THE IMPACT of TECHNOLOGY and COMMAND on No 1 SQUADRON
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY AND COMMAND ON No 1 SQUADRON OPERATIONS 1916-1958 by Mark Lax A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts at Honours Level at the University College of the University of New South Wales, 1995 ii CERTIFICATION 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 a university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment is made in the text of the thesis. M.R. LAX October 1995 NOTICE TO READERS OF THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS THESIS Due to the age and old format of the original thesis computer files (1993-1995), some formatting errors have occurred during transfer to PDF format. These are minor such as a full line separator between text and footnotes on many occasions. This file is therefore as close to the original as was possible and I certify that no text errors have occurred. Mark Lax 2009 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Part I List of Tables, Figures, Maps and Annexes iv List of Abbreviations vii Table of Rank Equivalence xi Table of Conversion Factors xii Preface and Acknowledgments xiii Abstract xv Part II Introduction 1 Chapter 1 - Army Days - World War I (1912-1919) 13 Chapter 2 - A New Force - The Inter-War Years (1919-1941) 73 Chapter 3 - Defeat to Victory - World War II (1941-1945) 132 Chapter 4 - The War of the Running Dogs - The Malayan Emergency (1948-1958) 200 Conclusion 265 Annexes 273 Personal Interviews and Correspondence 319 Select Bibliography 323 iv LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, MAPS AND ANNEXES Introduction Figure Page 1. Organisation of a Generic Air Force 4 Table 1. Summary of No 1 Squadron Operations 1916-58 11 Chapter 1 - Army Days 1912-1919 Figures 1. Strength of Aeroplanes and Pilots 39 2. Aircraft Climb Performance vs Time 49 3. Successful Claims vs Date 51 4. Nº1 Squadron, AFC - July 1916 57 5. RFC Organisation Middle East - July 1916 58 6. RFC Organisation Middle East - Oct 1917 62 7. RFC Organisation Middle East - Jan 1918 63 8. RAF Organisation Middle East - Sep 1918 65 9. Organisation of German Air Units - Jan 1918 69 Tables 1.1 Planned Composition of No 1 Squadron, AFC 24 - November 1915. 1.2 Nº1 Squadron Location April 1916 35 - March 1919 1.3 Nº1 Squadron Aircraft 1916-1919 38 1.4 German Aircraft 1916-1919 46 v 1.5 Commanding Officers of No 1 Squadron 54 - 1916-1919 Map 1. Area Location Map - Egypt and Palestine 34 Chapter 2 - Between the Wars - A New Force 1919-1941 Figures 1. Aircraft Climb Performance 109 2. Aircraft Type vs Range of Activities 112 3. Organisation of No 1 Squadron - July 1925 126 4. Organisation of the RAAF - 1929 128 Tables 2.1 Officer Strength of No 1 Squadron 1925-39 89 2.2 Number of Aircraft Accidents 1921-38 91 2.3 No 1 Squadron Fatal Aircraft Accidents 1925-40 92 2.4 Aircraft Types, Numbers and Period of Service 100 2.5 Commanding Officers 115 2.6 No 1 Squadron Title and Roles 1925-40 129 Chapter 3 - Defeat to Victory - World War II 1941-1945 Figures 1. No 1 Squadron Losses 1941-1945 177 2. Far East Air Forces Organisation 186 3. Air Forces Organisation - Java - 1942 190 4. RAAF Command Chain - NW Area - 1944 193 vi 5. RAAF Command Organisation, 1st TAF - 1945 194 Tables 3.1 Squadron Locations 1940-42 150 3.2 Aircraft Operated by No 1 Squadron 1940-45 162 3.3 Hudson Aircraft Major Accidents/Losses 166 3.4 Typical No 1 Squadron Beaufort Missions 170 3.5 Beaufort Aircraft Major Accidents/Losses 171 3.6 Beaufort Operations Mar 44 - Jan 45 173 3.7 No 1 Squadron Mosquito Missions 174 3.8 Mosquito Aircraft Major Accidents/Losses 176 3.9 No 1 Squadron Commanding Officers 1941-1946 179 3.10 Factors Affecting Squadron Performance 197 Maps 1. The Malayan Theatre and No 1 Squadron Airfields 151 2. No 1 Squadron Operating Area and Airfields - 1944 156 3. Area of Operations - 1945 160 Chapter 4 - The War of the Running Dogs - The Malayan Emergency 1950-1958 Figures 1. Total Tonnage of Bombs Dropped in Malaya 235 2. Chain of Command for Air Operations 242 3. Chain of Command - Malaya late 1952 246 vii Tables 4.1 Official Casualties of the Malayan Campaign 210 4.2 Weapon Cost/Effectiveness 228 4.3 Lincoln Aircraft Major Accidents/Losses 239 4.4 Agencies Linked with Advanced HQ 244 4.5 Commanding Officers 1948-1958 250 Annexes A Chronology of Operations - 1916-19 273 B No 1 Squadron Aircraft 1916-19 276 C British and German Aircraft Performance 1916-19 280 D No 1 Squadron Successful Combats - 1917-18 289 E No 1 Squadron Losses - 1916-19 293 F Chronology of Operations - 1921-40 296 G No 1 Squadron Aircraft 1925-39 298 H Comparative Orders of Battle - British and 302 Japanese Forces - 7 December 1941 I Chronology of Operations - 1941-46 307 J No 1 Squadron Aircraft 1940-45 309 K Chronology of Operations - 1948-58 313 L No 1 Squadron Aircraft 1948-58 315 viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AA Australian Archives ABDA American British Dutch Australian (Command) ADB Australian Dictionary of Biography AFC Australian Flying Corps or Air Force Cross AGPS Australian Government Printing Service AHSB Archives and Historical Studies Branch, Department of Defence (Canberra) AIF Australian Imperial Force AMF Australian Military Forces AOC Air Officer Commanding ARA Australian Regular Army AWM Australian War Memorial b. Born BCAIR British Commonwealth Air Force BCOF British Commonwealth Occupational Force CAF Citizens Air Force CAS Chief of the Air Staff CB Companion of the Order of the Bath CBE Commander of the Order of the British Empire CDF Chief of the Defence Force CFS Central Flying School CGS Chief of the General Staff C-in-C Commander-in-Chief CMG Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George CNS Chief of Naval Staff CO Commanding Officer CPD Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) CRS Commonwealth Record Series CT Communist Terrorist(s) d. Died DFC Distinguished Flying Cross DOD Department of Defence DPR RAAF Discharged Personnel Records DSO Distinguished Service Order Ed Edition FEAF Far East Air Force FLABT Fliegerabteilung (German Flying Squadron - WW I) FTS Flying Training School GD General Duties (Officer's Branch) GHQ General Headquarters GOC General Officer Commanding GP General Purpose ix HE High Explosive hp Horse Power HQ Headquarters IDC Imperial Defence Committee IFC Indian Flying Corps JCP Joint Copying Project (NLA - PRO) KBE Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire KIA Killed in Action KIFA Killed in Flying Accident lbs Pounds (Weight) MBE Member of the Order of the British Empire MC Military Cross MID Mentioned in Despatches MM Military Medal MO Military Order MSM Meritorious Service Medal MUP Melbourne University Press No Number NCO Non Commissioned Officer NEI Netherlands East Indies NLA National Library of Australia OBE Officer of the Order of the British Empire OC Officer Commanding OG Operational Group PAF Permanent Air Force PRO Public Record Office (Kew, UK) RAAF Royal Australian Air Force RAF Royal Air Force RAN Royal Australian Navy RFC Royal Flying Corps RHS RAAF Historical Section RM RAAF Museum RN Royal Navy RNAS Royal Naval Air Service ROE Rate of Effort or Rules of Engagement SAAF South African Air Force SASO Senior Air Staff Officer SEATO South East Asia Treaty Organisation SWPA South West Pacific Area x SQDN Squadron (archaic abbreviation) SQN Squadron (modern abbreviation) TAF Tactical Air Force UNSW University of New South Wales USAAC United States Army Air Corps USAAF United States Army Air Force USAF United States Air Force USN United States Navy VC Victoria Cross VD Victorian Decoration xi TABLE OF RANK EQUIVALENCE NAVY ARMY AIRFORCE Admiral of Field Marshal Marshal of the the Fleet Air Force Admiral General Air Chief Marshal Vice-Admiral Lieutenant-General Air Marshal Rear-Admiral Major-General Air Vice-Marshal Commodore Brigadier Air Commodore Captain Colonel Group Captain Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Wing Commander Lieutenant- Major Squadron Leader Commander Lieutenant Captain Flight Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer Acting Sub- Second Lieutenant Pilot Officer Lieutenant Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Class 1 Chief Petty Warrant Officer Officer Class 2 Staff Sergeant Flight Sergeant Petty Officer Sergeant Sergeant Leading Seaman Corporal Corporal Able Seaman Lance Corporal Leading Aircraftsman Seaman Private Aircraftsman Note: Blank spaces indicate no equivalent xii METRIC / IMPERIAL CONVERSIONS Length/Distance 1 foot = 0.305 metres 1 metre = 3.28 feet 1 yard = 0.914 metres 1 metre = 1.09 yards 1 statute mile = 1.61 kilometres 1 kilometre = 0.621 statute miles 1 nautical mile = 1.852 kilometres Mass 1 pound (wt) = 0.454 kilograms 1 kilogram = 2.20 pounds 1 ton = 1.02 tonne 1 tonne = 0.984 tons Velocity 1 mile per hour = 1.61 kilometres per hour 1 kilometre per hour = 0.621 miles per hour Volume 1 cubic foot = 0.0283 cubic metres 1 cubic metre = 35.3 cubic feet Temperature 1 ºC = 5/9 (ºF - 32) 1ºF = (9xºC)/5 + 32 Power 1 horsepower = 0.746 kilowatts 1 kilowatt = 1.34 horsepower xiii PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis has been researched with an historical approach and therefore while the prime concern is to analyse the impact of technology and command on No 1 Squadron operations, it has by design, considered the chronology of the period of concern in an attempt to place the argument in perspective.