EL DJEM MAIN.

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 'E' 86 (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 286 Date. 5 MAY 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 18 Baltimores Aircraft No. See reverse. Aircraft Letter. " Leader of Formation: Captain Maj. Jendrell Crew. Lt. Christie See 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. 1/10 Base 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 bursts being seen among some buildings SW of the target. Direct hits were scored on the railway line and on the road and railway crossing. 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 HAMMAMET after 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.

1943-05-05 EL DJEM MAIN.

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * 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. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * Strato. Cu.: Stratocumulus (cloud type). * S/C: Set Course. * R.Pt.: Rendezvous Point. * 7 S.A. Wing: 7 South African Wing (fighter escort). * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E.: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. Operational Context The sortie conducted on 5 May 1943 represents a critical interdiction mission during the final 48 hours before the fall of Tunis. 21 Squadron SAAF, operating from El Djem Main, was tasked with a medium-level bombardment of the railhead at map reference K 7452. Strategically, this target was vital for disrupting Axis logistical movement as the German 90th Light Division and Italian First Army were increasingly compressed into the Cap Bon peninsula. Tactically, the 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft—led by Major Jendrell—performed a low-level transit at 500 feet to rendezvous with fighter escorts from 7 S.A. Wing over Hergla. The formation then conducted a battle climb, reaching 8,000 feet to execute the attack. The narrative reveals that the primary objective was successfully adapted; the formation bombed an Axis train located south of Menzel Heurr. This strike directly targeted the dwindling transportation assets of Heeresgruppe Afrika, preventing the evacuation of personnel or the movement of supplies into the final defensive "crust". The success of the mission, carried out in fine weather with good visibility, contributed to the systematic destruction of enemy resources that precipitated the total collapse of Axis resistance in North Africa on 13 May 1943. This record underscores the high operational tempo maintained by the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) during the culmination of the Tunisian Campaign. 114 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 5 MAY 43 Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * L.T.: Local Time. * 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. * SW: South West. * LAA: Light Anti-Aircraft fire. * S/E A/C: Single-Engine Aircraft. * MT: Motor Transport. * A/C: Aircraft. * RCAF: Royal Canadian Air Force. * RAF: Royal Air Force. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. Operational Context The mission on 5 May 1943 was executed during the climactic phase of Operation Strike, the final Allied general offensive to eliminate the Axis presence in North Africa. 21 Squadron SAAF, operating 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft from El Djem Main, was tasked with neutralizing the railhead at map reference K 7452. Strategically, this target was a vital logistical node supporting the German 90th Light Division and Italian First Army as they were increasingly compressed into the Cap Bon peninsula. Tactically, the strike achieved high-fidelity results. The use of "Rod" fuzing on 108 GP bombs maximized the fragmentation effect across the marshalling yards, where crews observed approximately 20 stationary trucks. The formation successfully scored direct hits on the railway line and the critical road-and-railway crossing, effectively paralyzing Axis ground movement in the sector. Intelligence gathered during the sortie also identified a secondary concentration of 30 trucks at the northern end of the station and the presence of five single-engine aircraft—likely Messerschmitt Bf 109s or Macchi C.202s—grounded near Korba. The lack of an engine or movement among the rolling stock, combined with "slight inaccurate LAA" from coastal positions at Hammamet, underscores the decaying operational capacity of Heeresgruppe Afrika only eight days before its total surrender. This mission represents the "systematic destruction of the enemy's resources" required to shatter the final Axis defensive "crust" in Tunisia. The diverse crew manifest—integrating SAAF, RAF, and RCAF personnel—illustrates the unified effort of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) during the campaign's endgame. 115 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 6 MAY 43.