP fuzed bombs.