Sortie Report (Form 541)
APPENDIXCONFIDENTIAL.------------------ 109(FROM :- S.I.O. NO 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.TO :- H.Q. M.A.A.F. (ATTENTION OPERATION RECORDS)H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( S.C.O.R.U.)S.A.O.A. ADV S.A.A.F H.Q. C.M.F.REF. 21S/958.DATE. 10th MARCH 1945.OPREP NO 958 FOR PERIOD ENDING 2100 HOURS ON THE 9th MARCH 1945.MAP. REF. ITALY 1.100,000 SHEET 25. pp 329429.OPERATION NO. 163/21/M.A : 8 Marauders lll airborne in two boxes of 4 from JESI L/Gbetween 1342 and 1718 hrs. Target was GEMONA MarshallingYards at pp G 329429. After R/V with escort of 8 Spits atBELLARA at 1427 Hrs. formation set course for target andbombed from 8,500 to 9,500 at 1525 Hours. Bombs from both Boxesfell with lateral errer to the right, no bombs falling intarget area. Buildings on eastern edge of target were straddledseveral D/H being scored . Weather fair with visibility 10-15miles. Flak. Slight inaccurate L.A.A. from T/A.B : (i) 8 Marauders lll (ii) Nil.C : (i) Nil. (ii) Nil.D : (i) 25.30 Hrs. (ii) Nil.E : (i) 27,200 x .5 (ii) Nil (iii) Nil. NilF : (i) 48 x 500 lb (ii) 48 x 500 (iii) 2 x 250lb (iv)32 x 250Db 30 x 25010 Pkts Pamphlets.216 Lbs. Window.Fused tail only 30 - 51 (Demo)G To V Nil.W : (i) 3 Marauders lll (ii) Nil.X : (i) 3.10 Hrs.16 x 10 lb Practice.Nil.[Signed] S.F. WiggillLT CAPTAIN,S.I.O. 21 Squadron S. A. A. F.Handwritten Marginalia / Stamps:
Folio Number: 109 (Handwritten, Top Right).
Reference Stamp:The National Archives' reference AIR 27/271/3
Transcriber's Notes
- S.I.O
- Squadron Intelligence Officer; in this instance, Lieutenant Captain S.F. Wiggill.
- S.C.O.R.U
- Section for Operational Research and Underlining (or Unit), responsible for the statistical analysis of bombing precision.
- C.M.F
- Central Mediterranean Force.
- JESI L/G
- Jesi Landing Ground, Italy; the squadron's operational base during March 1945.
- R/V
- Rendezvous; the tactical coordination point for formation assembly with fighter escorts.
- Spits
- Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft.
- D/H
- Direct Hits.
- L.A.A
- Light Anti-Aircraft fire.
- Window
- Chaff; strips of aluminum foil (216 lbs dispensed) used to degrade German radar capabilities. Operational Context Target File 271-3_17 details Operation No. 163/21/M, an 8-aircraft strike launched on March 9, 1945, against the Gemona Marshalling Yards. Located in the northeast sector of Italy, Gemona was a vital rail junction for German forces retreating toward the Austrian border. This mission was a component of Operation Bingo, the comprehensive aerial interdiction campaign directed by the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF) to achieve total logistical paralysis of German Heeresgruppe C by severing all supply and escape routes. This methodology of targeting transit infrastructure represents the final maturation of interdiction principles established earlier in the campaign. In November 1943, 21 Squadron SAAF conducted high-intensity strikes on localized bottlenecks, such as location H055630, to fracture German front-line logistics and prevent reserves from reinforcing the Bernhardt and Gustav Lines. By March 1945, the emphasis had shifted to theater-wide strategic isolation. The report notes that while the specific target area was missed due to lateral error, buildings on the eastern edge were "straddled" with direct hits scored. The mission profile—including the use of Window, the dropping of propaganda pamphlets, and the coordination with eight Spitfires—illustrates the sophisticated combined-arms approach required to suppress "Light Anti-Aircraft" fire and maintain pressure on the crumbling Axis rear echelons during the final Allied spring offensive. 18
S.A.O.A. ADV S.A.A.F H.Q.: South African Officer Administrative, Advanced South African Air Force Headquarters.
MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard high-explosive ordnance, typically 500 lb and 250 lb variants, carried by SAAF crews to destroy physical infrastructure and rolling stock.