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Operation No. 85

DISPERSED ON L.G. 020

Friday, 9 October 1942

Over target: 1415 hrs Landed: 1453 hrs Pilot: Lt. Col Irvine Major Coppen Lt. Po Time: 13:12 hrs

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Duty
Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 020 Time. Height. Place
SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A.(Part A.) G 44 [Handwritten]Flight No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 85 Date. 9/10/42 Squadron 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.Type of Aircraft. 6 Baltimores and 12 Bos- Captain Lt. Col. AD. IrvineAircraft No. tons of 12 Squadron Crew.Aircraft Letter.Time Up. 1312 hoursTime Down. 1453 hours Aerodrome or L.G. 98Total Time. 10.06 hours [Note: Apparent clerical error for 1 hr 41 mins]Type of Cloud. Map or ChartAmount of Cloud. Reference.Base of Cloud. DABAVisibility. Good 1:250,000General Weather. GoodTask or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on L.G. 020Time. Height. Place. Narrative. L.G. 98 6 Baltimores formated on 12 Bostons of 12 Squadron and picked up fighter escort.
2000' L.G. 97 Formation set course for target
8500' Target Formation bombed on a course of 120°.
L.G. 98 A/C 853 returned before reaching target (Petrol leakage) L.G. 98 Remaining aircraft landed.
PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E Instruction 34.P.T.O./PMEJ - 200,000 - 3/42B.A. Dispersed on L.G. 020B.B. 1415 hoursB.C. Medium Level Bombing attack from 8500 ft.30 x 250lb. G.P. 43 detonator with extension rods.(A/C 835 returned before reaching target - petrolleakage).B.D. All bombs in target area.2 bombs were observed to burst amongst aircraft, 2 ontents and 1 hit runway. No results observed.B.E. Heavy A.A. extremely accurate, but not intense.B.F. 3 Aircraft holed, but no extensive damage andcrews uninjured.B.G. 8 Oblique taken by A/C No. 909 of target area.B.H. Nil Observed. CREW LIST --------- A/C No. 909 A/C No. 940 A/C No. 875
Pilot : Lt. Col Irvine Major Coppen Lt. PocockObs. : Lt. Hatswell Lt. Farrant Lt. CliffGunner: : Lt. Phelan F/Sgt. Lovell- Wright A/Sgt. Beaumont-Thomas: Lt. te Water Pohl. A/Sgt. Bradfield A/Sgt. Clarke A/C No. 853 A/C No. 938 A/C No. 958
Pilot : Capt. Main Lt. Smith Lt. MetcalfObs. : Lt. Floor Lt. Christie Sgt. KerrGunners : A/Sgt. Vorster A/Sgt. Viljoen A/Sgt. ForrestA/Sgt. Fraser A/Sgt. Moore A/Sgt. Herbst (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible])

Transcriber's Notes

DABA
El Daba, the regional map reference for the Egyptian coastal sector.
L.G. 020
Landing Ground 020. A forward Axis airfield located in the El Daba sector of Egypt.
A/C 853
Aircraft serial number 853.
A/C
Aircraft. Specifically, the Martin Baltimore light bombers operated by No. 21 Squadron SAAF.
H.Q. R.A.F. M.E
Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.
P.T.O
Please Turn Over. Operational Context: The mission conducted on 9 October 1942 was a significant component of the "airfield suppression" campaign led by the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) during the buildup to the Second Battle of El Alamein. Led personally by the Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Irvine, six Martin Baltimores of No. 21 Squadron SAAF integrated into a larger formation of twelve Douglas Bostons from No. 12 Squadron SAAF. The target, L.G. 020, was a critical Axis forward landing ground. By striking these airfields, the Desert Air Force (DAF) sought to neutralize the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica on the ground, ensuring Allied air superiority for the 8th Army's upcoming offensive. The tactical approach involved staging through L.G. 97 to "set course," followed by a medium-level bomb run at 8,500 feet. The use of fighter escorts—standard for light bomber "shuttle bombing" sorties—protected the formation from Axis interceptors, though technical attrition was present, as evidenced by aircraft 853's early return due to "Petrol leakage". This sortie underscores the high operational tempo maintained by SAAF units in the Egyptian theater during October 1942. The archival notation "G 44" on folio 44 indicates its sequential placement in the unit's permanent historical record. 55
250lb. G.P
250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs.
A.A
Anti-Aircraft fire, noted as "Heavy" and "extremely accurate" during the engagement.
Oblique
Oblique aerial photographs taken at an angle to the horizon to provide a perspective view of target damage and airfield layout.

R A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Sortie Report form, the standard document for recording operational mission data.

Oprep. Ref. No. 85: Operational Report reference number 85.

Lt. Col. AD. Irvine: Lieutenant Colonel Alistair Irvine, the Officer Commanding (O.C.) of No. 21 Squadron.

Aerodrome or L.G. 98 / L.G. 97 / L.G. 020: Landing Ground 98 (Base), Landing Ground 97 (Staging point), and Landing Ground 020 (the designated target airfield).

8500': Eight thousand five hundred feet, the operational altitude for the bomb release.

ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the release altitude of 8,500 feet.

43 detonator with extension rods: Refers to the No. 43 tail pistol/detonator fitted with "daisy cutter" extension rods on the nose. These rods were designed to trigger the bomb slightly above ground level to maximize lateral fragmentation against "dispersed" aircraft.

Crew

Pilot Lt. Col Irvine Major Coppen