Operation

8 [handwritten] 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F. OPERATIONAL REPORT NO. 33 COPY NO...... (O.O. Nos. 261 Wing Operation order No. "A" 256 and Squadron Operation order No. 33). DATE: 13. 11. 41. MAP REF: Target map B./2 and Benghazi 1:500000 DATE OF OPERATION 13th. November 1941 NUMBER AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT 6 Marylands DUTY High level bombing attack. Long sticks, from pin point 21 extending along Eastern area edge of Aerodrome Southward. NARRATIVE. Six aircraft left L. G. 76 at 0645 hours. Passed 20 miles South of Maddalena and W/C for the coast North of Benghazi. The run up to the target was made at 19000 ft. on a course of 190 deg. and the Leader led the formation approximately across in Points 43, 11 and to the West of Pin Point 21, to avoid anti - aircraft barrage. The total load of bombs were dropped, starting about 250 yards North of Pin Point 21, and extending in a South Westerly direction towards and across Pin point 37. Observers claim direct hits on Pin Point 21, 37 and the [strike-through: XXXX] Rail and Road junction North West of Pin Point 21. Smoke was seen over target 40 miles away. A ship 250 ft. long was seen between Central and Outer Mole. Fifty to a hundred M.T. was seen on road Benghazi - Tocra moving North and South. About two hundred M.T. was seen stationary at 31 deg. 40 min North and 22 deg. 37 min E on or near a road near a pan. [handwritten: arrow pointing to handwritten 'pan'] Appeared to be in a line extending East to West. At Wadi el Gac ( 32 deg. 10 min N 23 deg. 55' E) camouflaged vehicles were seen hidden among the bushes. Three aircraft took off [strike-through: XXXX] from Benina Aerodrome and three were seen to take off in a Southward run from the extension South of Berka Aerodrome. A/A heavy, good height but late. About ten dispersed aircraft, some appeared to be 3 or 4 engined, were seen outside Western boundary of Berka Aerodrome. WEATHER Fine TIMES Night stopped L. G. 76 on 12. 11. 41. Airborne L. G. 76 13th Nov. 41. 0645 hours Time over target 0900 hours Base 1125 hours Total hours flown 34 hours PHOTOGRAPHY It appears that the camera which took the [handwritten: some] [strike-through: back] bursts failed. Other photographs show direction of sticks and hits. [handwritten: ^] DISTRIBUTION. * S. I. O. H. Q. R.A.F. M. E. * Intelligence A.H.Q.W.D. * Operations do * 2 Wing ( S.A.A.F. ) * War Diary * do * do * do * File [handwritten signature] [strike-through: XXXXXXXX] 2/Lt. FOR SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

1941-11-13

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms * 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. In November 1941, this unit operated the Martin Maryland, an American-built twin-engine medium bomber utilized by the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) for high-altitude daylight interdiction. * 261 WING / A.H.Q.W.D.: 261 Wing, Air Headquarters Western Desert. These echelons coordinated Desert Air Force (DAF) operations under the broader MAAF command structure. * A/A: Anti-Aircraft fire (Flak). * L. G. 76: Landing Ground 76. A forward refueling strip essential for extending the operational radius of the Marylands for deep strikes into Cyrenaica. * M.T.: Motor Transport. * PIN POINT 21 / 37 / 43: Specific tactical grid markers on Target Map B./2. At Berka Aerodrome, Pin Point 21 referred to barracks and M.T. areas, while Pin Point 37 identified store dumps. * S. I. O. H. Q. R.A.F. M. E.: Squadron Intelligence Officer, Headquarters, Royal Air Force Middle East. * W/C: Went on Course (navigational shorthand). Operational Context Operational Report No. 33, dated 13 November 1941, records a successful high-altitude interdiction against Benghazi/Berka Aerodrome. Strategically, Benghazi was the primary logistical port for Rommel's Panzergruppe Afrika. This raid occurred just five days before the launch of Operation Crusader (18 November 1941), a major Allied offensive intended to relieve the Siege of Tobruk. The attack delivered concentrated bomb "sticks" across the eastern edge of the aerodrome, specifically targeting stores and transport infrastructure to paralyze Axis sustainment. The sighting of "3 or 4 engined" aircraft—likely heavy transports such as the Junkers Ju 290 or Focke-Wulf Fw 200—outside the Western boundary of Berka indicates the high-value nature of the target area as an Axis aerial reinforcement hub. Execution Constraints The mission profile reflects the technical and tactical friction of long-range medium bomber operations in the Western Desert. * Staging and Endurance: To reach Benghazi, the formation conducted an overnight stop at the forward strip L. G. 76 on 12 November, highlighting the dependency on advanced landing grounds to manage the Maryland's fuel endurance for a total sortie time of 34 hours. * Tactical Approach: The formation attacked from 19,000 ft. on a 190-degree course, deliberately maneuvering to bypass known heavy anti-aircraft barrages. Despite "heavy" flak, the report notes the Axis batteries were "late," likely due to the unescorted formation's high-altitude approach. * Armed Reconnaissance: Beyond the bombing, the crews provided critical intelligence on Axis movements, noting 200 M.T. stationary near a pan and camouflaged vehicles hidden at Wadi el Gac. The handwritten marginalia clarifies that the stationary vehicles were "near a pan" (a natural salt flat or depression), a detail vital for ground attack coordination. * Technical Failure: The intelligence value of the mission was partially compromised by camera failure. The handwritten note specifies that while some photos of the bursts failed, others were sufficient to verify the direction of the sticks and confirm direct hits on the rail/road junctions. The document, signed by an acting intelligence officer (whose name is struck through), stands as an official record of the MAAF's systematic degradation of Axis logistics prior to the November offensive. 150 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: While the specific date is not explicitly typed on this specific appendix page (Sheet 137), the archival reference AIR 27/272 and the associated crew lists for 21 Squadron SAAF place this document within the operational period of late 1941 to early 1942 during the Western Desert Campaign.