The Establishment and Employment of Australian Air Power in the North-Western Area
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THE FORGOTTEN AIR FORCE- THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF AUSTRALIAN AIR POWER IN THE NORTH-WESTERN AREA 1941-1945 PETER BELSON A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS AT HONOURS LEVEL AT THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 1997. Abstract The air campaign conducted by the RAAF in the North-Western Area during the Second World War has been largely ignored by historians yet it contributed significantly to the outcome of the Pacific war. This thesis sets out to discuss the campaign by considering various factors that impacted on the RAAF in the lead up to and during the course of the Pacific war and their relevance to the campaign. It looks at the way air operations were conducted in the North-Western Area between 1942 and 1945 and describes the role played by the flying squadrons based in the area. Using primary sources such as operational record books, documents and files at archives and libraries and interviews with veterans and experts the thesis found that the campaign was conducted in several phases. It started with the defence of Darwin. In keeping with overall allied strategy the RAAF then went on an offensive into what was ·then the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) using medium and heavy bombers and mine laying sea planes flying from bases in Australia's north west. 'The NEI was vital to the Japanese war effort as a source of essential raw materials such as oil, timber, and rubber. To defend· this part of their new empire the Japanese had amassed large military garrisons on the islands. The vessels used to transport troops and materials became the most important targets for the RAAF' s bomber squadrons. As General MacArthur's forces advanced along the north coast of New Guinea the North-Western Area based units conducted raids into the NEI to deceive the Japanese into thinking an invasion would be launched from Darwin. As the New Guinea campaign gained momentum the RAAF' s task was to protect its western flank, to prevent the Japanese from moving troops and aircraft east to the Philippines. The thesis concludes the campaign was successful because Darwin was defended, it denied the Japanese vital materials for the conduct of the war and it kept hundreds of aircraft and tens of thousands of troops away from the allied advance. ii Acknowledgments When I began work on this thesis I was ignorant of the air war in the NW Area other than the Japanese air raids. However, even then my knowledge was possibly no greater than the injured Darwin resident, evacuated to Canberra following the February 19, 1942 bombing raids, who claimed that "only six people had been killed in the bombing" .1 My initial line of thinking had been to approach the NW Area as a sideshow; an area divorced from the main allied operations of the Pacific war; a place where nothing happened and little contribution was made to the war effort. Quite obviously, I was very wrong. I found that a large portion of the RAAF' s personnel and assets had been sent to the area and operations vital to the war effort, such as maritime reconnaissance, shipping interdiction, mine laying and heavy bombing were flown on a regular basis, hence the title "The Forgotten Air Force". Many people have assisted me during the four years I spent researching and writing this' thesis and I would like to acknowledge their help. First, thanks to Dr Alan Stephens-RAAF Historian-for suggesting the topic in the first place. Thanks also to Dr Stephens and Dr John McCarthy for their role of supervisors, for patiently reading drafts, answering numerous questions, for steering me in the correct direction and for maintaining my interest in the subject. Thanks to Commander David Kent RAN for the days and nights he spent proof reading and reformatting the draft and for helping me with all manner of word processing difficulties. Thanks also to Lieutenant Colonel Alan Pearson of the Inspector-General Division and Ric Pelvin of the Australian War Memorial for proof reading drafts and explaining so many military terms to me. A lot of people helped me with research and data collection. In no special order (as their help was all equally wonderful) thanks goes to Mollie Angel, Janet Beck and David Wilson of the RAAF Historical Section, Russell ACT; Monica W alshe of the RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Victoria; Kate Cumming of the Australian Archives, Mitchell, ACT; Lee Carter of the Australian Customs Service Library and Julie Bowler of the Dept of Defence Library. I extend my gratitude to those veterans with whom I corresponded and who gave me their time in interviews. It was those people who convinced me of the importance of theNorth- Western Area campaign. Michael Nelmes of the Australian War Memorial and Dr David Stevens of the RAN Historical section answered numerous questions and put up with my continual pestering. Even as the drafting was being :finalised they still took my telephone calls. Finally, thanks to Valerie Belson for all manner of assistance and moral support. 1 Comment recalled by Ms Kath Walker, former Canberra Hospital staff member, October 7, 1996. iii Declaration I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment is made in the text. Peter Helson May 1997. Dedication To Norman V Helson 1924-1994 22 SQNRAAF Noemfoor-Morotai-Tarakan iv CONTENTS Page Abstract 11 Acknowledgments 111 Declaration IV Dedication IV Contents v Tables and Maps Vll Appendices VII Abbreviations and Acronyms IX Imperial/Metric Conversions X1l Note on Place Names Xll Introduction Xlll · CHAPTER 1 THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF 1 AUSTRALIAN AIR POWER IN THE NORTH- WESTERN AREA 1941-1945 The Pacific War-An Overview 1 The North-Western Area's Role 2 The Forgotten Air Force? 5 MacArthur's Flank 6 CHAPTER2 PRELUDE TO 1942 10 Australia and the Outbreak of the Pacific War 11 High Command in the Pacific 14 ABDA Command 15 The Invasion Threat 17 Australia and US Forces 18 The Southwest Pacific Area 23 Allied Strategy 24 The Allied Air Forces 25 General George Kenney 26 Command Arrangements for the RAAF 29 RAAF Command 32 Aircraft Shortages 32 The Japanese Air Forces 37 Allied Perceptions of the Japanese 38 CHAPTER3 AUSTRALIAN AffiDEFENCE 42 The Organisation of Air Power 42 The Best Way to Deploy Air Power 46 Air Power in the NW Area Before the Japanese Attacks 49 Establishment of the RAAF Station at Darwin 51 Establishment of other RAAF Bases 60 v The Strategic and Operational Importance ofDarwin 61 Formation ofthe North-Western Area 62 Early Operations 65 CHAPTER4 THE RAAF ON THE DEFENSIVE 70 The Japanese Air Raids 70 Command Arrangements 72 Aftermath of the Initial Japanese Air Raids 76 The Lowe Report 78 Lessons Learnt 80 The 49th Pursuit Group 82 The RAAF Build Up 85 Japanese Intentions 88 Japanese Air Operations 90 The Kittyhawk Squadrons 94 77 Squadron 95 76 Squadron 99 The Spitfire Wing 100 54 Squadron RAF 105 452 Squadron 109 457 Squadron 110 Radar 114 CHAPTERS THE RAAF STRIKES BACK: TOO LITTLE TOO 118 LATE? 2 Squadron 121 12 Squadron 122 13 Squadron 125 18 (NEI) Squadron 125 The Heavy Bombers 128 The Attack/Intruder Squadron 132 31 Squadron 133 Reconnaissance Units 136 No. 1 PRU and 87 (PR) Squadron 137 Transport Units 140 34 Squadron 140 6 Communications Unit 141 Too Little, Too Late? 142 CHAPTER6 TAKING THE OFFENSIVE 1943-45: ONLY A SIDE- 145 SHOW? Command Arrangements 146 RAAF Organisation 148 Geographic Boundaries 149 Reporting the RAAF Effort 150 Japanese Intentions 154 Allied Invasion Plans 158 vi CHAPTER 7 DEFENDING THE NORTH-WESTERN AREA 167 The Fighter Squadrons 167 1 Fighter Wing 167 54 Squadron RAF 174 452 Squadron 176 457 Squadron 178 548 Squadron RAF 183 549 Squadron RAF 185 83 Squadron 186 The Attack/Intruder Squadron 189 31 Squadron 190 CHAPTERS SEAPLANES ON THE ATTACK 194 The Catalina Squadrons 194 Mine Laying 199 Air Sea Rescue Flights 202 112 Air Sea Rescue Flight 204 CHAPTER9 THE BOMBING OFFENSIVE 208 Japanese Shipping 210 79 Wing 215 1 Squadron 216 2 Squadron 219 13 Squadron 222 18 (NEI) Squadron 224 Dive Bombers 227 Heavy Bombers 229 The Oil Fields 236 12 Squadron 237 21 Squadron 238 23 Squadron 242 24 Squadron 243 99 Squadron 245 201 Flight 246 Reconnaissance Units 246 No. 1 PRU and 87 (PR) Squadron 247 Transport Units 252 6 Communications Unit 252 CHAPTERlO CONCLUSION 253 TABLES RAAF Organisation-North-Western Area-January 1945 210 8.1 Bomb Tonnage; North-Western Area, July 1944-July 212 1945 8.2 RAAF B-24 Units 236 MAPS 1.1 The Pacific Theatre- following page 14 1.2 The Southwest Pacific Area, July 26, 1942 23 vii 3 .1 RAAF Area Boundaries-following page 63 4.1 RAAF Bases NW Area, April1943-following page 85 5.1 Allied Air Forces Areas ofResponsibility, April1, 1945 150 7.1 RAAF Bases NW Area, 1944-following page 173 9.1 The Netherlands East Indies-following page 236 APPENDICES A. Membership of the Air Board 1940~5 257 B. List of Squadrons and Locations-1939 262 C. Air Officer Commanding, North-Western Area, 1942- 263 1945 D. North-Western Area; Bases and Units 1939-1945 264 E.