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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1895.PDF
The invasion fleet at Tarakan, Borneo, seen from ^ No. 21 Squadron Liberator on the morning of June 2nd, 1945. CITY OF MELBOURNE SQUADRON . . . reduced by 45 gallons and the two 5oin wing guns were replaced by lighter .303s. Apart from the much cleaner lines thus effected, the loading of the aircraft was reduced by i.ooolb. Tests showed a remarkable improvement in performance. The squadron had- been linked with 453 for fighter defence, tactical reconnaissance, bomber and convoy escort; and it had frequent combat with the enemy during these days of many raids. Replacement pilots for those killed and injured had been requested; but in the meantime, the bulk of the squadron's flying work was being handled by six pilots. The strain was beginning to show, although there were no complaints or lack of keenness. At 1045 hr on January 17th there was a change in Japanese tactics. Sembawang was raided by 27 Sallies, causing extensive damage to the runways and buildings. This was the beginning of a series of bombings; but the Station remained operational. With what aircraft it could muster, the Squadron continued its defence flying and close support of the Army on the west coast of Malaya. On January 24th the much-needed reinforcements arrived. There were fourteen new pilots; but no training could be given to them because only four Buffaloes were serviceable. Hurricanes had begun to arrive on the island, but their use for re-equipping 21 Squadron was not enter- tained. The A.O.C. decided that 21 Squadron must return tj Australia for re-arming. Operations were continued until January 28th, and the next day the Squadron embarked for Sumatra. Eventually, by way of Java, the personnel reached Australia. There are many stories living in the thoughts of the men who fought in 21 Squadron through the heartbreak of Malaya. There was Sgt. Reg. Connie, who got the idea of supplying Air Force crews for two armoured cars which were being abandoned; he fought the enemy in one of them all the way down to Kuala Lumpur. There was "Dainty" Wallace, a flight lieutenant, whose "Buff" collided with that of Sgt. Harrison during a sortie to the Mersing area; Harrison crash-landed in the jungle, Wallace ditched, and both returned haggard but grinning to the Squadron within a day of each other nearly a week later. There was F/L. Max White, who landed his Buffalo riddled like a collander on Penang; and " Monty " Montefiore, who ended up in a palm tree after a battle over Ipoh. And there were those who went out again and again until they did not come back. After Malaya, 21 Squadron was just a number for eighteen months. On September 13th, 1943, under the temporary command of F/L. R. M. Nielsen, it began to reform at Gawler, S.A. ; this time as a dive-bomber unit equipped with Vengeances. Again, it seemed a case of being armed with American aircraft not wanted by • the Americans. FLIGHT, S/L. B. Todd took charge of the Squadron, and by November it was almost up to strength. In January, 1944, he took it to Nadzab, the important Allied airfield in the Markham Valley on the north side of New Guinea. The last of the aircraft arrived there on February 20th. Opera- tions started two days later with a dive-bombing attack on barge hide-outs near Madang. An all-out offensive against the airstrips at Alexishafen and Madang began on February 26th. It was conducted by No. 10 Operational Group, R.A.A.F., which consisted of a Kittyhawk fighter wing and a Vengeance dive-bomber wing including 21 Squadron. Thirty-six dive-bombers— twelve from each of the Vengeance squadrons—attacked the strips. The raids were repeated next day. There was a break of a few days while the Vengeances bombed Japanese retreat routes, then the airstrips were again plastered witft bombs. These attacks were followed on March 8th with a combined operation against a Japanese camp area ten miles north of Alexishafen. There was a surprising announcement in the midst of all this activity that 21 Squadron, after only fifteen days of operating in New Guinea, was to be returned to the main- land together with the other two Vengeance units of the dive-bomber wing. Numerous good reasons were behind this decision. First, although Vengeances were ideal for some theatres of war, their use was restricted by the length of runway they required. Also, their range was limited, which meant that first-class strips were needed close to the front. Thirdly, the 5th Air Force was making prepara- tions for major strikes on the Hollandia bases, which the Japanese regarded as being out of our fighter range, and there was no airfield available at Nadzab for the long-range Lightnings earmarked for the Hollandia missions. The only solution was the withdrawal of our dive-bombers. No one was pleased about this, but the results obtained more than justified the action, for, after the landings at Hollandia, it was seen that the air effort had completely neutralized the Japanese bases there and had resulted in the destruction of over five hundred Japanese aircraft on the ground. In their fortnight of operations from Nadzab, No. 21 Squadron had flown 11 missions of 131 sorties and had lost one complete crew. Now once again it was to make a new start. Gamden, in New South Wales, was the reforming base. Oil storage tanks at Tarakan after bombing by R.A.A.F. Liberators.
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