Operation

21 SQUADRON S. A. A. F. OPERATIONAL REPORT NO. 12. COPY NO...7.... ( O. O. Nos: H. Q. No. 204 Group Operation order No. "A" 669 and Squadron operation order No. 12 attached hereto.) DATE: 14. 10. 41 MAP REF: Target Map B./2 DATE OF OPERATION. 14th. October 1941. NUMBER AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. 9 Marylands. DUTY. High level bombing Benghazi docks and shipping. NARRATIVE. The 9 Marylands took off at 0914 hours and flew to L. G. 075 for refuelling. The rough going at this L. G. caused three burst tail wheels, and inadequate refuelling conditions resulted in a late start by the six machines, which got away at 1300 hours. Considerable cloud made ground recognition impossible, and the target was reached on dead reckoning. The two Flights of three attacked separately, one aiming at the Giuliana docks, and the other at the docks on the Eastern side of the harbour. No. 1 Flight [strike-through] XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX [/strike-through] appears to have scored heavily on the Giuliana point, several good bursts being observed in the vicinity of 16 and 14 ( target map B./2 ), and two big columns of black smoke were seen as the aircraft turned away. The other Flight reported bursts in the Harbour, and amongst buildings between 6 and 26. [handwritten arrow pointing to "No. 1 Flight"] These results are corroborated by the photos taken. There was about 5/10 cloud at the time, and only fleeting glimpses of the harbour were to be had. No shipping was reported but several Flying boats ( or sea planes ) were seen. A/A was fairly heavy, as the aircraft were leaving, but not accurate, and no Fighters were seen. After the attack, the Flights swung out to sea and recrossed at Ras Taiunes and set off for home on the reciprocal course. Two aircraft were able to get right home, but the others needed fuel, and landings were made on various L. Gs. One aircraft in attempting to reach Matruh, made a forced landing close to the Siwa road, 30 miles from Matruh, without injury. All the aircraft returned the following day. WEATHER. Fine, cloudy. TIMES. Time up 0914 hours. L. G. 075 1100 " L. G. 075 ( Take off ) 1304 " Over Target 1530 " 2 landed 021 L. G. 1755 " 1 landed 021 L. G. 1825 " ( via Matruh for fuel) 1 landed at L. G. 010 1727 " 1 " 011 1745 " 1 " " Siwa road 1725 " Total hours flown 47 hours 13 min. PHOTOGRAPHY. 4 cameras were used. Some excellent photos of Benghazi were obtained, including two or three of the bomb bursts on Giuliana. Several of the photos were spoiled by the presence of clouds. APPENDIX "A" ANALYSIS OF BOMBING 8 hits Giuliana Docks area 16 Marshalling yards 6 - 26 16 Unobserved 8 jettisoned in desert. 48 12000 lb appendix "B" /2

1941-10-14

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. During October 1941, the unit operated the Martin Maryland, a twin-engine medium bomber utilized for high-altitude horizontal bombing. * A/A: Anti-Aircraft artillery fire. Ground defenses at Benghazi were described as "fairly heavy" but "not accurate" during the squadron's egress. * BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): The R.A.F./SAAF operational code for the Martin Baltimore medium bomber. Although the squadron became the primary user of the Baltimore in 1942, in late 1941 they utilized its direct technical precursor, the Martin Maryland. * L. G. 021 / L. G. 075 / L. G. 010 / L. G. 011: Landing Grounds in Egypt and Libya. Landing Ground 021 was the squadron's home base. Landing Ground 075 served as a forward refuelling point. * MAP B./2: The specific tactical target map of Benghazi Harbour utilized for pinpointing bursts at the Giuliana point and marshalling yards. * O. O.: Operational Order. Operational Context Operational Report No. 12, dated 14 October 1941, documents a significant deep-penetration daylight strike against Benghazi Harbour. Strategically, Benghazi was the most vital deep-water port in Cyrenaica, serving as the primary terminal for German and Italian logistical sustainment for Rommel's Panzergruppe Afrika. This raid was part of the Desert Air Force’s systematic campaign to neutralize port infrastructure and maritime assets—including the Giuliana Docks—ahead of Operation Crusader. The mission sought to capitalize on daylight visibility for precision bombing of dock installations and marshalling yards, which were reported hit in multiple sticks. The observation of "two big columns of black smoke" at the Giuliana point indicated a successful strike on fuel or ammunition stores, further restricting Axis logistical flow. Execution Constraints The operation was plagued by severe technical and environmental constraints. At the forward refuelling point (L. G. 075), "rough going" resulted in three burst tail wheels, and "inadequate refuelling conditions" delayed the take-off of six aircraft until 13:00 hours. Weather conditions over the target included 5/10 cloud and "thick haze," which rendered ground recognition impossible and forced the formation to navigate via dead reckoning. The long-range nature of the sortie pushed the fuel limits of the Maryland airframes. While the formation released 12,000 lbs of ordnance, 8 bombs were jettisoned in the desert to reduce weight. Post-strike, most aircraft lacked the fuel to reach their home base directly; airframes were dispersed across multiple Landing Grounds. One Maryland was forced into a forced landing 30 miles from Matruh near the Siwa road. Despite the intense flight time of 47 hours and 13 minutes (cumulative) and heavy A/A, no fighters were encountered, and all aircrews returned without injury by the following day. 83 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: There is no 'Date' column on this specific page. However, the document is page 2 (Appendix "B") to Operational Report No. 12, which is dated 14. 10. 41 on the primary report page.