Carl_Brisgamer
01-15-2013, 18:35
My WGS Project #4 for 2013 is a flight of four Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawks of 75 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). These aircraft are finished as delivered from the USA in early 1942 with dark green/brown camouflage and light grey undersides. In January 1942 to avoid confusion with the Japanese Hinomaru insignia, the RAAF issued a directive that the red on roundels be painted over with white. In the field this occurred gradually over a period of several months. For these aircraft the upper wing roundels have been painted out however the fuselage roundels and fin flashes remain standard.
71455
75 Squadron was formed at Townsville, Queensland, on 4 March 1942, under the command of Squadron Leader Peter Jeffery. On 21 March the squadron’s first four Kittyhawk aircraft landed at the Seven Mile Strip, Port Moresby. During the afternoon Flying Officer Barry Cox and Flight Lieutenant John Piper shot down a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. Two hours later Squadron Leader J.F. Jackson, the newly appointed commanding officer, led the remainder of the squadron to the Seven Mile Strip. The squadron was the sole fighter defence of Port Moresby during its 44-day deployment from 21 March to 3 May 1942. Thirty-nine enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air or on the ground, and 54 damaged, for the loss of 12 pilots and 24 aircraft. After a period of rest and re-equipment 75 Squadron was deployed to Gurney Field, Milne Bay, where it operated with 76 Squadron. On 24 August 1942 a Japanese force was sighted heading for Milne Bay. On the same day, the two squadrons fought Japanese raiders, claiming three enemy aircraft for the loss of three pilots. Japanese troops landed in the early hours of 25 August and, in the ensuing Battle for Milne Bay to 3 September, the squadrons strafed Japanese troops, barges, and stores. Lieutenant General Sydney Rowell, the commander of New Guinea Force, noted in his report that the effort of the fighter squadrons was “the decisive factor” in the ultimate victory over the invading forces. After the victory at Milne Bay, the squadron withdrew in September 1942 to Horn Island and Cairns, before returning to Milne Bay in January 1943, from where patrols were flown over the bay and Goodenough Island. In July 1943, in its last large air-to-air operation of the war, five enemy aircraft were shot down. 75 Squadron spent the rest of the war performing escort, anti-shipping and ground attack duties and was disbanded in 1948.
71452
The first two of these four aircraft are serials A29-6 and A29-17 alloted to 75 Squadron on 8/3/42 and coded 'F' and 'Q'. After arriving at Port Moresby on 21/03/42, an air raid warning was sounded and an intercept was undertaken by two undamaged Kittyhawks, piloted by F/O Cox and F/O F.L. Wackett in A29-17 and A29-6. At 6,000 feet they sighted a single twin engine Japanese aircraft and climbed up to 10,000 feet to intercept. Both delivered stern and quarter attacks as the aircraft headed for cloud cover. A burst by F/O Cox put the port engine out, and started to lose height. F/O Wackett finally placed a final burst into the starboard engine at 500 feet causing the Japanese aircraft to explode and to dive into the sea. This was the first aerial combat and the downing of a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft over Port Moresby by an allied fighter. The following day F/O F.L. Wackett was flying A29-6 providing top cover during an attack on the airfield at Lae. At around 08.05hrs, the top cover flight engaged the standing patrol of three Zeros and managed to shoot down two of them for the loss of two Kittyhawks including A29-6. F/O Wackett would eventually escape capture, and return to the unit after having ditched his Kittyhawk some eight miles offshore and trekking back to allied lines through some of the toughest country in the world. The same day 22/3/42, serial A29-17 was also destroyed on the ground at Port Moresby during a retributive Japanese strafing attack.
71453
The next aircraft is serial A29-7 which was assigned to 75 Squadron on 8/3/42 and coded 'A'. This aircraft was hit by enemy fire on 28/3/42 receiving bullet holes in both mainplanes, severed control wires, damage to the electrical system and one gun out. On 17/4/42 the CO of 76 Squadron RAAF S/L 'Barney' Cresswell who had been assigned to 75 Squadron to gain operational experience took off from Seven Mile Strip in A28-7, with A29-12 piloted by F/O Jeffrey Woods. Over Bululo River Cresswell and Woods were bounced by nine Zeros of the famed Tainan Kokutai. In a confused action S/L Cresswell was shot down and killed, possibly taking one of the Zeros with him. Woods managed to escape and returned to Moresby.
71454
The fourth aircraft is A29-133 which was received by 75 Sqn at Milne Bay on 22/6/42. Piloted by P/O Bruce Edward Brown DFC it was coded 'S' with "Polly" written on both sides of nose under exhaust stack. On 11/8/42 this was one of 22 P-40s from 75 and 76 Sqns that engaged about 12 Zeros and P/O Brown was credited with one damaged Zero. On 17/10/43 it crash landed at Bankstown strip and was later allocated to 82 Sqn RAAF. A29-133 survived the war and is now restored in 1943 livery on show in the Australian War Memorial.
71455
75 Squadron was formed at Townsville, Queensland, on 4 March 1942, under the command of Squadron Leader Peter Jeffery. On 21 March the squadron’s first four Kittyhawk aircraft landed at the Seven Mile Strip, Port Moresby. During the afternoon Flying Officer Barry Cox and Flight Lieutenant John Piper shot down a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. Two hours later Squadron Leader J.F. Jackson, the newly appointed commanding officer, led the remainder of the squadron to the Seven Mile Strip. The squadron was the sole fighter defence of Port Moresby during its 44-day deployment from 21 March to 3 May 1942. Thirty-nine enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air or on the ground, and 54 damaged, for the loss of 12 pilots and 24 aircraft. After a period of rest and re-equipment 75 Squadron was deployed to Gurney Field, Milne Bay, where it operated with 76 Squadron. On 24 August 1942 a Japanese force was sighted heading for Milne Bay. On the same day, the two squadrons fought Japanese raiders, claiming three enemy aircraft for the loss of three pilots. Japanese troops landed in the early hours of 25 August and, in the ensuing Battle for Milne Bay to 3 September, the squadrons strafed Japanese troops, barges, and stores. Lieutenant General Sydney Rowell, the commander of New Guinea Force, noted in his report that the effort of the fighter squadrons was “the decisive factor” in the ultimate victory over the invading forces. After the victory at Milne Bay, the squadron withdrew in September 1942 to Horn Island and Cairns, before returning to Milne Bay in January 1943, from where patrols were flown over the bay and Goodenough Island. In July 1943, in its last large air-to-air operation of the war, five enemy aircraft were shot down. 75 Squadron spent the rest of the war performing escort, anti-shipping and ground attack duties and was disbanded in 1948.
71452
The first two of these four aircraft are serials A29-6 and A29-17 alloted to 75 Squadron on 8/3/42 and coded 'F' and 'Q'. After arriving at Port Moresby on 21/03/42, an air raid warning was sounded and an intercept was undertaken by two undamaged Kittyhawks, piloted by F/O Cox and F/O F.L. Wackett in A29-17 and A29-6. At 6,000 feet they sighted a single twin engine Japanese aircraft and climbed up to 10,000 feet to intercept. Both delivered stern and quarter attacks as the aircraft headed for cloud cover. A burst by F/O Cox put the port engine out, and started to lose height. F/O Wackett finally placed a final burst into the starboard engine at 500 feet causing the Japanese aircraft to explode and to dive into the sea. This was the first aerial combat and the downing of a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft over Port Moresby by an allied fighter. The following day F/O F.L. Wackett was flying A29-6 providing top cover during an attack on the airfield at Lae. At around 08.05hrs, the top cover flight engaged the standing patrol of three Zeros and managed to shoot down two of them for the loss of two Kittyhawks including A29-6. F/O Wackett would eventually escape capture, and return to the unit after having ditched his Kittyhawk some eight miles offshore and trekking back to allied lines through some of the toughest country in the world. The same day 22/3/42, serial A29-17 was also destroyed on the ground at Port Moresby during a retributive Japanese strafing attack.
71453
The next aircraft is serial A29-7 which was assigned to 75 Squadron on 8/3/42 and coded 'A'. This aircraft was hit by enemy fire on 28/3/42 receiving bullet holes in both mainplanes, severed control wires, damage to the electrical system and one gun out. On 17/4/42 the CO of 76 Squadron RAAF S/L 'Barney' Cresswell who had been assigned to 75 Squadron to gain operational experience took off from Seven Mile Strip in A28-7, with A29-12 piloted by F/O Jeffrey Woods. Over Bululo River Cresswell and Woods were bounced by nine Zeros of the famed Tainan Kokutai. In a confused action S/L Cresswell was shot down and killed, possibly taking one of the Zeros with him. Woods managed to escape and returned to Moresby.
71454
The fourth aircraft is A29-133 which was received by 75 Sqn at Milne Bay on 22/6/42. Piloted by P/O Bruce Edward Brown DFC it was coded 'S' with "Polly" written on both sides of nose under exhaust stack. On 11/8/42 this was one of 22 P-40s from 75 and 76 Sqns that engaged about 12 Zeros and P/O Brown was credited with one damaged Zero. On 17/10/43 it crash landed at Bankstown strip and was later allocated to 82 Sqn RAAF. A29-133 survived the war and is now restored in 1943 livery on show in the Australian War Memorial.