Sea Furies Fireflies
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NAVY: KOREA two paddles and body language if the aircraft’s height, turn rate and speed were correct. Approaching too high, too low, or too slowly could be disastrous. In the final moments of approach, the pilot glimpsed the deck as he executed a left turn; after that, his view of the flight deck disappeared beneath the nose of the aircraft. Once the batsman SEA signalled “cut”, the pilot cut his throttle to stall the engine. At the critical moment, Lee flared the Firefly, lifting its nose to achieve a zero rate of descent just above the deck. Done properly, he FURIES wrote, “you hooked a wire.” With the wire engaged and brakes hard on, the aircraft came to a rest. Make a mistake, & and the aircraft missed one of the ten arrestor wires and would be caught in FIREFLIES the barrier; or worse, the aircraft went over the side. Within seconds, naval airmen were preparing to have the Firefly stowed before another aircraft HMAS Sydney’s air group went to war in 1951, touched down. developing Australian naval aviation to combat During the Korean autumn and winter of 1951–52, Sydney and its carrier capability in just four years. air group operated mostly off the Korean peninsula’s west coast, its Sea Furies and Fireflies waging an interdiction BY KARL JAMES campaign against North Korean supply lines and lines of communications. rakes off. Power on. And in 74 engine, the Firefly was armed with milliseconds, the violent kick four 20-millimetere cannons and Above: Hawker Sea Furies Bfrom the hydraulic catapult on this occasion two 5,000-pound and Fairey Fireflies on shot the Fairey Firefly along the bombs. In his first strike against the HMAS Sydney’s flight deck, aircraft carrier’s flight deck. The two- enemy, Lee and his observer, Petty Jervis Bay, NSW, c. 1949. seat aircraft was airborne. Suddenly, Officer Keith Bunning, a Royal Navy AWM 305425 recalled the Royal Australian Navy transfer, recorded a hit on a bridge. Below: HMAS Sydney (RAN) pilot Norm Lee, “there’s nothing “They’re shooting at us, they’re in Korea Strait during in front of you. It’s all water.” The young shooting at us,” Bunning kept repeating Typhoon Ruth, 14 October 1951. One aircraft was sub-lieutenant, still only 21, likened the during the dive. The Fireflies bombed lost and several others catapult launch to “being kicked up the other bridges before conducting were damaged during the backside by an elephant”. reconnaissance flights over roads that storm. Alan White, AWM The Australian Majestic-class light produced “fruitful strafing targets”. For P05890.069 aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney (III) was the day’s operations, Sydney’s air group some 80 kilometres off the west coast recorded one span of a major road of North Korea. In excellent weather, bridge knocked out, several buildings Lee took off mid-morning on Saturday destroyed and others set on fire. 6 October 1951, along with several other Returning to Sydney, Lee began his Fireflies, to bomb a series of road bridges landing approach. To touch down spanning rivers around Chinnampo successfully on a small flight deck, (today’s Namp’o), south-west of the in a vast ocean, required intense North Korean capital, Pyongyang. concentration, skilful judgement Hawker Sea Furies, single-seat fighter- and quick reactions. Lee likened bombers from Sydney, also conducted landing on Sydney’s straight deck to ground attack sorties. This was the an “art”. Approaching down-wind at a second day of Sydney’s operations. steady 90 knots and at an angle of 90 Lee’s Firefly was an anti-submarine degrees to the deck, he relied on the and reconnaissance aircraft, employed Deck Landing Control Officer – better as a dive-bomber during the ensuing known as the “batsman” – standing campaign. With its Rolls Royce Griffon on the port quarter, to indicate with 36 | WARTIME ISSUE 86 WARTIME ISSUE 86 | 37 NAVY: KOREA Sydney also weathered a Japanese possible naval air service. In the 1920s Clockwise from right: typhoon, and its pilots and observers the RAAF trained a small number of A batsman (air controller) confronted formidable North Korean naval pilots and observers. In 1929, signals to a Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 as it comes in to land on and Chinese anti-aircraft fire. Three the Australian-built seaplane carrier HMAS Sydney. Alan White, AWM Australian pilots died in operations, HMAS Albatross was commissioned. P05890 and another was wounded. There were Its service was brief. Going into reserve A Hawker Sea Fury coming in to many more lucky escapes. in 1933, Albatross was transferred to land on HMAS Sydney, Korean the Royal Navy five years later. Pilot waters, 1951. Alan White AWM Starting the air group training ceased. A small number of P05890.018 Sydney’s air group earned a reputation observers and telegraphist/gunners Aerial view of HMAS Sydney, for effectiveness and high performance. remained, chiefly supplementing a 1949. Argus newspaper collection, Yet the Australian government had RAAF fleet co-operation flight for naval State Library of Victoria. only approved the establishment reconnaissance and survey work. of a RAN Naval Aviation branch in During the 1930s, a trickle of RAN Naval historians Anthony Wright and 1947. The first Australian naval air officers qualified as observers. One Rear Admiral James Goldrick, among squadrons and Sydney were raised was Sub-Lieutenant (later Admiral Sir) others, have discussed at length the and commissioned the following Victor “VAT” Smith. He was involved in decision to develop an Australian year. Articles in the Australian press, naval air planning for D-Day, and in 1950 aircraft carrier force. Australia would celebrating the training of these early he joined Sydney as its Executive Officer. eventually operate three light aircraft naval aviators, described these pilots as Smith was instrumental in promoting carriers: Sydney; the Colossus-class “flat-top fledglings”. Sydney and its air naval aviation, and is considered the HMAS Vengeance for a brief time; and group were the Australian navy’s newest “father” of the RAN’s Fleet Air Arm. In the modernised Majestic-class HMAS Sydney was commissioned on 16 and most expensive asset. How did the the Second World War, a small number Melbourne (II). David Hobbs has argued December 1948 in Devonport, England. RAN develop naval aviation to a combat of RAN and RAAF personnel were that Sydney’s acquisition allowed the Its flight deck was 210 metres long, and capability in four years? trained to work with the Royal Navy’s RAN “to become a Fleet again, capable its stern was 24 metres wide. It could In addition to the use of seaplanes Fleet Air Arm. RAAF personnel flew and of independent action, rather than a accommodate 37 piston-engine aircraft. and airships, the Royal Navy had maintained the amphibian aircraft on Squadron, limited to a supporting role A single catapult was located on the pioneered the launch, recovery and Australian war ships. in cooperation with other navies.” This port side of the forward flight deck, and tactical employment of aircraft from On 3 July 1947, the Australian is an overly optimistic assessment. A two aircraft lifts connected the flight ships. In 1917, HMAS Brisbane took on government approved the establishment new ship, Sydney was soon outdated deck with the hangar below. Workshops board a Royal Navy seaplane during of a RAN naval aviation branch entirely and could not operate jet aircraft. But and stores were on the lower deck. the hunt for the German raider Wolf controlled and operated by the RAN. Sydney was certainly celebrated as a Sydney needed a complement of more in the Indian Ocean. The light cruiser Initial planning provided for the source of national pride. than 1,100 men. Just consider some of was the first Australian warship to carry establishment of two light fleet carriers It was also a hugely ambitious the skills and trades that were required. an aircraft for operational purposes. and the necessary shore facilities. This project. Even a brief discussion of There was the engineering department Other Australian cruisers subsequently would include commissioning the air Sydney conveys something of the to maintain the Brown Curtis turbine carried British aircraft. This wartime force base at Nowra, NSW, as the air scope of this undertaking. The carrier engines, capable of achieving a speed experience, however, was limited. shore station HMAS Albatross, and had been laid down and launched of 24 knots; men whose stations were During the interwar period in later a second shore station at Schofield. in Britain during the war as HMS the 40-millimetre Bofors anti-aircraft Australia, as in Britain, preference The new branch was forecast to have Terrible, but construction work was guns; officers and ratings to operate was given to the Royal Australian Air a strengthen of some 4,000, and was not completed until ordered by the and co-ordinate the six radars Sydney Force (RAAF) over the creation of a modelled on the Royal Navy’s air arm. Australian government. carried when first commissioned. There were workshop staff, armourers, air mechanics, naval airmen, and the flight deck crew, who operated the catapult, passage to Australia in 1949. So did group were a remarkable group. reset the arrestor wires, and manned at least 400 ex-Royal Navy personnel They came from England, Scotland, the barriers. A small number of civilian who transferred to the RAN, along Wales and New Zealand, as well as canteen staff were aboard. Members with other British officers and ratings Australia. The oldest was Lieutenant of Sydney’s company, officers and on loan. Sydney returned to Britain Commander (later Admiral Sir) Michael ratings, spent about a year in Britain in 1950 to collect the 21st Carrier Air Fell, who commanded the air group.