TORTORELLA

R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 464 Date. 29 Nov 43 Squadron. 21 SAAF No. of Aircraft. 11 Baltimores (1 Mk.3, 1 Mk.3A 9 Mk.4) Aircraft No. ) Aircraft Letter. ) See over Captain. MAJOR STUART Crew. LT PAWSON Formation Leader Time Up. 0852 A Hrs 1st A/C Time Down. 1024 A Hrs Last A/C Total Time. 17.00 Hrs Aerodrome or L.G. TORTORELLA Type of Cloud. High and scattered Amount of Cloud. 4/10 inland over mountains Base of Cloud. 20,000' Visibility. 20/25 miles General Weather. Good Map or Chart Reference. ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 147 LANCIANO Target or Duty. C330025 — EAST OF LANCIANO | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---| | — | TORTORELLA | A/B | | 3000 | TORTORELLA | S/c PENNA PT. | | 10000 | PENNA PT | S/c TARGET | | 11000 | TARGET | Over shot — Dummy run | | 11000 | TARGET | Bombed | | 9000 | PENNA PT | S/c TORTORELLA | | 3000 | TORTORELLA | | | | | Landed | | | | Last A/C landed | (Sgd) [unclear signature] Lt for Capt SIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

1943-11-29 TORTORELLA

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes Expanded Abbreviations * R.A.F.: Royal Air Force. * SAAF / S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. * Oprep. Ref. No.: Operational Report Reference Number. * Mk.: Mark (designating specific versions of the aircraft). * LT: Lieutenant. * A Hrs: Army Hours (Military Time). * A/C: Aircraft. * L.G.: Landing Ground. * A/B: Airborne. * S/c: Set course. * PT.: Point. * SIO: Senior Intelligence Officer. * Sgd: Signed. Observations on Individuals * Major Charles Stuart: Acted as the Formation Leader for this 11-aircraft strike. Following the tragic loss of a veteran crew during takeoff the previous day, Stuart’s leadership in the air was essential for maintaining squadron morale and operational focus. * Lieutenant B.F. Pawson: Served as the regular observer/navigator for Major Stuart. As the lead navigator, Pawson was responsible for orchestrating the "Dummy run" noted in the narrative—a tactic used when the initial bomb run was obscured or misaligned, requiring the formation to circle back for a second, precise pass at 11,000 feet. Location Information and Modern Geography * Lanciano (C330025 - East of Lanciano): The target grid points to German troop concentrations and defensive positions on the eastern outskirts of the historic city of Lanciano in the Abruzzo region. * Modern Name: Today, Lanciano is a major cultural and pilgrimage center, famous for the Miracle of Lanciano. The area east of the city remains a mix of residential zones and agricultural land overlooking the Feltrino valley. * Punta della Penna (Penna Pt.): A prominent headland near Vasto used as the primary navigational "gate" for the squadron’s strikes into the mountains. * Tortorella Landing Ground (Foggia No. 2): The home base for 21 Squadron. Now largely agricultural land, the site is located just east of the modern Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport. Historical Context * The Final Breach of the Sangro: Flown on November 29, 1943, this mission was part of the Desert Air Force’s (DAF) maximum effort to support the British Eighth Army’s breakthrough of the Bernhardt Line. Allied ground forces were actively fighting for the ridges around Lanciano and Mozzagrogna during this sortie. * Operational Precision: The report of a "Dummy run" indicates the high standard of precision required for these strikes. Despite the formation carrying only 11 aircraft (one less than the usual 12-ship box), the crews were under strict orders to ensure their pattern hit the target exactly to facilitate the ground advance. * Rare Good Weather: Visibility of 20/25 miles and scattered clouds at 20,000 feet provided the best flying conditions the squadron had seen in weeks. This allowed the Martin Baltimore bombers to perform their tactical maneuvers without the interference of the low-level winter storms that had plagued previous operations. * Sortie Statistics: The "Total Time" of 17.00 hours represents the combined flight time of all 11 aircraft. Individually, each crew was in the air for approximately 1 hour and 32 minutes. 85 The verification date for the target image 276-2__85.jpg is 29 Nov 43. This image is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for Operational Report Reference Number 464.