Bardia

1612 "Y" BOMBING REPORT 41 57 [handwritten "58" over 57] REFERENCE Pilot : 2/Lt. Blake Observer : 2/Lt. Meintjies Squadron : 21 S. A. A. F. BR Details of Target : Sgts. Clarence and Brand Ship in Bardia harbour Place : Bardia Date : 28 / 9 / 41 Weather : Time : 1312 hrs. Fine. Visibility 15 miles Height : 12000 feet. (1) Bombs dropped : (2) Failures : 8 X 250 lbs GP Nil (3) Observed effects : Struck cliffs to left of ship Map ref. I 23 - 24 (4) Details of photographs taken : Nil (5) Casualties to own aircraft and personnel : 5 small holes in Aircraft (6) Casualties to enemy aircraft and personnel : Nil (7) Enemy A.A. ground defences encountered (a) location of defences (b) type (c) strength : Heavy A/A 2 guns Bow of ship medium or light 1 gun (8) Hostile patrols encountered (a) position (b) type and number of aircraft (c) if engagement resulted : Nil (9) Special comments : Target was to right of sights Signed 2/Lt. Meintjies NOTE — (1) For intelligence purposes RECONNAISSANCE REPORT (A. M. FORM 401) must always accompany a BOMBING REPORT. (2) COMBAT (BOMBER) REPORT also to be completed if engagement with enemy aircraft occurred during flight.

1941-09-28 Bardia

__o_O_o__

Form 541

12,000ft.

MAP

Baltimore

2/Lt. Blake Observer Pilot

2/Lt. Meintjies Squadron Observer

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 S. A. A. F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. During September 1941, the unit was based at Landing Ground 021 in Egypt and functioned as a light/medium bomber force within the Western Desert Air Force (WDAF). * A/A: Anti-Aircraft artillery fire (Flak). Ground defenses during this mission were reported as "Heavy" from fixed shore batteries and "medium or light" from a gun positioned on the bow of the target vessel. * BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): A twin-engine medium bomber manufactured by Glenn L. Martin. While the squadron converted to this type in mid-1942, during the missions of late 1941, they utilized its direct technical and tactical predecessor, the Martin Maryland (e.g., Serial No. 1612 "Y"), which utilized a similar four-man crew and high-altitude bombing profile. * GP: General Purpose; a classification for high-explosive demolition bombs designed for blast and fragmentation effects against infrastructure and maritime targets. * MC/GP (MEDIUM CAPACITY / GENERAL PURPOSE): The standard Allied ordnance designations for demolition and blast bombs. The aircraft (Machine "Y") carried a full load of 8 x 250 lbs GP munitions. * MET: Meteorological data. Weather conditions (MET) for this midday strike were recorded as "Fine" with a significant visibility range of 15 miles. Operational Context Target File 272_58 documents the individual bombing results for Martin Maryland "Y" (1612), piloted by 2/Lt. Blake, during a coordinated 18-aircraft strike on 28th September 1941 against Axis shipping in Bardia Harbour. The strategic importance of Bardia centered on its role as a fortified logistical hub for Rommel’s Panzergruppe Afrika. Interdicting Axis shipping within the harbour was a critical component of Allied efforts to degrade the frontier logistical chain prior to the launch of Operation Crusader. The mission was executed as a high-level horizontal bombing run from 12,000 feet at 13:12 hours. Technical analysis indicates that Maryland "Y" released its full complement of 8 x 250 lb GP bombs. The observer, 2/Lt. Meintjies, reported that the bombs struck cliffs to the left of the ship at Map Reference I 23 - 24, noting in the special comments that the target was situated to the right of the bombsight during the run. Execution Constraints The operation was constrained by accurate Axis ground defenses. The observer identified two heavy anti-aircraft guns and a single lighter gun firing from the bow of the target vessel. The effectiveness of these defenses is evidenced by the "5 small holes" sustained by the aircraft airframe during the attack. Across the wider squadron flight, the tactical environment was characterized by intense anti-aircraft fire, which resulted in over 200 shrapnel holes across the nine 21 Squadron airframes. Despite these ground-based threats and the previous day's heavy combat, no hostile aerial patrols were encountered by this crew. The aircraft successfully returned to base, with the crew providing precise ballistic data on the bomb fall relative to the shore topography. 59 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 28 / 9 / 41