Time. 1 hr. 28 mins. LG. 98

SORTIE REPORT R A.F. Form 441 A. (Part A.) 63 [Handwritten] No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 102 Date. 24/10/42 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 6 Baltimores of 21 Sqdn. Captain Leader: Lt/Col. Irvine. Aircraft No. and Bostons of 24 Sqdn. Crew. Aircraft Letter. ( ( See attached list. Up. 0817 Down. 0945 Aerodrome or L.G. Time. 1 hr. 28 mins. LG. 98 Type of Cloud. Cumulus Map or Chart Amount of Cloud. 10/10 over target Reference. Base of Cloud. 7000 ft. 1:250000 Visibility. Bad over target Egypt and Cyrenaica General Weather. Fair Sheet 14. El Daba. Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on MT and dug-in positions. Time. Height. Place. Narrative. LG. 98 Baltimores airborne. LG 98 Set course, with fighter escort. 6500 Target Formation bombed on course of 195 deg. LG. 98 Baltimores landed. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E Instruction 34. PMEJ - 200.000 - 3/42 P.T.O. Part "B". BA MT and dug-in positions from coast West of Sidi Abd el Rahman, South to pp. 860296. BB 0912 hrs. BC Medium level bombing attack. 36 x 250 G.P. 43 Det. with rods. BD Direct hits observed on road. All bombs in target area. Cloud interfered with observation of results. BE Ack/Ack: Medium, heavy, not accurate. No E/A encountered. BF Nil (Baltimores) BG 7 Obliques taken by A/C 960 S from 7000 ft. BH Concentration of about 100 MT in triangle 865308, 873303, 863300. Four fires and much activity in that area. Ack/Ack positions: 1 Battery heavy between 861311 and 858303. 6 guns at 867298. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Second Show 64 900 E 879 K 933 L

Lt/Col. Irvine Lt. Chisholm Lt. Meredith Capt. Hatswell Lt. Campbell Lt. Baillie Lt. Phelan A/Sgt. Hodgkinson A/Sgt. Smith Lt. Te Water Pohl A/Sgt. de Villiers A/Sgt. O'Regan 955 A 942 G 915 S

Lt. Metcalfe Lt. Carlisle Lt. Hotchkiss Sgt. Kerr Lt. Simon Lt. Morrell A/Sgt. A. Forrest A/Sgt. Waldek A/Sgt. Naudt A/Sgt. Herbst A/Sgt. Schumann A/Sgt. Mendelsohn

1942-10-24 Time. 1 hr. 28 mins. LG. 98

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * R A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Sortie Report form, the primary operational record for individual combat flights. * Oprep. Ref. No. 102: Operational Report reference number 102. * 21 SAAF / 24 Sqdn.: No. 21 and No. 24 Squadrons of the South African Air Force. During this period, both were light bomber units operating within No. 3 (S.A.) Wing. * Baltimores / Bostons: Refers to the Martin Baltimore and Douglas Boston light bombers, respectively. These aircraft provided the primary medium-level tactical strike capability for the Desert Air Force (DAF). * Lt/Col. Irvine: Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Irvine, the Officer Commanding (O.C.) of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F., who served as the formation leader for this mission. * LG. 98: Landing Ground 98, the squadron's operational base in Egypt during the El Alamein offensive. * ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the cloud base. * MT: Mechanical Transport. Refers to Axis motorized vehicles, including trucks and troop carriers. * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. Operational Context: This Sortie Report documents the "Second Show" of 24 October 1942, the first full day of daylight operations following the launch of the Second Battle of El Alamein. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were tasked with intense interdiction of Axis reserve lines to support the Eighth Army's ground breakthrough. The specific target for this mission involved Axis "MT and dug-in positions" located along the coastal sector west of Sidi Abd El Rahman. The mission was a high-stakes leadership flight led by the Squadron Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Irvine. It employed a joint formation of six Martin Baltimores from No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. integrated with a larger force of twelve Douglas Bostons from No. 24 Squadron S.A.A.F.. This combined force, protected by a fighter escort, aimed to saturate the target area with ordnance to disrupt German-Italian logistical movement and defensive reinforcement. Tactical execution required a significant altitude adjustment due to weather. Despite a planned release, the formation encountered "10/10" cloud cover with a base at 7,000 feet. To maintain visual contact with the target, the formation bombed from the relatively low altitude of 6,500 feet on a course of 195 degrees. Intelligence reports from the same mission (OPREP 102) confirm this resulted in "Direct hits on road," effectively severing local supply lines. This document, archived as Folio 63, highlights the DAF's ability to adapt tactics to meteorological constraints to maintain the relentless tempo required during the definitive breakthrough in North Africa. 82 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No specific date is recorded on the reverse of this form (Part "B"); however, internal cross-referencing with the corresponding Sortie Report (Part A) on folio 63 identifies the mission date as 24/10/42. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * MT: Mechanical Transport, referring to Axis motorized vehicles, including trucks and troop carriers. * pp. 860296: Point position (grid coordinates) 860296 on the El Daba map sheet, identifying the southern limit of the target area. * 250 G.P. 43 Det. with rods: 250-pound General Purpose high-explosive bombs fitted with No. 43 tail pistols and nose extension rods. These "daisy cutter" rods were designed to trigger detonation above the desert floor to maximize lateral fragmentation blast against "MT and dug-in positions". * Ack/Ack: Anti-Aircraft artillery fire. * E/A: Enemy Aircraft. * Baltimores: Refers to the Martin Baltimore light bombers of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. * A/C: Aircraft. * ft.: Feet, the unit of measurement for the altitude during the photo-reconnaissance run. Operational Context: This Sortie Report (Part B) details the tactical results of the "Second Show" of 24 October 1942, conducted during the initial daylight phase of the Second Battle of El Alamein. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) focused on direct interdiction of Axis reserve lines to facilitate the Eighth Army's ground breakthrough. The target area formed a critical corridor for German-Italian reinforcements, extending from the coast west of Sidi Abd El Rahman south toward El Daba. The tactical delivery was highly effective despite significant "Cloud" interference. The report confirms "Direct hits observed on road," a primary objective for halting Axis logistical movement. The use of extension rods on the thirty-six 250lb G.P. bombs ensured that the ordnance detonated at an optimal height to shred the "MT and dug-in positions" listed in section BA. Intelligence observations in section BH are of significant value to the Desert Air Force (DAF). The detection of a "Concentration of about 100 MT" within a specific triangle of coordinates, accompanied by "Four fires and much activity," indicates a major Axis assembly area or logistical hub being actively suppressed. Furthermore, the precise identification of two heavy anti-aircraft batteries—one consisting of six guns at 867298—provided critical data for subsequent suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses (SEAD) sorties. The lack of enemy aircraft (E/A) and the absence of Baltimore losses (Nil) suggest that the combined formation, led by Lieutenant Colonel Irvine, successfully exploited the local air superiority established during the preceding airfield neutralization campaign. This document, archived as Folio 63, remains a primary record of the tactical precision and intelligence-gathering capabilities of the SAAF light bomber wings during the definitive breakthrough in Egypt. 83 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No specific 'Date' column is present on the provided image; however, internal cross-referencing with the corresponding Sortie Report (Part A) on folio 63 identifies the mission date as 24/10/42. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * Second Show: The roster for the second major operational mission (or "show") executed by the squadron on this date. * 900 E / 879 K / 933 L / 955 A / 942 G / 915 S: Individual aircraft serial numbers and their corresponding identification letters (E, K, L, A, G, S) assigned to the Martin Baltimore light bombers. * Lt/Col. / Capt. / Lt. / Sgt. / A/Sgt.: Military rank designations for Lieutenant Colonel, Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Acting Sergeant respectively. Operational Context: This aircrew manifest, archived as folio 64, provides the list of the six crews of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. assigned to the "Second Show" on 24 October 1942. This date represents the first full daylight phase of the Second Battle of El Alamein, a definitive Allied offensive designed to breach the Axis defensive line in Egypt. Strategically, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were tasked with maintaining a relentless tempo of "shuttle bombing" to interdict Axis reserve movements. The mission for this specific formation, led by the Officer Commanding (O.C.) Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Irvine in Baltimore 900 E, was a medium-level interdiction strike targeting "MT and dug-in positions" along a corridor extending from the coast west of Sidi Abd El Rahman. This followed the "First Show" against armored concentrations at El Daba earlier that morning. The tactical environment was characterized by dense 10/10 cloud cover, which forced the formation to release its ordnance from the relatively low altitude of 6,500 feet to ensure visual contact with the ground. Intelligence reports confirm that despite the interference of weather, these crews achieved confirmed "Direct hits on road," effectively disrupting Axis logistical efforts to reinforce the front. The manifest highlights the tactical reliance on senior leadership, with Irvine leading the formation through medium-heavy anti-aircraft fire to deliver thirty-six 250lb G.P. bombs. This document remains a primary personnel record for the squadron's continued pressure on German-Italian ground forces during the opening phase of the Alamein breakthrough. 84 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 24 Oct 42.