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Operation No. 175

MT ON MAIN ROAD FROM PISIDA - ZUARA

Thursday, 21 January 1943

Over target: 2133 hrs Time: 06:00 hrs

Sortie Report (Form 541)

List of Aircraft and Aircrew attached to Sortie Report No. 175, dated the 21st January, 1943. 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F. --------------------------------------------------------------
1. 940 V Lt.-Col. Coppen, Lt. Farrant, F/Sgt. Herbst, F/Sgt. Bradfield.
2. 930 K Capt. Mouton, Lt. Simon, F/Sgt. Goodchild, F/Sgt. Champion.
3. 956 C Lt. Golding, Lt. Mulholland, F/Sgt. Pearce, F/Sgt. Green.
4. 904 BB Capt. Budd, Sgt. Edmeades (R.A.F.) P/O Cornelius (R.C.A.F.) F/Sgt. Woods.
5. 944 R Lt. Rich, Sgt Smallman (R.A.F.) F/Sgt. Roberts, F/Sgt. Lovell-Wright.
6. 916 SS Lt. Gardener, Lt. Kerr, F/Sgt. Lane, F/Sgt. Brown.
7. 176 YY Major Jandrell, Capt. Hatswell, F/Sgt. Morley, Lt. teWater Pohl.
8. 899 X Capt. Bell, Lt. Levi, F/Sgt. Kosviner, F/Sgt. Myburgh.
9. 942 G Lt. Hotchkiss, Lt. Morrell, F/Sgt. Mamet, F/Sgt. Mills.
o o o o o o o "F1" 57
P O S T A G R A M (Amended) -------------------
To : H.Q., R.A.F., M.E..From : S.I.O., 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.Serial No. : 21 Squadron/176.Date : 23rd January, 1943. OPREP No. 176 for period ending 0600 hours on 23rd January, 1943.
A. M.T. on road RAS AGEDIR to ZUARA(Map reference PISIDA 1:500,000 Sheet 21and TRIPOLI 1:500,000 Sheet 2)B. 12 BaltimoresC. (i) Medium level.(ii) 2500/5500 ft.(iii) 2125 hours to 2200 hours.D. (i) 72 x 250lbs G.P. 43 Det. (Rods)180 x 4lbs Incendiaries.(ii) Nil(iii) The road was attacked from K 0000 to ZUARA atvarious points. Incendiaries were dropped alongmost part of the road. Seven fires were started;One fire immediately S.W. of ZUARA could be seenfor forty miles and another for 30 miles. Thereflection from three fires which were causingexplosions could be seen on the aircraft at 4000:E. NilF. NilG. NilH. (1) 2025 hours (ii) 40 hours 23 mins.J. Cloudy, visibility good.K. Bofors from AZAZIA, ~~XXXX~~ inaccurate. Light Ack Ackfrom various points along target, inaccurate.Heavy Ack Ack from ZUARA, XX and Heavy Ack Ack (1 gun)from coast near PISIDA, inaccurate.Blue searchlight from ZUARA - inaccurate. Comm. 16.00 hours (Aircraft landed at DARRAGH NORTH to refuel on outward flight.)
(Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Capt. 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F. "F1" 57
P O S T A G R A M (Amended) -------------------
To : H.Q., R.A.F., M.E..From : S.I.O., 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.Serial No. : 21 Squadron/176.Date : 23rd January, 1943. OPREP No. 176 for period ending 0600 hours on 23rd January, 1943.
A. M.T. on road RAS AGEDIR to ZUARA(Map reference PISIDA 1:500,000 Sheet 21and TRIPOLI 1:500,000 Sheet 2)B. 12 BaltimoresC. (i) Medium level.(ii) 2500/5500 ft.(iii) 2125 hours to 2200 hours.D. (i) 72 x 250lbs G.P. 43 Det. (Rods)180 x 4lbs Incendiaries.(ii) Nil(iii) The road was attacked from K 0000 to ZUARA atvarious points. Incendiaries were dropped alongmost part of the road. Seven fires were started;One fire immediately S.W. of ZUARA could be seenfor forty miles and another for 30 miles. Thereflection from three fires which were causingexplosions could be seen on the aircraft at 4000:E. NilF. NilG. NilH. (1) 2025 hours (ii) 40 hours 23 mins.J. Cloudy, visibility good.K. Bofors from AZAZIA, ~~XXXX~~ inaccurate. Light Ack Ackfrom various points along target, inaccurate.Heavy Ack Ack from ZUARA, XX and Heavy Ack Ack (1 gun)from coast near PISIDA, inaccurate.Blue searchlight from ZUARA - inaccurate. Comm. 16.00 hours (Aircraft landed at DARRAGH NORTH to refuel on outward flight.)
(Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Capt. 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

21 Squadron, S.A.A.F
No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a light bomber unit operating under the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) framework.
S.A.A.F
South African Air Force.
S.A.A.F
South African Air Force.
Lt.-Col. Coppen
Lieutenant Colonel Coppen, the Officer Commanding (OC) of 21 Squadron S.A.A.F..
F/Sgt
Flight Sergeant. Operational Context: The manifest dated 21 January 1943 documents the personnel for a maximum-effort nocturnal interdiction mission conducted approximately 48 hours before the fall of Tripoli to the British Eighth Army. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were executing a "road purification" campaign intended to shatter the logistical tail of the Afrika Korps as it retreated toward the Tunisian border. The tactical objective for Sortie No. 175 involved nine Martin Baltimore light bombers targeting Mechanical Transport (MT) concentrations on the coastal road between Pisida and Zuara. To reach these western targets, the aircraft had to refuel at the forward Landing Ground (L.G.) at Darragh North. The presence of the unit’s entire senior leadership—including the Squadron Commander (Lt.-Col. Coppen), Major Jandrell, and several Captains—underscores the critical nature of these final strikes to isolate Tripoli. During this operation, crews observed the definitive Axis collapse: pilots reported "huge fires burning in TRIPOLI area" and an ammunition dump "exploding at CASTEL BENITO". Utilizing 250lb General Purpose bombs with nose rods ("daisy cutters"), the squadron achieved hits among parked vehicle concentrations, maintaining the 24-hour pressure required to prevent Axis reorganization. This document, archived as Folio 56, provides the definitive record of the veteran crews responsible for the tactical interdiction that facilitated the liberation of Libya. 72
R.A.F
Royal Air Force. Personnel like Sgt. Edmeades and Sgt. Smallman were R.A.F. members integrated into S.A.A.F. crews.
P/O
Pilot Officer.
R.C.A.F
Royal Canadian Air Force. Pilot Officer Cornelius represents the multinational composition of aircrews within the Desert Air Force (DAF).
H.Q., R.A.F., M.E
Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.
H.Q., R.A.F., M.E
Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.

Sortie Report No. 175: The formal administrative record documenting the results of the squadron's nocturnal tactical operations conducted during the 24-hour cycle of 21–22 January 1943.

ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the release altitude ranging from 2,500 to 5,500 feet.

250lbs G.P. 43 Det. (Rods): 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs utilizing No. 43 tail pistols and nose extension rods. Known colloquially as "daisy cutters," these rods triggered detonation above the desert floor to maximize the lateral fragmentation blast against soft targets such as trucks and fuel tankers.

ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the release altitude ranging from 2,500 to 5,500 feet.

250lbs G.P. 43 Det. (Rods): 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs utilizing No. 43 tail pistols and nose extension rods. Known colloquially as "daisy cutters," these rods triggered detonation above the desert floor to maximize the lateral fragmentation blast against soft targets such as trucks and fuel tankers.