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World War II broke out in Europe anbd for that reason, ironically the major Australian contribution to the air war was in Europe, primarily Australian participation in the strategic bombing of Germany but also air units in the Western Desert. With the Japanese carrier attack on Pearl Harbor, the Pacific War began 2 years after the War began in Europe. And in only acfew months the Jpanese had carved ourt a vast empire in the South Pacific. At the time most of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was committed to the European theater, both Britain ad the Western Desert. Within 3 months the Japanese had begun to bomb Australian cities. The fll of Singapore left Australia as the primary Allied bastion in the South Pacific abnd wuide open to Japanese attack. RAAF squadrpns opposed the Japnese cionquest of the Dutch East Indies (ndionesia), but to little effect. This created an emergency situatiomn including a Japanese bombing campaign, beginnng with a destruvctive carrier raid on Darwin. Australia began a rapid expansion of the RAAF and the construction of aur bases across morthern Australia--the Top End. Fortunately American aircraft were beginning to arrive. The priority was the European Theater, but the American Arsenal of Democracy was gearing up for war. Australia was one of the first Allied nations declared eligible for Lend Lease after Britain and Greece. We have been unable to find details of Lend Lease deliveries to Australia. The British Empire was the primary recipent of Lend Lease, but we do not yet have details on specific Australian deliveries. We do know that air craft was an important part of American Lend Lease assistance. And as the RAAF expanded it would be primarily equipped with American aircraft. American aircraft went to both the RAAF and the new American Fifth Air Force. Australia would build one of the larger Workd War II air forces, primarily composed of American aircraft. The RAAF would play an important role in the South Pacific fighting, especially on New Guinea.
The Japanese after Pearl Harbor executed a stunning offensive across the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia. With the American fleet imobilized at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese were able to sweep through the Southwest Pacific and Southeast Asia. Guam was quickly taken. Resistance at Wake sland suprised the Japanese, but after the initial assault was repulsed, a second assault took the island. MacArthur's defense of the Philippines was compromised when most of his planes were destroyed on the ground at Clarke Field. General MacArthur commanded the most important American military force west of Pearl. His handlong of the defense of the Philippines was disapponting at best, bordering on incompetence. He failed to strike back at the Japanese in the hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor by bombing Japanese bases in Formosa. He also allowed much of the available aircraft to be destroyed on the ground. [Schom] The horror of the Bataan Death March created an impage of the Japanese military in the American mind that fueled a hatred for the Japanese. [Schom] Hong Kong quickly fell. The Japanese also seized the oil-rich Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia). Allied naval forces fought a series of engagements to stop the Japanese, but could not match the powerful and skillful use of Japanese naval forces. Japanese air superiority was also a major factor in their success.
The American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) was formed (Jnuary 1, 1942). It was an Allied effort to stop the Japanese offensive after Pearl Harbor. ABDACOM covered the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. General Sir Archibald Wavell was given command with the mission of maintaining the "Malay Barrier", a line running down the Malayan Peninsula, through Singapore and the southernmost islands of Dutch East Indies. RAAF squadrons (Nos. 1, 8, 21 and 453 Squadrons) deployed with the RAF Far East Command in the disaterous Malayan, Singapore and Dutch East Indies campaigns. The RAAF squadrons had small numbers of basically obsolete American aircraft, including the Brewster Buffalo and Lockheed Hudson. They were no match against the more modern Japanese aircraft, especially Mitsubishi Zeros. [Armstrong, p. 44.] The Allied naval forces also suffered badly.
In only a few months, Japanese aircraft were in range of northern Australia. This meant that the Australian Homeland was threatened for the first time. The War was no longer halfway around the world. And with the fall of Singapore, Britain could not be of assistance. The RAAF was unprepared for the emergency, They initially had negligible forces available to defend the country. The Australian Army was in the Western Desert and the RAN suffered serious losses.
Australian Aircraft Production was just beginning when the Japanese struck a Pearl Harbor and the planes built were not at beginning the match of the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero (December 1941). The RAAF began acquiring the Ameican Curtis P-40 Warhawks/Kittyhawks, at the time of Pearharbior the top-line Ameriican fighter. It was not as mnnuerableas the Zero, but with competent handling able to take on the Japanese. The Australins designed n mnufsctured their first fighter, the CAC Boomerang. RAAF Kittyhawks played an important role in the early South Pauific opertions (New Guinea and the Solomon Islands). As the Pacific War continued, the RAAF expanded, acquiring more and varied aircraft. The British provided Britol Beaufighters which the DAP began manufcturing (1944). [Dennis, et. al., p. 81.] Although it was much bigger than Japanese fighters, the Beaufighter had the speed to outrun them. [Taylor and Taylor, p. 48] The RAAF operated a number of American Consolidated PBY Catalina as long range scouts, dropping a few bombs. The RAAF's heavy bomber force was predominantly made up of 287 American B-24 Liberators. They activated seven squadrons, which had the range to reach Japanese targets as far away as Borneo and the Philippines from airfields in Australia and New Guinea. Finally the RAAF acquired some 500 American P-51 Mustangs. This was the top-of-the libe oprpeller World War II fughter. The Australiand primarily ground attack missins in mind. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation initially assembled U.S.-manufacyred Mustangs, but by the end of the War was manufacturing Mustangs in Australis. Before the Mustangs could be usedc in force, however, the Japanese surrebndered.
The RAAF did not have modern aircraft or much in the way of air bases in the north when the Japanese began bombing. The RAAF had started to develop a series of military airfields across North West Australia under the Aerodrome Development Program (1940). The initial series of five major air fields were built between Adelaide River and Birdham to enable aircraft from Darwin to be relocated in the event of a Japanese raid. The airrfield construction program was excelerated. These airfields would as the Australians expressed it, enabanle the RAAF "Air War over the Top End and to take the fight to the enemy." Over 40 airstrips were eventully built along the length of the North-South road, most in the Top End.
The Japanese advancing toward Australia. They began a major opertion to seize Rabaul on New Britain (January 1942). Japanese troops overpowered an small Australian garrison which was mostkly killed or captued. RAAF No. 24 Squadron participated in the actioin, but was also overwealmed. [Armstrong, p. 45. ] Rabaul became a major Japanese base in the South Pacuific. The Japanese also landed along the northern cost of New Guinea. The Japanese struck only 3 months after Pearl Harbor. Japanese bombers hit Darwin (February 19, 1942). Darwin is the capital city of sparsely populated Northern Territory, situated on the Timor Sea siuth of western New Guinea. It was as the Australian's phrase it, the Top End's regional center and a naval base. The Japanese air attack was the first and deadliest air assault in Australia. The Japabnese hit Darwin with 242 aircraft in the morning. It was primarily a carrier attack. The First Air Fleet commanded by Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo with Akagi, Kaga, Hiryū, and Sōryū struck Darwin. These were fiur iof the six carriers ths struck Pearl Harbor. The carrier strike w followed up by land-based bombers, 27 G3M "Nell" bombers flying from Ambon and another 27 G4M "Betty" bombers operating from Kendari in Celebes, part of the Dutch East Indies being occupied by the Japannese. [Grose, p. 132.] Darwin was targeted because it was being used as an Allied based resisting the Jaonese conquest of the DEI. The Japanese killed some 235 people and caused extensive damage. The Australians had to abandon Darwin as a major naval base. White successful, perhaps the larger signifivcance of the raid is it was one of several examples of the Japanese usuing their carriers for many purposes other than what was the most vital target--the precious carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The raid increased concerns about a coming invasion of Australia. The Darwin raid was the mostly costly, but just the beginning of Japanese bombing raids. Beginning with the Darwin raid, the Australian mainland, offshore islands, and coastal shipping were attacked at more than 100 times by Japanese naval and army aircraft. These attacks varied. There were large-scale raids by medium bombers, aerial torpedo attacks on ships, and strafing runs by fighters. Japan did not have long-range heavy bombers which limited the air campign gaiunst Australia. The Japanese targeted military instalations and port infrastructure. civil infrastructure, including harbours, civil airfields, railways and fuel tanks. The main defence was provided by RAAF and Allied fighters. There were also Australian Army anti-aircraft batteries in northern Australia. This was at first difficult because there were almost no radar instalations in Australia.
RAAF 75 Squadron was the first RAAF Squadrion to go into action in the Pacific. With the Japanese overuning the Dutch East Indies and landing on New Guinea, Australian cities wre within range of Japanese bombers. Dawin was largely destroyed (February 1942). Australian forces holding Port Moresby were subjeced to daily Japanese raids. Prime-Minister Curtin had been pleading with the British and Americans for aircraft. The first aircraft to arrive were Amerucan P-40s which the Britush called the Kittyhawk. It was like the Navy F4F Wildcat, a sturdy if not advanced fighter. Actualy they were destinmed for the Dutch, but when Java fell the transports at sea were redirected to Australia. They were given to the newly formed and inexperinced 75 Squadron and after only a few days training, they were rushed to Port Moresby. There this small unit took on the much larger Japanese fighter and bombing forces in the Battle of Port Moresby (March-April 1942) which culminated in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942). The Squadon got 25 P-40s and only 9 days of training before being ordered to Port Moresby to defend the important airfields and port facilities. The Japabnese contiued to bomb Port Moresy but 75 Squadeon inflicted serious losses on them. John Jackson was the primary commander. Ony r of the 21 pilots had any combat exoerience. The Squadron protected Port Moresby and attacked Japasnese air bases. They dcored 35 confimed kills, probably destroyed another four and damaged 44. This would have mneant about 100 air crews killed. This was important not only because the Jaopanese could no longer bomb with impumity, but because in 1942, the Japanese began the War with the most highly trained and effective airmen in the world, but by the end if 1942 their air forces were being hollowed out and replaced with inexpeienced, and porly traimed crews leading to Marianhas Turkey Shoot (June 1944). Jackson was tragically killed just before the the Squadron was withdrawn (May 7). He was virtually called a coward by an idiot in the RAAF commabd because the Squadronb did not dogfight with the Japanese Zeroes. This was something kittyhawk like cthe Wildcat was incapable od doing. It led to him beung shot down and killed by a Zero. 75vSquadrion ran up an impressive score for an inexperienced group under primtive conditions and outnumbered. It was the first Allied aur victory of the Pacific War. They hekld the lines before the americans arrived in force.
The Japanese focus after their rapid conquest of the South Pacific and Southeast Asia settled on Australia. The Imoerial Japanese Army did not yet have the strength for a land campaign in Australia. So the decision was to begin by cutting off Australia from the men and supplies steaming out of America. This was to be done by Oeration MO and FS. MO was taking Port bMoresby so a bombing camopaign on Australia could begin. Epecially destroying the ports where supplies were arriving. Perostion FS was to take the islsnds northeast of Australi, again to cut the sea lanes with America. The Japanese Naval High Command decided after the American carrier strike on Tokyo and other Japanese cities to postpone FS until Admiral Yamamoto executed his Operation AF to destroy the American carriers at Midway. Operation MO was allowed to go forward. Thanks to Station Hypo at Pearl Harbor, the Americans cracked the Japanese Naval code (JN-25) and learned of MO. Admiral Nimitz commited two carrier task forces to the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy carriers at considerable cost blocked the Japanese amphibious attack on Port Moresby that would have given the Japanese the air bases they needed to put most of Australia within range of land-based bombers. It is dangerous bringinging carriers within ranmge of land-based air craft as they did for the Darwin range. Air bases at Port Moresby would have made a major bombing campaign possible.
Fortunately American aircraft were beginning to arrive. The priority was the European Theater, but the American Arsenal of Democracy was gearing up for war. Australia was one of the first Allied nations declared eligible for Lend Lease after Britain and Greece. We have been unable to find details of Lend KLease deliveries to Australia. The British Empire was the primary recipent of Lend Lease, but we do not yet have details on specific Australin deliveries. We do know that air craft was an important opard of American Lend Lease assistance. Anscas the RAAF expabded it woukld be primarily vequiopped with American aircraft. American aircraft went to both the RAAF nd the new American Fifth Air Force. American C-47 transports, for example, supplied Australians on the rugged Koda Trail. The Japanese without any air support began to starve on the Trail
The Japanese Operation FS shows that the Japanese fully understood the importance of the sea lanes connecting Australia with America. RThe islands northeast of Australia were position to either block or protect the sea lanes between Australia and merica and the Jaopanese wanted them. It is interesting that the Jaopanese focus on interdicting the sea lanes was on air power. This was first in using the First Air Fleet to take the islands and build auir bases on them. After the U.S. Navy cut the heart out of the First Air Fleet at Midway, the Japanese conyinued to fiocus on air power, beginning the construction of an aur base on Guadalcanal, the southern-most islsnd in the Soomons. Despite their obvuoys focus on the sea lanes, the Japanese did not commit their most obvious naval firce to the interdiction effort. There were during World War II, three countries that had majoir submarine forces (America, Japan, and Germany). America and Germany commited their subnarines in commerce camopaigns. Japan declined to do so even though breaking the link between America and Australia was a primary war goal. The Japanese also did not use their submarines to interduct the even great flow if supplies to Hawaii and Central Pacific operations.
Not only did the Australians began building a major air force, but a steady transports from America built up a major American air components in Australia --the Fifth Air Force. The United States had air forces in the Philippines before Pearl Harbor. They were mostly destroyed by the Japanese, most only hours after Pear Harbor. Only 14 B-17s survived. They left Mindanao for Darwin (December 17-20 ). These were the only aircraft of the American Far East Air Force (FEAF) to escape. The FEAF headquarters was evacuated from Manila (December 24). They were reorganized in Australia and redesignated the Fifth Air Force (February 5, 1942). Most of the combat aircraft were at first based in Java and commited in ANDACOM opertions. The Jaopanese were advancing throughout the region. The remaining heavy bombers of the 19th Bombardment Group at Malang on Java, flew a few missions against the Japanese. They were joined by 37 B-17Es and 12 LB-30s of the 7th Bombardment Group (January and February 1942). This force never consisted of more than 20 operational aircraft at any given time. It was a quixotic effort given the Japanese force decending on the DEI. Most of the force was destroyed on the ground by Japanese air attack. The 7th Bombardment Group was ordered to India (March 1942). This left the 19th as the only B-17 equipped group in the South Pacific. And at this time Gen. Arnold decided that for the time being, no replacement B-17s would be sent to the southwest Pacific. They were designated for delivery to the Eighth Air Force which was being built up in Enlsnd for the Allied Strategic Bombing Campaign. Alied strategy even before the War was Germany First. The Fifth Air Force's surviving personnel and aircraft were detached to other commands and the headquarters remained unmanned for several months (May 1942). Elements played a small but important role in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 7-8, 1942). The 435th Bomb Squadron of the 19th Bomb Group observed the Japanese fleet gathering in Rabaul area (late April). This along with Magic decrypts aided the U.S. Navy carrier task firces. The Fifth Air Force Headquarters was e-staffed at Brisbane, Australia (September 18, 1942). Major General George Kenney was put in command. At this time U.S. rmy Air Forces units in Australia were beginning to get aircraft from the states fir a mjor build up. hen Kenney arrived, the Fifth had only three fighter groups and five bombardment groups. The Americans also set about building numerous airfields in Australia. As the RAAF and the American 5th Air Force built up its strength, offensive operations began.
As the South Pacific Campaign shaped and the Jaosnese begn bombing targets in northern Australia, some of the RAAF squadrons in Europe were brought home. The RAAF Kittyhawks played an importnt role in the Battle of Milne Bay off eastern New Guinea. The long Allied crawl up the northern coast of New Guinea would begin at Milne Bay. And aircraft was an important part of tht camosign. The American Fifth Air Force provide most of the air power involved, but the RAAF played an importanyt role. The RAAF was also involved in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. The RAAF used Americn Bristol Beaufighters to strike Japanese troop convoys, preventing Japnese reinforcements from Rabaul from reaching New Guinea. The Beaufighters also proved to be effective ground attack aircraft.
There was the very real possibility thst the Japnese would use chemical weapons. They did use them in China. The RAAF acquired thousands of chemical weapons from America. Audtralia amassed close to 1 million individual chemical munition weapons. There were 16 different types of mustard gas, some 35 types of chemical weapons, held at 14 major storage depots. The primary agents were Mustard Gas and Phosgene. [Plunkett]. We believe that the ordinnce were mostly bombs to be delivered by aircraft.
Australia did not participate in the U.S. Navy's Central Pacific Campaign. Thus with the completion of the New Guinea campign, the Australian military needed a new target. The RAAF had grown considerably from early beginning. It was by 1945 the world's fourth largest airforce. The RAAF's main Pacifiv operational formation was the First Tactical Air Force (1st TAF). It was a force with some 21,000 personnel. The RAAF included some 50 squadrons and 6,000 aircraft. Over 3,000 were operational in 1945. [Sandler, pp. 21–22.] The 1st TAF's final mission was to support of Australian ground forces in Borneo. [Sandler, p. 22.] Borneo was far west from New Guinea. It was chosen ratheer than the other more heavily populted DEI islands because of the oil instalations. The Borno campaign has been criticized as an uneeded waste of men and resources.
The Allies by mid-1945 were preparing to invade Japan. Australia had not participated in the Central Pacific campaign, but it along with the British it is likely that they would have participated in the daunting invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. This would have inevitably involved RAAF squadrons, including the RAAF Bomber squadrions returning from Europe after VE-Day. The plan was to group Britush, Australin, and Cananadian squadrons together as Tiger Force. This never materialized because after the American atomic bomb attacks, the Japnese surrendered (August 1945).
Armstrong, John. "History of the RAAF: 20 Years of Warfighting 1939–1959, Part 2". Air Power International. Strike Publications Vol. 4, No. 6, pp. 42–48.
Barnes, Norman (2000). The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons (St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin, 2000).
Beaumont, Joan. Australian Defence: Sources and Statistics. The Australian Centenary History of Defence . Volume VI. (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2001).
Dennis, Peter, Jeffrey Grey, Ewan Morris, Robin Prior, and Jean Bou. The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History 2nd ed. (Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press, 2008).
Grey, Jeffrey (2008). A Military History of Australia 3rd ed. (Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press, 2008).
Grose, Peter (2009). An Awkward Truth: The Bombing of Darwin, February 1942 (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2009).
Plunkett, Geoff. Chemical Warfare in Australia (Australian Military History Publications).
Sandler, Stanley. World War II in the Pacific: An Encyclopedia. Military History of the United States Series (Taylor & Francis: 2001).
Schom, Alan. The Eagle and the Rising Sun: The Japanese-American War 1941-1943 (Norton, 2003).
Stephens, Alan. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History (London: Oxford University Press, 2006).
Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs. "Explore: 'The Angry Sky'".
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