Operation

7 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. OPERATIONAL REPORT NO. 19. COPY NO..... (O.O. Nos. 261 Wing Operation order No. "A" 197 and Squadron Operation order No. 19) DATE: 1. 11. 41. MAP REF: Target map B./4 DATE OF OPERATION. 1st. November 1941. NUMBER AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. 9 Marylands DUTY. High level bombing of (1) Derna Harbour. (2) dumps, buildings and aircraft Derna Landing Ground. NARRATIVE. Taking the sea route, the 9 Marylands, when about 80 miles out, turned in towards the town. The whole formation approached the first target, which consisted of a small ship lying alongside the mole, and the adjacent dock area. No. 1 Flight released their bombs, and one stick was seen to burst amongst buildings in the dock yard area and Southwards. One fire was started, and the power station narrowly escaped being hit. Another stick of bombs dropped southwards of the Mole, one burst on the edge being recorded. The formation carried on, altering course slightly, to allow the 2nd. and 3rd. Flights to attack the L.G. buildings, dumps and dispersed aircraft. No. 2 Flight dropped their sticks from North to South across the hangers, and results were most gratifying. North of the hangar two very large fires, xxxxxxxxxxxxx and three smaller ones were started, and a big explosion occurred. At least one building appears to have been demolished. No. 3 Flight bombing also had spectacular results. Flying across the large petrol dump at 26, and releasing in rapid succession, they scored many hits on the dump, and amongst dispersed aircraft. A large fire was caused in the dump, and at least 3 aircraft were set on fire. These reports are fully borne out by the excellent photos taken. On the return journey, after noting some 40 aircraft on Martuba West L.G. the formation was repeatedly attacked by 2 enemy fighters, acting separately. The first attacker appeared to be a M.E. 109, and the other which persisted in attacking for many minutes, was a G. 50. Neither of these fighters offered a chance to the front guns, but attacked from the beam, quarter, and stern. Several of the rear Gunners put in good bursts, and the G. 50 was finally hit and dived down under control. Three of our machines were hit. Spare guns were used several times by Pilots, and probably were most effective in preventing the E/A from approaching on the blind spot. 2000 pamphlets were dropped over the town and Landing Ground. WEATHER. Good. TIMES. Airborne 1150 hours. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Time over target 1405 hours. Landed 1605 hours. Total hours flown 39 hours. PHOTOGRAPHY 5 cameras were used, and excellent progressive photos were taken of the bombing results. DISTRIBUTION. * S. I. O. HQ. RAF. ME. * Intelligence A. H. Q. Western Desert * Operations do do * 261 Wing * * * * War Diary * File L Saunders Lt. SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.

1941-11-01

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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. At this stage of the Western Desert Campaign, the unit operated the Martin Maryland, an American-built twin-engine medium bomber utilized for high-altitude daylight interdiction and reconnaissance. * L.G. / MARTUBA WEST L.G.: Landing Ground. Martuba was a critical Axis airbase complex in Cyrenaica, frequently targeted by the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) to degrade enemy air superiority. * M.E. 109 / G. 50: Messerschmitt Bf 109 (German) and Fiat G.50 Freccia (Italian) fighter aircraft. These represented the primary interceptor threats to unescorted S.A.A.F. medium bomber formations. * E/A: Enemy Aircraft. * S. I. O. HQ. RAF. ME.: Squadron Intelligence Officer, Headquarters, Royal Air Force Middle East. * A. H. Q. WESTERN DESERT: Air Headquarters Western Desert, the command structure governing tactical air operations in the theater. * 261 WING: The higher tactical formation to which 21 Squadron was attached. Operational Context This raid on 1 November 1941 against Derna Harbour and its associated Landing Grounds occurred during the intensive preparatory phase for Operation Crusader (launched November 18, 1941). Neutralizing Derna was of strategic paramountcy as it served as a key logistical terminal and forward air hub for the Afrikakorps. The attack on the dockyard and the adjacent mole targeted maritime logistics, while the subsequent strikes on Derna L.G. specifically aimed to destroy Axis fuel reserves (the petrol dump at 26) and airframes on the ground. The sighting of 40 aircraft at Martuba West emphasized the persistent threat posed by Axis airpower, which was further confirmed by the 40-minute engagement with Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Fiat G.50 fighters during the return leg. Execution Constraints The mission profile reflects the technical and tactical hazards inherent in daylight interdiction sorties. High-level bombing (from an airborne time of 1150 to a target time of 1405) required precise coordination among the three flights. No. 1 Flight focused on harbor shipping, while Nos. 2 and 3 Flights conducted synchronized passes over the airfield infrastructure. The defensive action during the return journey highlights the vulnerability of the Martin Maryland to beam and stern attacks. The report notes that pilots were forced to use "spare guns" to protect the formation’s blind spots, as the enemy fighters refused to engage from the front. Despite three aircraft being hit and a G. 50 being downed by the rear gunners, the formation successfully returned to base after 39 cumulative hours of flight, having successfully delivered both kinetic ordnance and 2000 propaganda pamphlets. The mention of "excellent progressive photos" indicates that Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) was conducted using five internal cameras to verify hit claims on hangers and petrol dumps. 122 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: There is no specific 'Date' column on this document. However, the file serves as Appendix "A" to Operational Report No. 19, which is dated 1. 11. 41 on the primary report page.