One — Onoorwinlik

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Date: 5th APRIL 1945

C O N F I D E N T I A L. APPENDIX "F"202FROM : 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 and1048 Hrs. to bomb built up area of PORTO GARIBALDI atM 597670 - 598666 and to create road block, the operationbeing intended to give support to British Commandosattacking up the Isthmus separating LAKE COMACCHIO fromthe sea. The first Box had a slight undershoot but scoredwith about 40 percent of bombs in the target area. Thesecond box bombed right across the briefed area, withover 70 percent of bombs falling on the target. Oneexplosion was seen in the area after bombing, and theroad running south into the Village was well straddled.Weather and visibility over the target was good. Therewas 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.9-469411SA 21 / 495 5 APR 45 F14 || HH M6067 11100 1002 B I N

Transcriber's Notes

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
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.
S.C.O.R.U: South African Operations Records Unit.
3 SA WING: No. 3 Wing SAAF, the higher administrative and tactical formation overseeing 21 Squadron's Martin Marauder operations.
OPREP NO. 990: Operational Report documenting activity for the morning period of 5th April 1945.
JESI L/G: Jesi Landing Ground, the operational base for the squadron during the spring 1945 offensive.
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.
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).

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance. For this mission, the squadron dropped 48 x 500 lb GP bombs.

MC/GP (Medium Capacity / General Purpose): Standard Allied high-explosive ordnance. For this mission, the squadron utilized 48 x 500 lb GP bombs.