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Operation No. 236

MT AND GUNS ZARAT VILLAGE AREA

Tuesday, 23 March 1943

Over target: 1427 hrs Landed: 1530 hrs Altitude: 8,000 ft Time: 12:58 hrs

Sortie Report (Form 541)

Height
8000 ft
Duty
Medium level bombing attack on MT and guns at ZARAT. Time Height. Place
R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 164 ( Part A. ) "T1"
Second Operation of Day.
Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No. 236 Date. 23 MAR 43. Squadron. 21 S.A.A.F. 13 Baltimores Mk. 111 Formation leader:
Type of Aircraft 5 Bostons of 12 Sqdn. Captain Capt. Mouton (21 Sqdn.) Aircraft No. (See attached list. Crew. Lt. Simon. Aircraft Letter ( (See attached list.Time Up 1258 hrs. (1st. A/C) Time Down 1530 hrs. (last A/C) Aerodrome or L.G. ZUARA Total Time 30 hrs. 20 mins.Type of Cloud. --- Map or Chart Amount of Cloud. Nil. Reference. Base of Cloud. --- TUNISIA Visibility. Good 1 : 200,000 General Weather. Good Sheet 23 GABES.Task or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on MT and guns at ZARAT.Time Height. Place. Narrative.1258 ZUARA Airborne.1307 500 " S/C DEN GARDANE.1337 500 GARDANE S/C ZARZIS.1350 500 ZARZIS Rendezvous with 12 fighters from 79 Group (USAAF)S/C HOUMTSOUK1403 5000 HOUMTSOUK1412 6000 S/C for coast.1422 9100 Z 7212 Cut coast.1427 8200 TARGET Bombed on course of 290 deg.1435 2000 RAS EL S/C BEN GARDANE.DJERF1449 500 GARDANE S/C ZUARA.1530 ZUARA Last A/C landed.PART B ( on reverse) to be completed according to relevant pro-forma inH.Q. R.A.F. M.E. Instruction 34.P.T.O. PART "B"
BA MT and guns ZARAT village area.BB 1427 hrs.BC Medium level bombing.Height : 8000 ft.78 x 250 lb. G.P. 43 Det. (Rods)BD The formation bombed in a good pattern. Bombs fell in thewood and through the Southern part of the village. One burstcaused a fire and there was a near miss on a vehicle.BE H.A.A. was slight and inaccurate.4 H.A.A. guns firing from TZ 5814.3 H.A.A. guns firing from TZ 5604.BF One A/C holed. Minor damage.BG Obliques and verticals of bombing run and bursts.BH Heavy movement of vehicles, and shells bursting at TZ 6311.At TZ 5812, 15 covered MT, some of which were dug-in.Some movement at TZ 4919.Fire burning in battle area. (Handwritten Signature: J. Bester) Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

Baltimores Mk. 111
The Martin Baltimore Mark III, an American-built twin-engine light attack bomber.
Bostons
The Douglas Boston (A-20), a light bomber utilized here by No. 12 Squadron S.A.A.F. in a composite formation.
A/C
Aircraft.
A/C
Aircraft.
L.G. ZUARA
Landing Ground Zuara, a forward operational airfield in Western Tripolitania to which the squadron relocated to support the Tunisian offensive.
MT
Mechanical Transport, referring to Axis supply or troop vehicles.
MT
Mechanical Transport, referring to Axis motorized logistics, supply, and troop-carrying vehicles.
ZARAT
A village and tactical anchor for Axis defensive positions located behind the Wadi Zigzaou in southern Tunisia.
S/C
Set Course.
H.Q. R.A.F. M.E
Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. Operational Context: The Sortie Report for 23 March 1943 documents the second combat mission of the day for No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.. Strategically, this mission occurred during the fourth day of Operation Pugilist—the definitive Allied offensive to breach the Mareth Line. The target was Mechanical Transport (MT) and artillery ("guns") at Zarat, a critical tactical sector immediately behind the Wadi Zigzaou obstacle. The Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) directed these strikes to suppress Axis defenses and facilitate the British Eighth Army's efforts to expand its bridgehead. The mission narrative details a complex tactical profile designed to integrate with a fighter escort from the U.S. 79th Fighter Group. The formation of 13 Martin Baltimores and 5 Douglas Bostons staged through Ben Gardane and Zarzis, executing a high-altitude climb to 9,100 feet before crossing the coast to minimize vulnerability to ground-based anti-aircraft fire. The subsequent bombing run at 8,200 feet delivered a pattern of 78 General Purpose bombs into the Zarat village area and nearby woods. Operating from the forward base at Zuara, this archival entry, Folio 164, signifies the squadron's high operational tempo. The success of this raid was later confirmed by Battle Headquarters, which reported that the "visit caused four blow ups" and forced several Axis 88 mm gun positions to reveal themselves. 198

R.A.F. Form 441 A.: Royal Air Force Form 441 A, the standardized document utilized for formal Sortie Reports, specifically Part A, the operational narrative.

Oprep. Ref. No. 236: Operational Report Reference Number 236, the standardized daily summary of combat activity for the reporting period.

79 Group (USAAF): The 79th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces, providing P-40 Warhawk escort for the formation.

G.P. 43 Det. (Rods): General Purpose bombs equipped with No. 43 Detonators and extended nose fuzes ("rods" or "daisy cutters"). These were utilized to trigger detonation above ground level, maximizing lateral fragmentation against unarmored targets like vehicles and personnel.