Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Duty
- Medium level bombing attack on railhead at K 7452. Time. Height. Place
R.A.F. Form 441 A.SORTIE REPORT 'E' 86(Part A.)Sheet No. 1Oprep. Ref. No. 286Date. 5 MAY 43Squadron. 21 SAAF.Type of Aircraft. 18 BaltimoresAircraft No. See reverse.Aircraft Letter. "Leader of Formation:Captain Maj. JendrellCrew. Lt. ChristieSee reverse.Time Up. 1136 hrs. (1st. A/C)Time Down. 1330 hrs. (Last A/C)Total Time. 31 hrs. 30 mins.Aerodrome or L.G. EL DJEM MAIN.Type of Cloud. Strato. Cu.Amount of Cloud. 1/10Base of Cloud. --- 8/10,000 ft.Visibility. Good.General Weather. Fine.Map or Chart Reference. TUNISIA 1:500,000 Sheet NJ.32.SE. TUNIS.Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on railhead at K 7452.Time. Height. Place. Narrative.1136 EL DJEM Airborne.500 " S/C Rendezvous point.500 R.Pt. S/C HERGLA, for fighter escort (7 S.A. Wing.)2100 HERGLA S/C WADI ZEBNA.7000 RAS MAMOURA.8000 TARGET Bombed train SOUTH of MENZEL HEURR.6800 S/C HERGLA.1000 HERGLA S/C EL DJEM.EL DJEM Last A/C landed.PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34./PMEJ-200.000-3/42 P.T.O.PART "B"BA Railhead at K 7452.BB 1240 hrs. L.T.BC Medium level bombing from 7800/8000 ft.108 x 250 lb. GP 43 Det. (Rods).BD Bombs from Nos. 1 & 3 boxes burst across the marshalling yards,where there were approx. 20 trucks. One small fire was started.No. 2 Box bombed to the WEST of the railway line, a few burstsbeing seen among some buildings SW of the target. Direct hitswere scored on the railway line and on the road and railwaycrossing. There were near misses on trucks and station buildings.Row of 30 trucks seen on the line at the NORTH end of the station.No engine and no movement seen.BE Nil over target. Slight inaccurate LAA from KORBA and HAMMAMETafter bombing.BF Nil.BG Obliques and Verticals taken of bomb bursts.BH Three S/E A/C on beach EAST of KORBA.Two S/E A/C on KORBA NORTH on NE and NW corners.Less than 10 MT on main coast road NORTH and SOUTH of KORBA.List of A/C and Crews:F/L 176 YZ Maj. Jendrell, Lt. Christie, F/Sgts. Morley & Abraham.142 P Lt. Liddiard, Lt. Pickerill, F/Sgts. Zaaiman & Oliff.903 O Lt. Carr, Lt. Lombard, F/Sgts. Toms & Wright.V/L 115 M Capt. Budd, Lt. Sadler, F/O Cornelius (RCAF) & F/Sgt. Woods.930 K Lt. Hamilton, Lt. Whittle, F/Sgts. Rogers F.D. & Phelan.179 A Lt. Chisholm, Lt. Campbell, F/Sgts. Hodgkinson & de Villiers.B/L 352 D Lt. Hotchkiss, Lt. Morsell, F/Sgts. Menet & XXXX Lyne.226 H Capt. Ord, Lt. Hodges, F/Sgt. Walker & A/Sgt. Devenish.108 B Lt. Oakes, Lt. Sachs, Sgts. Morrison & Cleland. (RCAF)V/L 977 L Lt. Meredith, Sgt. Smallman (RAF), F/Sgts. Smith S.C. & O'Rear.290 C Lt. Dugmore, Lt. Masters, F/Sgts. Maasdorp & Rogers C.L.877 J Lt. Willmot, Lt. Borcherds, F/Sgt. Loots & F/Sgt. Walbridge.B/L 916 SS Lt. Smith, XXXX Lt. Arnold, Sgt. Freestone (RAF) & F/Sgt. de Villiers.957 W Lt. Wood, Lt. Gould, F/Sgts. Purdon & Groenewald.221 Y Lt. Pocock, Sgt. Edmeades (RAF), F/Sgts. B.-Thomas & Clark.V/L 183 S Capt. Smit, Lt. Kay, F/Sgts. Perkins & van Rooyen.982 N Lt. Simpson, Lt. Hocknell, F/Sgts. Roberts VB. & Shepperson.951 V Lt. Eaton, Lt. Floor, F/Sgt. le Roux & F/Sgt. Gildon (RAF).F/L Formation Leader. B/L Box Leader. V/L Vic Leader.[Handwritten Signature]........................Capt.S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
Transcriber's Notes
- R.A.F
- Royal Air Force.
- Oprep. Ref. No
- Operational Report Reference Number.
- SAAF
- South African Air Force.
- Baltimores
- Martin Baltimore light bombers, utilized for medium-level tactical strikes.
- A/C
- Aircraft.
- A/C
- Aircraft.
- L.G
- Landing Ground.
- Strato. Cu
- Stratocumulus (cloud type).
- S/C
- Set Course.
- R.Pt
- Rendezvous Point.
GP 43 Det. (Rods): General Purpose 250 lb bombs utilizing the 1943 Detonator (Rods) configuration. These fuzes extended from the nose of the bomb to ensure an instantaneous burst upon ground contact, maximizing fragmentation against surface targets.