Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: GUNS AND TROOPS — MOZZAGROGNA — C353009BB: 1044 A HrsBC: Medium level bombing 11000' 360º/020º23 x 500 MC 43 Det 27 Pistol36 x 250 GP do do (Rods)1 x 500 MC do do Jettisoned J7525—2000'—safe—1126Hrs1 x 500 MC do do Hang-up, brought to baseBD: First box hit NORTH WEST portion of target from C352008 to C354014Second box hit Eastern portion running from 0353006 to C355010Direct hit seen on road otherwise N.R.O.BE: NILBF: NILBG: Verticals and Obliques of bomb burstsBH: NILAIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.356Z MAJOR STUART LT PAWSON W/O FREESTONE LT HALL586B CAPT DIEU LT ROSE.F F/SGT BAILEY F/SGT DU RANT181Y LT ROBERTSON LT HANNING F/SGT DU PIESANIE F/SGT VALENTINE240O CAPT DUGMORE LT MASTERS 2/LT MAASDORP F/SGT ROGERS387R LT RICHARDS LT KIRBY F/SGT ROBBERTSE A/SGT McCRINDLE383W CAPT V. BREDA LT NAUDE F/SGT GRATTON P/O GILDON341L LT WILLMOT LT BORCHERDS 2/LT LOOTS F/SGT WALBRIDGE545A LT ASKEW LT LAMBERT F/SGT GELDENHUYS LT V. SCHALKWYK426J LT WOOD LT NEL F/SGT JAMES A/SGT ROBERTSON578G LT MURMAN LT WALTERS F/SGT ODENDAAL A/SGT STEWART437H CAPT JOB LT OWEN-HUGHES F/SGT JARVIS LT SHAW916K LT HEWITT LT HORWITZ F/SGT KIDNEY A/SGT BOWEN
Transcriber's Notes
- BA
- Target identification.
- BB
- Time of release.
- A Hrs
- Army Hours, denoting the standard military time synchronization within the Mediterranean Theatre. Biographical Analysis
- BC
- Armament and release parameters.
- Rods
- Nose-extension rods fitted to GP bombs to ensure instantaneous detonation at or above ground level, maximizing fragmentation spread against "soft targets" like infantry.
- Hang-up
- A second 500lb MC bomb suffered a "Hang-up" (failure to release from the shackles) and was brought back to base. Landing with live heavy ordnance at Tortorella was a high-risk maneuver, typically avoided unless a safe jettison was impossible.
- BD
- Narrative strike assessment.
- N.R.O
- No Results Observed.
- BE
- Enemy air and ground opposition.
- BF
- Friendly losses or damage.