HAZBUB MAIN L.G.

R.A.F. Form 441 A. "U" 34 SORTIE REPORT (Part A.) NIGHT OPERATION Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 264 Date. 13/14.4.43 Squadron. 21 SAAF. Type of Aircraft. 15 Baltimores. Aircraft No. See reverse side. Aircraft Letter. " Formation Leader: Captain First A/C Off: Crew. Lt. Col. Coppen D.F.C Capt. Farrant (Observer) See reverse side. (A/C took off at 3/4-minute (intervals. Time Up. 2040 (1st. A/C) Time Down. 0030 (Last A/C) Total Time. 43 hrs. 03 mins. Aerodrome or L.G. HAZBUB MAIN L.G. (Sqdn at SENEM) Over Target: Type of Cloud. --- Amount of Cloud. Nil. Base of Cloud. --- Visibility. Exceptionally poor—much ground haze. General Weather. Poor. Map or Chart Reference. TUNISIA 1:500,000 TUNIS. Task or Duty. Individual medium level bombing attack on Ste MARIE du ZIT L.G. WEST (K 2311) | Time. | Height. | Place. | Narrative. | |---|---|---|---| | 2040 | | HAZBUB | First A/C airborne. | | 2000 | " | S/C KNEISS 351 M. | | | 2118 | 6000 | KNEISS | S/C 005 M for HAMMAMET. | | 2212 | 6500 | | Cloud ahead. Climbing to get above tops. | | 2215 | 9000 | | Still in cloud. Visibility poor. Diving to get below | | | | cloud. | | | 2235 | 7000 | HERGLA | Landfall. Clearer ahead. Climbed to 8000 ft. | | 2238 | 8500 | HAMMAMET | Four searchlights and fairly intense flak from point. | | 8000 | | NORTH of HAMMAMET and turning on to target. | | | 2246 | 7500 | | To NORTH of target. Dummy run. | | 2250 | 8000 | HAMMAMET | Turning on to target. | | 2254 | 8000 | TARGET | Bombing. | | 2258 | | | Off target & S/C KNEISS. | | 0030 | | HAZBUB | Last A/C landed. | 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 Dispersed A/C and MT around Ste. MARIE du ZIT WEST L.G. (K 2311) BB From 2224 hrs. to 2250 hrs. BC Individual medium level bombing attack from 8/9,000 ft. 90 x 250 lb. GP 43 Det. (Rods) BD Owing to very bad visibility the bombs were dropped on ETA after pinpointing the position at K 2913, where the wadi crosses the road. Bombs fell in and around the target area. One small fire started but was quickly extinguished. One medium fire was seen burning and giving off sparks ten minutes after leaving the target at 2240 hrs. BE Five searchlights seen around the coast for 8 miles at HAMMAMET (from K 4312 to K 5318) 4 HAA and 3 LAA in same area. Four searchlights operating over target with spasmodic HAA over the L.G. BF One A/C, 187 G, through very bad visibility was unable to locate HAZBUB MAIN L.G. and ran short of fuel in an endeavour to locate the coastline and crash land on the beach. All the crew baled out WEST of ZARAT and the A/C crashed at Z 5211 (A/C Cat. 11) Pilot: Lt. J.P. Carlisle Killed (believed to have baled too late) Observer: Lt. E.G. Webber & ~~XX~~ Air Gunner F/Sgt. Waldek slightly injured. W.Op. Air Gunner F/Sgt. Schumann unhurt. BG Nil. BH Large fire seen at ENFIDAVILLE area. List of A/C and Crews: 940 V Lt. Col. Coppen D.F.C., Capt. Farrant, F/Sgts. Bradfield & Lyne. 108 B Maj. Barnby D.F.C., Lt. Evans, Lt. Sandilands & F/Sgt. Lotter. 271 F Capt. Mouton, Lt. Simon, F/Sgts. Carr & Wisenberg. 977 L Capt. Budd, Sgt. Smallman (RAF), F/O Cornelius (RCAF), & F/Sgt. Woods. 877 J Lt. Gardener, Lt. Kerr, F/Sgts. Pearce & Green. 179 A Lt. Hotchkiss, Lt. Morrell, F/Sgts. Mamet & Mills. 930 K Lt. Hamilton, Lt. Whittle, F/Sgts. Rogers F.D. & Phelan. 187 G Lt. Carlisle, Lt. Webber, F/Sgts. Schumann & Waldek. 176 YY Maj. Jandrell, Lt. Christie, F/Sgts. Morley & Abraham. 259 X Capt. McBride, Lt. Gibson, F/Sgts. Daniels & White. 916 SS Lt. Smith J.H., Lt. Arnold, Sgt. Freestone (RNZAF), & F/Sgt. Viljoen. 142 P Lt. Liddiard, Lt. Pickerill, F/Sgts. Zaaiman & Oliff. 918 T Lt. Carr, Lt. Lombaard, F/Sgts. Toms & Wright. 957 W Lt. Wood, Lt. Gould, F/Sgts. Purdon & Groenewald. 115 M Lt. Clutterbuck, Lt. Campbell, F/Sgts. Raeburn & Fraser. [Handwritten Signature] S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

1943-04-14 HAZBUB MAIN L.G.

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

15 Baltimores.

Lt. J.P. Carlisle Killed Pilot

Lt. E.G. Webber Observer

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * R.A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force standardized Sortie Report form used to record the technical and navigational specifics of individual combat missions. * Oprep. Ref. No. 264: Operational Report reference number, cataloging this specific nocturnal strike within the squadron's chronological mission records. * 21 SAAF: No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force. * Baltimores: Martin Baltimore Mk. III light bombers, Twin-Engine aircraft utilized for tactical medium-level bombardment. * Lt. Col. Coppen D.F.C: Lieutenant Colonel C.E. Coppen, the Commanding Officer of 21 Squadron, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. * A/C: Aircraft. Refers to both the individual Martin Baltimores and the dispersed enemy aircraft targeted on the ground. * L.G. / HAZBUB MAIN L.G.: Landing Ground Hazbub Main (also known as LG 144), located near Medenine, Tunisia. Used as a temporary staging point for nocturnal missions. * SENEM: Landing Ground Senem, Tunisia. The squadron's primary forward operating base during the April 1943 offensive. * Ste MARIE du ZIT L.G. WEST (K 2311): Sainte-Marie-du-Zit West Landing Ground, an Axis tactical airfield in northeastern Tunisia. * S/C: Set Course. * KNEISS: The Kneiss Islands off the eastern coast of Tunisia, used as a navigational waypoint. * ft.: feet. Standard measure of altitude. * H.Q. R.A.F. M.E.: Headquarters Royal Air Force Middle East. Operational Context The mission conducted on the night of 13/14 April 1943 signifies an intensified phase of the Desert Air Force’s nocturnal campaign against the final Axis bridgehead in Tunisia. Strategically, this strike targeted Sainte-Marie-du-Zit West Landing Ground, a critical hub for Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica operations attempting to provide air cover for the retreating German 1st Italian Army. By maintaining 24-hour pressure on Axis airfields, the Allied command sought to degrade the enemy's remaining tactical mobility and prevent organized evacuation or supply efforts from Sicily. Tactically, the operation encountered significant environmental friction. The narrative documents 15 Martin Baltimores departing Hazbub Main at 3/4-minute intervals. Aircrews faced exceptionally poor visibility characterized by heavy ground haze and unexpected cloud banks between 6,500 and 9,000 feet. The formation leader had to climb to 9,000 feet to clear the cloud tops before diving back to 7,000 feet at the Hergla landfall. Despite four searchlights and intense anti-aircraft fire ("flak") encountered near Hammamet, the individual aircraft successfully identified the target area after a "dummy run" at 2246 hours. While OPREP No. 264 indicates that visibility made assessment difficult, the continued targeting of Zit West illustrates the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) priority to isolate and neutralize Axis air strength during the concluding stages of the North African campaign. 48 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 13/14.4.43 (derived from Sortie Report Part A for Oprep Ref. No. 264). Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * A/C (Fields BA, BF): Aircraft. Refers both to the target Axis aircraft on the ground and the individual Martin Baltimores of the formation. * MT (Field BA): Motor Transport. Refers to Axis wheeled or tracked supply and troop-carrying vehicles. * Ste. MARIE du ZIT WEST L.G. (Field BA): Sainte-Marie-du-Zit West Landing Ground. An Axis tactical airfield in northeastern Tunisia. * GP 43 Det. (Rods) (Field BC): 250 lb General Purpose bombs fitted with No. 43 detonators and extension rods. These "daisy cutter" rods trigger detonation just above the ground surface to maximize fragmentation against unarmored targets like dispersed aircraft. * ETA (Field BD): Estimated Time of Arrival. * HAZBUB MAIN L.G. (Field BF): Landing Ground Hazbub Main (LG 144), located near Medenine, Tunisia, used as a temporary staging point for nocturnal missions. * Cat. 11 (Field BF): Category 11 (often recorded as Category II). A damage classification indicating an aircraft is damaged beyond local repair but is repairable at a specialized maintenance unit or depot. * HAA and LAA (Field BE): Heavy Anti-Aircraft and Light Anti-Aircraft fire. * D.F.C. (Personnel List): Distinguished Flying Cross. * RAF / RCAF / RNZAF (Personnel List): Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel attached to the S.A.A.F. unit. * S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F. (Signature): Squadron Intelligence Officer, 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. Operational Context The nocturnal mission of 13/14 April 1943 targeted the Axis air infrastructure at Sainte-Marie-du-Zit West Landing Ground. Strategically, this occurred during the final Allied compression of the Axis bridgehead in Tunisia following the liberation of Sfax. By targeting airfields on the Cape Bon peninsula, the Desert Air Force (DAF) aimed to neutralize the Luftwaffe's ability to cover retreating ground columns or maintain supply links with Sicily. Tactical execution was severely hampered by "very bad visibility," forcing the 15 Martin Baltimores to drop their ordnance on ETA after fixing their position using a road-wadi crossing at grid K 2913. Despite these constraints, aircrews observed two fires at the target area. However, the sortie resulted in the operational loss of Baltimore 187 G, which was unable to locate the home landing ground at Hazbub Main and ran out of fuel while searching for the coastline. The crew baled out west of Zarat, leading to the death of the pilot, Lt. J.P. Carlisle, who is believed to have baled out too low. The encounter with searchlights and anti-aircraft fire near Hammamet and the observation of a large fire at the Enfidaville area highlight the high density of Axis defenses as they consolidated into their final northern positions. 49 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 15 APR 43.