Request: Raaf Airports In New Guinea 1944

[maxs75]

Hi,
I'm tying to find the complete order of Battle at the time of the battle for Leyte Gulf.
AFAIK RAAF played only a marginal role in the battle, anyway RAAF units were fighting in New Guinea where the allied invasion fleet departed.
I'm looking for info about the squadrons bases in the second half of october 1944.

Until now I found the following:

Noemfoor:
many Kittyhawk squadrons. Can you confirm how many of them?
22 sqn. and 30 sqn. and some USAAF units.

Tadji/Aitape
8 and 100 sqn Beaufort

Merauke
120 NEI sqn.

Darwin:
5x RAF/RAAF Spitfire sqn.
31 sqn.
24 sqn.
2 sqn. (Mitchell) Can you confirm?
18 NEI sqn. (Mitchell)

What I have difficulty to find are the locations of Boomerang and Beaufort squadrons.
Boomerangs:
4 sqn. Madang? or Nadzab?
5 sqn. Mareeba ?
83 sqns. Location=??
85 sqn. (85 was converting to Spitfires, so probably was in Australia)

Beauforts:
14,15,32 sqn. in Australia
7 Higgins
8,100 Tadji
1 sqn. ???
6 sqn. ??

Thanks in advance

Max

[spidge]

Have you tried these sources?


"Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force"
By Steve Eather

"Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, a Concise History"
"Volume 4 Maritime and Transport Units"
Compiled by the RAAF Historical Section

Also this site.

http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/raaf

This site should give detail on most.

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-air-su...sqn-history.htm


Regards


Geoff

[Kiwiwriter]

The Australian War Memorial has put the entire WW2 histories on their web site, along with a lot of official records. Try there.

Good luck in this search. Australia fought hard in that campaign and in the liberation of the Dutch East Indies, but nobody outside of Australia knows about it. Sad.

[maxs75]

Thanks both,

I know those web sites, and they are really interesting, but not all the squadron movements are listed, this is why I'm asking here. Also none of them had much info about no. 85 sqn.

<< Australia fought hard in that campaign and in the liberation of the Dutch East Indies, but nobody outside of Australia knows about it. Sad.>>

Hey, I'm in Italy, the opposite side of the world!

Max

[Blackblue]

General locations of RAAF units in Pacific Theatre in 1944. If you need anything more specific let me know. The following is from Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force by Steve Eather.

1 Squadron - Beauforts at Gould (NT)
2 Squadron - Beauforts then Mitchells in May 44 at Hughes (NT)
4 Squadron - Boomerangs at Port Moresby (NG)
5 Squadron - Boomerangs & Wirraways at Mareeba moving to Bougainville (Solomons) Nov 44.
6 Squadron - Beaufighters at Goodenough Island (NG) moving to Dobudura (NG) Dec 44.
7 Squadron - Beauforts at Ross River (Townsville) moving to Horn Island Apr 44 then Tadji (NG) Oct 44.
8 Squadron - Beauforts at Goodenough Island (NG) moving to Nadzab (NG) Apr 44 then Tadji (NG) Jun 44.
9 Squadron - Seagull/Walrus (spread throughout RAN)
11 Squadron - Catalinas at Cairns (QLD) moving to WA Jul 44.
12 Squadron - Vengeances at Merauke (NEI) moving to Strathpine (QLD) Jul 44.
13 Squadron - Venturas at Cooktown (QLD) moving to Gove (NT) Jun 44.
14 Squadron - Beauforts at Pearce (WA)
15 Squadron - Beauforts at Camden & Menangle (NSW)
20 Squadron - Catalinas at Cairns (QLD) moving to Darwin (NT) Oct 44.
21 Squadron - Vengeances at Nadzab (NG) moving to Camden (NSW) Mar 44.
22 Squadron - Bostons at Kiriwina (NG) moving to Morotai (NG) Nov 44 then Noemfoor (NEI) Dec 44.
23 Squadron - Vengeances at Lowood (QLD) moving to Nadzab (NG) Feb 44 then Higgins (QLD) Mar 44.
24 Squadron - Vengeances at Nadzab (NG) moving to Lowood Mar 44. NT in Jun 44 with Liberators.
25 Squadron - Vengeances at Pearce (WA)
30 Squadron - Beaufighters at Kiriwini (NG) moving to Tadji (NG) Jun 44 then Noefoor (NEI) Aug 44.
31 Squadron - Beaufighters at Coomalie Creek (NT) moving to Noemfoor then Morotai (NG) Dec 44.
32 Squadron - Beauforts at Camden (NSW) moving to Lowood (QLD) May 44.
33 Squadron - Dakotas at Milne Bay (NG).
34 Squadron - Dakotas at Parafield (SA) with detachments often spread throughout QLD and NG.
35 Squadron - Dakotas at Pearce (WA) moving to Guildford (WA) Aug 44.
36 Squadron - Dakotas at Townsville (QLD).
37 Squadron - Dakotas at Laverton and Essendon (VIC).
38 Squadron - Dakotas at Richmond (NSW).
40 Squadron - Sunderlands at Townsville (QLD) moving to Port Moresby Jul 44.
41 Squadron - Dornier 24Ks and Mariners at Townsville (QLD) moving to WA May 44, Cairns (QLD) Jun 44.
42 Squadron - Catalinas at Darwin (NT).
43 Squadron - Catalinas at Karumba (QLD) moving to Darwin (NT) Apr 44.
66 Squadron - Ansons at Bundaberg (QLD) disbanded Jan 44.
67 Squadron - Ansons at Laverton (VIC).
71 Squadron - Ansons at Lowood (QLD) moving to Coffs Harbour (NSW) Mar 44.
73 Squadron - Ansons at Nowra (NSW)
75 Squadron - Kittyhawks at various NG locs. At Noemfoor (NEI) during Leyte battles.
76 Squadron - Kittyhawks at various NG locs. At Momote (NG) and Noemfoor (NEI) during Leyte battles.
77 Squadron - Kittyhawks at various NG locs. At Los Negros (NG) and Noemfoor (NEI) during Leyte battles.
78 Squadron - Kittyhawks at various NG locs. At Noemfoor (NEI) during Leyte battles.
79 Squadron - Spitfires at Kiriwina (NG) moving to Momote (NG) in Mar 44.
80 Squadron - Kittyhawks at Townsville (QLD) and various NG locs. Noemfoor (NEI)during Leyte battles.
82 Squadron - Kittyhawks at Townsville (QLD) moving to Noemfoor (NEI) Aug 44.
83 Squadron - Boomerangs at Gove (NT) moving to Camden (NSW) Aug 44.
84 Squadron - Kittyhawks at Horn Island (QLD) moving to Townsville (QLD) May 44.
85 Squadron - Boomerangs/Spitfires at Guildford (WA). Detachment at Potshot (WA).
86 Squadron - Kittyhawks at Merauke (NEI) moving to Townsville (QLD) May 44.
87 Squadron - Mosquito/Wirraways at Coomalie Creek (NT).
100 Squadron - Beauforts at Goodenough Island (NG) moving to Nadzab (NG) May 44, Tadji (NG) Jun 44.
107 Squadron - Kingfishers at Rathmines (NSW) moving to St Georges Basin (NSW) Jul 44.
452 Squadron - Spitfires at Strauss (WA) moving to Pearce (WA) Mar 44, Sattler (NT) Jul 44.
457 Squadron - Spitfires at Livingstone (NT) moving to Guildford (WA) Mar 44.

Rgds

Tim D

[spidge]

[quote name='Blackblue' date='Feb 7 2006, 04:25 PM' post='22744']
General locations of RAAF units in Pacific Theatre in 1944. If you need anything more specific let me know. The following is from Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force by Steve Eather.


Thanks Tim.

I knew suggested the book to Max but did not have a copy.

Regards


Geoff

[Blackblue]

Exactly why I pulled it out Geoff.

[img]images/smilies/default/biggrin.gif[/img]

Rgds

Tim

[maxs75]

Blackblue, thanks very much! This is a very comprehensive answer!

***
76 Squadron - Kittyhawks at various NG locs. At Momote (NG) and Noemfoor (NEI) during Leyte battles.
77 Squadron - Kittyhawks at various NG locs. At Los Negros (NG) and Noemfoor (NEI) during Leyte battles.
***

Were the above two squadrons moving from Admiralties to Noemfoor during the latter part of october?


Well, I am interested in knowing how long the Vengeance squadrons operated against the japanese. I know that many RAAF squadrons were so equipped, but AFAIK they had only a brief service before coming back to Australia and wait for the Liberators.
The first should have been no. 12 sqn., and during the second half of 1943 also nos. 21,23,24,25 got their Vengeances. But by by mid 1944 they were all in second line duties. Is it right? May you tell me when hose squadrons were deployed to combat areas?

Thanks very much in advance.

Max

[Blackblue]

Max,

75 Squadron was at Noemfoor from July to December 44.
76 Squadron was at Noemfoor from September 44 to April 45.
Not much on operations but appears they were involved mainly in ground attack missions.

12 Squadron
12 Squadron appears to have received Vengeances in late 42 when based at Bachelor (NT). Twelve aircraft attacked buildings around an airfield being built Selaru Island on 18 June 43. In October 43 12 moved to Merauke (NEI) where they were involved in anti-submarine and shipping escorts. In July 44 they moved to Strathpine (Brisbane) where they were reduced to cadre for conversion to Liberators. The book makes much of the squadrons frustration at being under utilised. They did not commence operations until 45.

21 Squadron
21 Squadron were disbanded following the Malayan campaign, and were re-established at Gawler (SA) in September 43 equipped with Vengeances. They moved to Nadzab on January 44 and commenced operations in February. In the next few months they were involved in attacking barge hideouts, airfields and Jap supply lines around Madang. They were withdrawn from operations in March 44 and went back to Australia for conversion to Liberators. They did not commence operations until 45.

23 Squadron
23 Squadron were equipped with Vengeances in June 43 at Lowood (QLD). They moved to Nadzab in February 44 and commenced operations soon after. They were involved in supported American ground forces around Saidor and Alexishafen. They were withdrawn to Higgins Field in March 44 and moved to Menangle in July for conversion to Liberators. They do not appears to have used Liberators on oeprations until 45.

24 Squadron
24 Squadron was at Bankstown in May 43 when it began to receive its first Vengeances. They had a combination of Wirraways, Aircobras, Buffalos and Vengences until August 43 when they wholly converted to Vengeances and moved to Nadzab. They carried out attacks in the vicinity of Shaggy Ridge and supported the Cape Gloucester landings before being withdrawn to Lowood in March 44 for conversion to Liberators. They were at Fenton (NT) in October 44 equipped with Liberators and operated them in anti-shipping strikes, armed reconnaisance and bombing roles.

25 Squadron
25 Squadron received its first Vengeances in late 42 in Perth and was fully equipped by August 43. They remained in Perth for the remainder of 44.

Rgds

Tim

[maxs75]

Blackblue,
thanks again. Very interesting answer.
It seems that three of the Vengeance squadrons were retired from frontline in march 1944, but the Liberators arrived in numbers only several monthes later. So the squadrons remained in second line for some months. Was it a problem with the delay of B-24 from US, or was it due to Vengeance poor combat capabilities?
The same delay happened with P-51 deliveries. AFAIK no. 84 and 86 squadrons were back to Australia by mid 1944 to re-equip with Mustangs, but they arrived too late for WW2. This means an year long wait. Again, was it due mainly to delay, or because those 2 squadrons were commited in rear areas patrols?

Thanks again

Max