Thursday, 13 May 1943

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Signal Text

PART "B"
BA Gun area P 2295, 2292, 2592, 2595. (Ref. Map: 1:500,000 Sheet N.J. 32.SE Tunis)
BB 1st. (Diving run) 1416 hrs.
2nd. Approach 1424 hrs.
BC Ht. 8500 ft. Co. 350 deg. No bombs released.
BD No bombs released. Formation briefed [Handwritten insertion: not] to bomb if army smoke signal was not seen. Leader made [Handwritten strike-through: diving] [Handwritten insertion: dummy] run over target in case smoke signal was delayed.
BE HAA from P 2197. Approx. 16 bursts. Too low.
BF Leader's A/C received one minor hole.
BG Nil.
BH Army signal was withheld as a major change in the situation had taken place.
List of A/C and Crews:
F/L 108 B Maj. Barnby, Lt. Evans, Lt. Sandilands & F/Sgt. Lotter.
977 L Lt. Meredith, Sgt. Smallman (RAF), F/Sgts. Smith S.C. & O'Regan.
226 H Capt. Stuart, Lt. Pawson, F/Sgts. Carr & Wisenberg.
V/L 187 T Lt. Carr, Lt. Lombaard, F/Sgts. Toms & Wright.
957 W Lt. Wood, Lt. Gould, F/Sgts. Purdon & Groenewald.
176 YY Lt. Eaton, Lt. Floor, F/Sgt. le Roux & F/Sgt. Gildon (RAF).
B/L 345 E Capt. McBride, Lt. Gibson, F/Sgts. Daniels & White.
290 C Lt. Elieden, Lt. Rose, F/Sgts. Jarvis & Mendelsohn.
271 F Lt. Guard, Lt. Forsman, F/Sgt. Steven & F/Sgt. Prout (RAF)
V/L 352 D Lt. Hotchkiss, Lt. Morrell, F/Sgts. Menet & Mills.
179 A Lt. Oakes, Lt. Sachs, Sgts. Morrison & Cleland (RCAF).
877 J Lt. Willmot, Lt. Borcherds, F/Sgt. Loots & F/Sgt. Walbridge(RAF)
B/L 916 SS Lt. Smith, Lt. Arnold, Sgt. Freestone (RNZAF) & F/Sgt. Viljoen.
291 U Lt. Hargrave, Lt. Rees, Sgt. McQueen (RCAF) & F/Sgt. Bedford.
951 V Lt. Liddiard, Lt. Pickerill, F/Sgts. Zaaiman & Oliff.
V/L 903 O Capt. Smit, Lt. Kay, F/Sgts. Perkins & van Rooyen.
142 P Lt. Dugmore, Lt. Masters, F/Sgts. Maasdorp & Rogers C.L.
362 X Lt. Simpson, Lt. Handley, F/Sgts. Roberts V.P. & Shepperson.
F/L Formation Leader. B/L Box Leader. V/L Vic Leader.
[Handwritten Signature]
........................Capt.
S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

[AUTO-CLASSIFIED — VERIFY CATEGORY]
Phase 2: Technical Expansion
Glossary of Terms
* Ht.: Height.
* Co.: Course.
* deg.: Degrees.
* HAA: Heavy Anti-Aircraft fire.
* A/C: Aircraft.
* RAF / RCAF / RNZAF: Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Royal New Zealand Air Force.
* F/L / B/L / V/L: Formation Leader, Box Leader, and Vic Leader, indicating the tactical hierarchy of the 18-ship Baltimore formation.
* S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.: Squadron Intelligence Officer, 21 Squadron, South African Air Force.
Operational Context
The mission conducted on 11 May 1943 represents a significant moment of tactical restraint during the terminal 48 hours of the Tunisian Campaign. 21 Squadron SAAF, operating 18 Martin Baltimore aircraft from El Djem Main, was tasked with suppressing an Axis gun area at map references P 2295, 2292, 2592, and 2595. This objective was situated in the northern sector of the Cap Bon peninsula, where remnants of the German 90th Light Division and Italian First Army were being compressed by the advancing British Eighth Army.
Strategically, the mission underscores the rigid execution constraints required to prevent fratricide during high-tempo close-air support. The formation was strictly briefed not to release ordnance if the "army smoke signal"—used to verify the friendly "bomb line" or mark the target—was not visible. Despite making a primary diving run at 1416 hours and a secondary approach at 1424 hours, the signal was withheld. Intelligence notes indicate the signal was suppressed due to a "major change in the situation," likely the rapid collapse of Axis defensive positions as Allied armor surged into the peninsula.
Tactically, the formation leader—Major Barnby—conducted a "dummy run" to verify the target area, during which his aircraft sustained a "minor hole" from Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) fire originating from pinpoint P 2197. The observation that the 16 recorded HAA bursts were "too low" suggests the island-based or peninsula-based Axis batteries were increasingly unable to track fast-moving light bomber formations at 8,500 feet. This archival entry records the transition from the "systematic destruction of the enemy's resources" to highly disciplined, coordinated support of ground forces only two days before the final Axis surrender in North Africa on 13 May 1943.

138
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 12 MAY 43