| TORTORELLA |

SORTIE REPORT (Part A) R.A.F. Form 441 A. R 39 | [Header Columns] | [Content] | |---|---| | Sheet No. | 1 | | Oprep. Ref. No. | 525 | | Date | 22 Jan 44 | | Squadron | 21 SAAF | | Type of Aircraft | 12 Baltimores (1 Mk.3A | | Aircraft No. | 11 Mk.4) | | Aircraft Letter | See over | | Captain | LT/COL KOTZE | | Crew | CAPT CARTER | | | Formation Leader | | Time Up | 1459 A Hrs 1st a/c | | Time Down | 1657 A Hrs last a/c | | Total Time | 20.05 Hours | | Aerodrome or L.G. | TORTORELLA | | Type of Cloud | Cu | |---|---| | Amount of Cloud | 10/10 from TERMOLI stretching 3 mls inland & 40 miles Northwards | | Base of Cloud | 4000' | | Visibility | Fair - some ground haze | | General Weather | Good | | Map or Chart Reference | ITALY 1:100,000 Sheet 146 SULMONA | |---|---| | Task or Duty | ROAD AND RAILWAY DEFILE North East of POPOLI | |---|---| | Time | Height | Place | Narrative | |---|---|---|---| | 1459 | | BASE | a/b | | 1520 | 2000 | BASE | S/c TERMOLI | | 1540 | 8000 | TERMOLI | R/V with 223 Squadron | | 1543 | 8000 | TERMOLI | S/c TARGET | | 1605 | 12800 | TARGET | Bombs dropped | | 1643 | | BASE | Landed | | 1657 | | | Last a/c landed | NOTE. A/C No.460 V (4) Capt v. BREDA took off at 1503, turned back owing to Starboard engine trouble. Jettisoned bomb load at 1538 A Hrs. 180° TERMOLI 15 miles from 7500' Landed at Base at 1552 A Hrs. [Signature Block] (Signed) [Signature unreadable - similar to "Lt Thompson"?] Capt. SIO 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. PART B (on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma in H.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34. HQP/1,500,000/4-42

1944-01-22 | TORTORELLA |

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes: * Target: Popoli Defile: This mission targeted a strategic choke point ("Road and Railway Defile") Northeast of Popoli. A "defile" in military geography refers to a narrow pass or gorge where troops must move in a restricted column, making them highly vulnerable to bombing. The target area around Popoli was critical because it funneled German supplies towards the front lines in the Apennines. * Coordinated Strike (R/V with 223 Sqn): The flight plan included a rendezvous (R/V) with No. 223 Squadron RAF at Termoli at 15:40 hours. This confirms continued multi-squadron operations, where 21 Squadron SAAF and 223 Squadron RAF coordinated their attacks to saturate German defenses or hit multiple targets in the same sector simultaneously. * Mechanical Failure (Capt. Van Breda): The "NOTE" at the bottom details a dangerous engine failure. Captain Van Breda in aircraft 460 'V' suffered "Starboard engine trouble" shortly after takeoff. He had to jettison his live bomb load into the sea ("180° TERMOLI 15 miles") from 7,500 feet before limping back to base on one engine. Jettisoning bombs was standard safety procedure to reduce weight and risk of explosion during a potential crash landing. * Weather Patterns: The weather report describes "10/10" cloud cover stretching inland from Termoli. This "wall" of cloud often formed where the warm Adriatic air met the cold mountain air mass. The fact that they bombed visual means the target area (Popoli) must have been clear of this coastal cloud bank. * Command: Lt. Col. Kotzé (Officer Commanding) led the mission with Capt. Carter. Their consistent pairing on major coordinated strikes (like this one with 223 Sqn) indicates Kotzé preferred to lead the complex joint operations personally. * S/c: Abbreviation for "Set Course" (or "Set course"). * a/b: Abbreviation for "Airborne". 54 Verification: Target File Verification: This document is the reverse side (Part B) of the Sortie Report for January 22nd, 1944 (Sortie No. 525). Although there is no specific "Date" column on this side, the target "Road and Railway defile... EAST of POPOLI" and the "Time over Target" of 1605 A Hrs match the Part A document from the previous image (269-1__53.jpg) dated Jan 22, 1944.