Sortie Report (Form 541)
- Duty
- Medium level bombing attack on MARETH Village (TZ 5305) Time Height. Place
R.A.F. Form 441 A. SORTIE REPORT 147 ( Part A. )
Sheet No. 1 Oprep. Ref. No 231 Date. 20.3.43 Squadron 21 SAAF.Type of Aircraft 18 Baltimores Mk. 111 Captain Leader: Maj. M.Barnby D.F.C. Aircraft No. (See attached list) Crew. Lt. G.A. Evans Aircraft Letter " (See attached list)Time Up 1135 hrs. Time Down 1405 hrs. Aerodrome or L.G. ZUARA Total Time 42 hrs. 00 mins.Type of Cloud Strato-Cumulus Map or Chart Amount of Cloud 6/10 Reference. Base of Cloud. 6000 ft. GABES 1:500000 Visibility. 20 miles. MDR 561/6631 General Weather. GoodTask or Duty. Medium level bombing attack on MARETH Village (TZ 5305)Time Height. Place. Narrative.1135 ZUARA Airborne.1143 500 ZUARA S/C BEN GARDANE 293 M.1205 400 B.GARDANE Picked up Fighter Escort (79 Group U.S.A.A.F.)1212 400 S/C ZARZIS1225 900 S/C HOUMT SOUK. Climbing.1252 10000 Right-hand turn parallel with coast. ETA Target1305 hrs.1305 -8000 MARETH Bombing run N to S. IAS 210. Left-hand turn offtarget. One machine seen to lag.1322 400 Fighters break away.1405 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. Page 1
BA Strong points in MARETH Village.BB 1303 to 1308 hrs.BC Medium level bombing attack from 7500/8000 ft.106 x 250 lb. GP 43 Det. (Rods) (Two hang-ups)BD The leading observer started his stick just short of MARETHVillage. A few bombs fell short and the remainder of theleader's box fell on the village. No. 3 Box dropped theirbombs along the NE edge of the village and across approximatelyfour batteries seen firing NORTH of the village. No. 2 Boxstraddled the WESTERN portion of the village, bombs burstingin the streets and among buildings.2 explosions seen WEST of the village, but no fires started.1 direct hit on ROAD GABES-MARETH.1 very near miss on a small building.BE Heavy, fairly intense, accurate Ack/Ack over target area.4 H.A.A. Batteries seen firing NORTH of MARETH.1 " " from Z 5414.3 " Guns from Z 5204.BF 14 A/C holed by Ack/Ack.One W.Op. air Gunner, F/Sgt. JARVIS R.H. wounded in leftforearm (A/C 862 D)BG Photographs taken from time of crossing coast until crossingbomb line.Four vertical 8-inch cameras and one 20-inch oblique carriedin formation.Bombing course: 180 deg. Height: 7500/8000 ft. IAS 210 m.p.h.BH Nil. (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Capt. S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
Transcriber's Notes
- 21 SAAF
- No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force.
- Baltimores Mk. 111
- The Martin Baltimore Mark III, an American-built twin-engine light attack bomber optimized for tactical interdiction.
- Maj. M.Barnby D.F.C
- Major M. Barnby, Distinguished Flying Cross, the mission leader.
- L.G. ZUARA
- Landing Ground Zuara, a forward operational airfield in Western Tripolitania to which the squadron had recently relocated to support the Tunisian offensive.
- MARETH Village
- A vital tactical node located immediately behind the Axis primary line of resistance in southern Tunisia.
- S/C
- Set Course.
- 79 Group U.S.A.A.F
- The 79th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces, providing P-40 Warhawk escort for the light bombers.
- ETA
- Estimated Time of Arrival.
- IAS 210
- Indicated Air Speed of 210 miles per hour during the bombing run.
- A/C
- Aircraft.
R.A.F. Form 441 A.: The standardized Royal Air Force document utilized for the formal recording of Sortie Reports, specifically Part A, the operational narrative.
GP 43 Det. (Rods): General Purpose bombs equipped with No. 43 Detonators and extended nose fuzes ("rods" or "daisy cutters"). These were designed for medium level attacks to trigger instantaneous detonation upon surface contact, maximizing the lateral fragmentation effect against personnel and soft-skinned targets.
hang-ups: Mechanical malfunctions occurring within the bomb shackles that prevent the ordnance from releasing upon the observer's command.
stick: A linear release of multiple bombs in rapid succession.
W.Op. air Gunner: Wireless Operator / Air Gunner.