Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Date
- 19th April 1944
APPENDIX "V"205TO : H.Q. MAAF (attention 23rd SCORU)H.Q. NATAF (attention 2nd Command Unit 23rd SCORU)SAOA SAAFFROM : SIO 21 SQUADRON SAAFREF : 21S/637DATE : 19th April 1944OPREP No.637 for period ending 2100 Hrs on 18/4/44REF MAP ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 146 SULMONA12 Baltimores airborne at 0906 Hrs to attack a FACTORY at 087992 (2 mi-les NORTH of POPOLI) with a mixed load of delay and instantaneous bombs.After R/V with 223 Sqdn over base, formation set course at 0948 Hrswithout fighter escort. Target found to be obscured by 9/10 cloud8/1000' with small gaps. After doing two circuits over SULMONA Valleyformation bombed through gap at 1033 Hrs from 15000' on a course of330°. Good concentrated stick from 0871999 to 0868996 with severaldirect hits in cluster of buildings at 0868996 - one explosion withlarge column of brown smoke, smaller column of black smoke. NO enemyopposition. All a/c landed by 1116 Hrs.B: (i) 1 Balt 111A(ii) NIL(i) 6 Balts 1V(ii) NIL(i) 5 Balts V(ii) NILC: NILD: (i) 2.05 Hrs(ii) NIL(i) 12.30 Hrs(ii) NIL(i) 10.25 Hrs(ii) NILE: (i) 3200 x .30300 x .303700 x .50(ii) & (iii) NIL(i) 19200 x .301800 x .3034200 x .50(ii) & (iii) NIL(i) 16000 x .301500 x .3033500 x .50(ii) & (iii) NILF: (i) 4 x 500 MC(ii) As above(iii) & (iv) NIL(i) 24 x 500 MC(ii) As above(iii) & (iv) NIL(i) 20 x 500 MC(ii) As above(iii) & (iv) NILG to V: NILW: (i) 2 Mk.111, 1 Mk.1V. 2 Mk.V. (ii) NILX: (i) 2.15 Hrs: .20 Mins: 1.40 Hrs (ii) NILY & Z: NILS.L. BoshoffCaptSIO 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.
Transcriber's Notes
- SCORU
- Scientific Operational Research Unit.
- SIO
- Squadron Intelligence Officer. 38 Verification: Target File Verification: The document is titled "SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. NO. 35/44" and is dated 18th April, 1944. It is marked as APPENDIX "W".
- R/V
- Rendezvous.
- 111A
- Mark IIIA (Roman numeral III).
- 1V
- Mark IV.
- MC
- Medium Capacity (High Explosive).
Targeting the Popoli Industry:
Tactical Execution in Poor Weather:
Air Superiority:
Abbreviations: