Operation

"U" 190 TO : H.Q. M.A.A.F. ( ATTENTION 23rd SCORU) H.Q. T.A.F. ITALY ( ATTENTION SCORU) S.A.O.A. S.A.A.F. FROM : S.I.O. S.A.A.F. 21 SQUADRON. REF. : 21S/836 DATE : 23rd SEPTEMBER, 1944 OPREP NO. 836 FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 2100 HRS. ON THE 22 : 9 : 44 REF. MAP ITALY, 1:100,000 SHEET 100 FORLI. OPS. NO. 112 to 114 / 21 / M. A. : 12 Marauders ( in 3 Boxes of 4 A/C ) airborne form PESCARA at 1141 hrs. to attack a Road Bridge at M.629274 with 48 x 1000 lbs. Demo. Formations were over target between 1252 and 1255 hrs. and bombed from 12000 to 13000 ft. on courses 255, 240 and 205° respectively. The first and third Boxes overshot by +- 150 and 500 yards bombs falling in open country. The second Box had a 40 yards overshoot and straddled the road alongside Canal. 9 x 1000 Hung up ( 8 were jettisoned in sea and one brought back). Moderate fairly accurate H.A.A. – 2 A/C holed. Weather over Target clear, visibility good – en route 4/10 to 5/10 Strata Cum. at approximately 5000 ft. Last A/C down by 1351 hrs. B. : (i) 12 Marauders III (ii) Nil C. : (i) & (ii) Nil D. : (i) 27.00 Hrs. (ii) Nil E. : (i) 45600 x .50 (ii) & (iii) Nil F. : (i) 48 x 1000 (ii) 39 x 1000 (iii) 8 x 1000 (iv) Nil Fused:- 36 – 28 Nose 36 – 27 Tail. G to V. : Nil W. : (i) 3 Marauders III (ii) Nil X. : (i) 4.30 Hrs. (ii) Nil Y to Z : Nil. (Signed) C.P.P. Nicolle Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.

1944-09-23

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES * Abbreviations Expanded: * H.Q.: Headquarters. * M.A.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. * SCORU: Section Central Operational Research Unit. * T.A.F.: Tactical Air Force. * S.A.O.A.: South African Operational Assistant. * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. * S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer. * OPREP: Operational Report. * HRS. / Hrs. / hrs: Hours. * A/C: Aircraft. * lbs.: pounds. * Demo.: Demolition bombs. * ft.: feet. * H.A.A.: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire (Flak). * Strata Cum.: Stratocumulus clouds. * Capt.: Captain. * Observations about Individuals: * Captain C.P.P. Nicolle: The Squadron Intelligence Officer (S.I.O.) for 21 Squadron. Following the intense period in mid-September where Lieutenant Boast handled many of the OPREPs, Nicolle resumed the reporting duties. Nicolle was noted for his meticulous investigation into the fate of Lieutenant Whitehouse's crew earlier in the month. * Location and Modern Names: * Pescara: The squadron's operational base. Today, the site is the Abruzzo Airport (Aeroporto d’Abruzzo). * Road Bridge (M.629274): This grid reference locates the target bridge northwest of Cervia, spanning a canal in the marshy lowlands of the Emilia-Romagna region. Specifically, it likely refers to a crossing over the Canale di Cervia or a nearby drainage canal essential for German Motor Transport (M.T.) movement. * Forlì: The map reference used for this operation. Forlì was a major logistical hub and became the focus of the "Battle of Forlì" later in the autumn. * Historical Theatre Context: * The Liberation of Rimini: This mission on September 22, 1944, took place just one day after the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade officially captured Rimini. With the Gothic Line "hinge" at Rimini broken, 21 Squadron shifted its focus to interdicting the German retreat across the rivers and canals of the Romagna plains. * Interdiction Bombing: Unlike the fragmentation raids of earlier in the month, this mission used 1,000lb demolition bombs. These heavy munitions were required to drop masonry or steel bridges, paralyzing the German 10th Army's ability to move heavy equipment and reinforcements. * Operational Precision Challenges: Despite "good visibility," the report notes significant overshoots for two of the three boxes. Achieving a direct hit on a narrow bridge from 12,000 feet required extreme coordination between the pilot and the bomb aimer in the Martin B-26 Marauder III. The "40 yards overshoot" of the second box was considered a successful straddle in medium bombing terms. * Mechanical Failure (Hung-up Bombs): The loss of nine 1,000lb bombs due to "hung-up" release mechanisms (8 of which were jettisoned at sea for safety) underscores the persistent maintenance issues with the Marauder's bomb shackles during high-tempo operations. Jettisoning live 1,000lb bombs was a standard but dangerous procedure to prevent landing with unstable heavy ordnance. 32 Target File Verification: The date written in the 'DATE' column is 25th SEPTEMBER, 1944.