One

C O N F I D E N T I A L. APPENDIX "F" 202 FROM : S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. TO : H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION OPERATIONS RECORDS.) H.Q. M.A.T.A.F. ( S.C.O.R.U.) W.I.O. 3 SA WING. S.A.A.F. REF : 21S/ 990. DATE : 5th APRIL 1945. OPREP NO. 990 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 1200 HRS. ON THE 5th APRIL 1945. REF. MAP ITALY 1; 100,000 SHEET 77 COMACCHIO. (PORTO GARIBALDI.) A : 8 Marauders A/B in 2 Boxes from JESI L/G between 0859 and 1048 Hrs. to bomb built up area of PORTO GARIBALDI at M 597670 - 598666 and to create road block, the operation being intended to give support to British Commandos attacking up the Isthmus separating LAKE COMACCHIO from the sea. The first Box had a slight undershoot but scored with about 40 percent of bombs in the target area. The second box bombed right across the briefed area, with over 70 percent of bombs falling on the target. One explosion was seen in the area after bombing, and the road running south into the Village was well straddled. Weather and visibility over the target was good. There was no enemy opposition. B : (1) 8 MARAUDERS 111 (11) NIL. C : (1) NIL. (11) NIL. D : (1) 14.00 Hrs. (11) NIL. E : (1) 27,200 x .50 (11) NIL. (111) NIL. F : (1) 48 x 500 (11) as in (1) (111) & (1v) NIL. G TO Z. NIL. S.T. Wrigill [handwritten signature] ___-------------------- LT. / CAPTAIN. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. 9-46 9411 SA 21 / 495 5 APR 45 F14 || HH M6067 11100 1002 B I N

1945-04-05

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a medium bomber unit operating within the Desert Air Force (DAF) framework. * 3 SA WING: No. 3 Wing SAAF, the higher administrative and tactical formation overseeing 21 Squadron's Martin Marauder operations. * AIR 27/271/4: The National Archives (UK) classification for Air Ministry Operations Record Books (ORBs); Volume 4 contains the final 1945 War Diaries for 21 Squadron. * BA-BH (Martin Baltimore): The twin-engine medium bomber utilized as the predecessor aircraft to the unit's current equipment. By April 1945, the squadron was fully equipped with the Martin B-26 Marauder III. * JESI L/G: Jesi Landing Ground, the operational base for the squadron during the spring 1945 offensive. * MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance. For this mission, the squadron dropped 48 x 500 lb GP bombs. * MET (Meteorological Report): Meteorological intelligence. Conditions for this sortie were reported as "good," allowing for successful visual target acquisition. * OPREP NO. 990: Operational Report documenting activity for the morning period of 5th April 1945. * S.C.O.R.U.: South African Operations Records Unit. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer, Lt./Capt. S.T. Wrigill. Operational Context Target File 271-4_21 documents Operation No. 186/21S/M (inferred from chronological sequence) executed on the morning of 5th April 1945. This raid was a tactical component of Operation Roast, the preliminary Allied push to clear the Comacchio spit ahead of the main spring offensive. The strategic importance of Porto Garibaldi lay in its role as a logistical bottleneck on the isthmus separating Lake Comacchio from the Adriatic Sea. The objective was to create a roadblock and destroy built-up areas containing German personnel and equipment to support British Commandos advancing north. This was a continuation of strikes conducted on 2nd and 3rd April against the same sector. The eight Marauder III aircraft achieved a concentrated pattern, with the second box scoring over 70 percent hits on the target area and successfully straddling the road running south into the village. The resulting post-bombing explosion suggests the destruction of a significant supply or ammunition point. By severing these lines of communication, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) significantly hampered the ability of the German 10th Army (10. Armee) to reinforce the Comacchio sector, facilitating the Eighth Army's eventual breakthrough toward the Argenta Gap. 22 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 5 APR 45. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 S.A.A.F. / SA 21: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force, a medium bomber unit operating within No. 3 Wing SAAF. * AIR 27 / 271: United Kingdom National Archives classification for the Air Ministry: Operations Record Books (ORBs); Volume 4 (AIR 27/271/4) catalogs 1945 War Diaries for 21 Squadron. * B I N: Box I, Nose. Indicates the vertical strike photograph was captured by the nose camera of the lead aircraft in the first four-plane formation (Box I). * BA-BH (Martin Baltimore): The twin-engine medium bomber utilized as the predecessor aircraft to the unit's current equipment. By April 1945, the unit was fully converted to the Martin B-26 Marauder III. * F14: Focal length of the camera lens (14 inches) used for high-altitude strike photography. * HH M6067: Map reference M. 6067 (specifically pp. M 597670 – 598666), identifying the coordinates for the built-up area of Porto Garibaldi on the Comacchio 1:100,000 Sheet 77. * MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance. For this mission, the squadron utilized 48 x 500 lb GP bombs. * MET (Meteorological Report): Meteorological intelligence. Conditions for this morning sortie were reported as "good," providing the clarity seen in this strike photograph. * 11100 1002: Operational data indicating a bombing altitude of 11,100 feet and a strike time of 10:02 hours (recorded in narrative reports as between 0859 and 1048 hrs). Operational Context Target File 271-4_22 is an aerial strike photograph documenting Operation No. 186/21S/M on 5th April 1945. The image captures the kinetic impact of Box I as 8 Martin Marauder III aircraft targeted the built-up area of Porto Garibaldi. The location was of high strategic priority during Operation Roast, the preliminary phase of the final Allied spring offensive in Italy, Operation Grapeshot. The objective was to create a roadblock and destroy Axis personnel and equipment concentrations to support British Commandos attacking north along the isthmus separating Lake Comacchio from the Adriatic Sea. The photograph confirms the OPREP narrative that the first box suffered a "slight undershoot". While the main smoke plumes are concentrated at the edge of the built-up area, approximately 40 percent of the bombs successfully impacted the target zone. This continued the systematic destruction of logistical bottlenecks in the sector, following previous raids on 2nd and 3rd April, ensuring the total tactical isolation of German defenders against the Commando landings. The lack of flak or fighter opposition, combined with the successful straddling of the road by the second box, facilitated the Eighth Army's breakthrough toward the Argenta Gap. 23 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 5th APRIL, 1945.