Operation

21 SQUADRON 1st RAID 3rd MARCH, 1945. RAID ON CONEGLIANO M/YARDS, pp B651008 SHEET 38 - CONEGLIANO. T/O 1000 HRS. OPREP No. 951 OPERATION No. 157/21S/M. 557 571 U: Maj. Dieu Parsonson van de Putte Durrant Mitchell Peckitt. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 537 YY: Lt. Qall Louwrens Kres Douglas Wilson Solomon. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 566 S: Lt. Becke Meyer Harle Heale Gidlow McCausland. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 561 570 B: Lt. Muir Dale Lister sgt Foster Jones E. Rourke. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 513 Hv: Capt. Musgrove Goble Jordaan Rabie Capt. Jones Cook. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 519 G: Lt. Ryeneke Cordohl Teague Hennesey Cleete Tennant [Handwritten tick marks above each name; "Calaghan" handwritten between Cordohl and Teague] 550 C: Lt. Fraser Miskis du Plessis Jenner Barrow Richardson [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 477 W: Lt. Anderson StuartP/O Webber Steyn McHugh Dodson [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 583 V: Lt. Francis van Heldt Smit Andrews Laird Rennie [Handwritten tick marks above each name] 474 D: P/O Markham Kriel Gildenhuys Dinn Richardson T.O. Sandelands. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] TIME:- REMARKS.:- [Handwritten marginalia at bottom left of page:] 48 1 49 21 SQUADRON 1st RAID 4th March 1945. RAID ON Monsantana M/Yards . PP.C.718675 SHEET 40 "A" . T/O. 08.55 Hrs. OQprep No. 952. Operation 158/21S/M. v v v v v Lt Stubbs v v

513 Hv : Maj. Smith Watermeyer Hatswell Arthur wilson wilding. [Handwritten tick marks above each name; "Lt Stubbs" handwritten above wilson] v v v v v v

519 G : F/O Hanna P/OGoble Dickenson Oldfield V.D.Berg Ras. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] v v v v v v

550 C : Lt. Stuart Ramsey O-Hughes Fraser Howden du Plessis. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] v v v v v v

477 N : Lt. Hussey Quaide wells Boast Watkinson Kennedy. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] v v v v v v

577 U : Lt. Batley Long Adams Gillbank Butler Eave. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] v v v Meyer v v v

555 S : Lt. Becke Harle Johnstone Heale Gidlow McCausland. X [Handwritten tick marks above each name; "Meyer" handwritten above Johnstone; "X" handwritten at end of line] v v v v v v

575 P : Lt. Granger Richardson Bailey Adams Kriger wood. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] v v v v v v

561 B : Lt Muir Dale Lister Foster Jones Rouke. [Handwritten tick marks above each name] v v v Blackford v v v

553 V : Lt. Cloete Lt. Naude Paxton Venter Greijbe. X [Handwritten tick marks above each name; "Blackford" handwritten above Paxton; "X" handwritten at end of line] v v v v v v v

537 YY : Lt. Collender Gillam Deane Benson Banfield Suter. [Handwritten tick marks above each name; "2.30" handwritten under Collender] Times:- 25 . 50 [Handwritten "25.50" next to Times] Remarks:- [Handwritten marginalia at bottom left of page:] 48 1 49

1945-03-03

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * AIR 27 / 271: United Kingdom National Archives classification for Air Ministry Operations Record Books (ORBs); series 271 specifically contains the historical operational records for 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. * BA-BH (Martin Baltimore): The primary twin-engine tactical medium bomber (Marks IV and V) utilized by 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. throughout the Italian Campaign. Though not explicitly stated on this specific load sheet, the aircraft numbers (e.g., 557, 537, 566) and crew configurations are characteristic of the Baltimore V models operated by the squadron during March 1945. * CONEGLIANO M/YARDS: The marshalling yards at Conegliano, a vital railway hub in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. * MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied aerial ordnance classifications. Although the specific bomb load is not detailed in the "REMARKS" section of this sheet, typical sorties of this nature by 21 Squadron utilized 500 lb or 250 lb GP bombs for rail interdiction. * MET (Meteorological Report): Meteorological intelligence; critical for the high-altitude precision bombing required for the narrow targets presented by railway marshalling yards. * OPREP No. 951: Operational Report number 951. * pp B651008 SHEET 38: Precise map grid reference (Pinpoint) for the target area at Conegliano. * T/O 1000 HRS: Time of Take-Off, 10:00 hours. Operational Context Target File 271-3_105 is an operational flight manifest for the first raid conducted by 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. on 3rd March 1945. The objective was the destruction of the marshalling yards at Conegliano, a strategic juncture located on the rail line between Venice and the Austrian border. This mission was a component of Operation Bingo, the theater-wide Allied interdiction campaign designed to achieve total logistical paralysis of German Heeresgruppe C by systematically severing rail lines and supply routes. By targeting marshalling yards such as those at Conegliano, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) aimed to prevent the redeployment of Axis troops and the flow of ammunition to the frontline. The manifest lists ten aircraft, including aircraft 'U' (No. 571) led by Major Dieu, indicating a squadron-strength effort. The handwritten tick marks above the aircrews' names suggest a post-mission verification of personnel who successfully participated in the sortie. This raid occurred during a period of intense pressure on German forces; contemporaneous reports (e.g., 6th March 1945) indicate that while tactical units like 21 Squadron physically severed transport links, Allied psychological warfare simultaneously informed German troops of the Reich's collapse elsewhere to erode their will to resist. The Conegliano strike represents the physical execution of this dual-pressure strategy, ensuring that the Axis defenses in Italy were physically isolated from their logistical depth. 106 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 4th March 1945. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * AIR 27 / 271: United Kingdom National Archives classification for Air Ministry Operations Record Books (ORBs); series 271 contains the historical records for 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. * BA-BH (Martin Baltimore): The twin-engine tactical medium bomber utilized by 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. Load sheets like this manifest for March 1945 represent sorties for the Baltimore Mark V variant, identified by the aircraft call signs (Hv, G, C, N, U, S, P, B, V, YY) and serial prefixes (e.g., 513, 519). * MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied aerial ordnance. While the specific bomb load is omitted from the "Remarks" on this manifest, 21 Squadron's interdiction of marshalling yards typically utilized 500 lb or 250 lb GP bombs to maximize rail line and rolling stock destruction. * MET (Meteorological Report): Meteorological intelligence. Precise data was required for the 08:55 takeoff to ensure bombing accuracy over the restricted target area of a marshalling yard. * Monsantana M/Yards: The marshalling yards at Monsantana. This location served as a tactical railway junction in Northern Italy. * PP.C.718675 SHEET 40 "A": The precise map grid reference (Pinpoint) used for mission planning and target identification. * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. Operational Context Target File 271-3_106 is an operational flight manifest for the first raid of 4th March 1945 by 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. The objective was the destruction of the Monsantana marshalling yards. This mission was an integral part of Operation Bingo, the Allied interdiction campaign intended to paralyze the logistical capabilities of German Heeresgruppe C in Northern Italy by severing rail lines and destroying transport infrastructure. The manifest indicates a squadron-strength effort of ten aircraft, led by Major Smith in Baltimore "Hv" (No. 513). The handwritten annotations, such as "Lt Stubbs" replacing wilson and "Meyer" above Johnstone, reflect the last-minute crew substitutions common in high-intensity operational environments. The handwritten "X" at the end of the entries for aircraft "S" (No. 555) and "V" (No. 553) may indicate technical issues or failure to complete the sortie, while the "25.50" recorded under "Times" represents the total flight duration or mission time for the formation. Strategically, this raid followed intensive psychological warfare efforts; contemporaneous documents from March 1945 show that as 21 Squadron physically severed transport hubs like Monsantana and Conegliano, Allied command simultaneously dropped leaflets to inform German troops of the Reich’s terminal collapse on other fronts. The Monsantana strike exemplifies the Allied tactical focus on maintaining a "Transport Front," ensuring that German forces in Italy remained isolated from their supply depth as the Gothic Line faced increasing pressure. 107 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 4th March, 1945.