Gotham Resident
02-10-2016, 13:11
488 (NZ) Squadron (https://broodyswar.wordpress.com/488nz-squadron-research/488nz-squadron-aircrew/squadron-aircrew-list/)was formed on 1 September 1941 at Rongotai, New Zealand under Squadron Leader W.G.(Wilf) Clouston, a veteran of the Battle of France and Battle of Britain with nine victories to his credit. The squadron was one of several Commonwealth squadrons equipped with Brewster Buffaloes, and arrived at Kallang Airfield Singapore in November 1941, where it took over the Brewsters of No. 67 Squadron RAF. Kallang was shared with a Brewster detachment of the 2-VLG-V of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force, and No. 243 Squadron RAF, in which most of the aircrew were Kiwis.
When the Japanese attacked, the squadron was still in training and sorting out difficulties with its machines, including dysfunctional oxygen which prevented high altitude flying, weight difficulties which resulted in armour and machine guns being deleted and high maintenance requirements resulting from Brewster's use of worn out ex-airline engines in manufacturing the aircraft (which had been supplied to No. 67 Squadron in March). There were also problems getting spares and with the peacetime red tape and restricted flying hours laid down by the British High Command in Singapore.
Frequent air battles over Singapore occurred from 12 January 1942, the Japanese pilots being better trained and outnumbering the defenders, but (despite widespread claims of Mitsubishi Zeros being present), with the exception of a few Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa "Oscars" most Japanese fighters and many bombers were in no better condition than those of the Royal Air Force's.[8] As the Buffalo squadrons (many manned by New Zealanders and Australians) lost men and machines, several were amalgamated into 488 Squadron.
Peter Rowley kept both hands on the stick and scanned the ground in front of him nervously, then looked at his compass headings and once again checked the notes on his flight notes strapped to his leg. “Where is this airfield?” he wondered. He was on the right heading and it should be coming into view any minute.
PO Rowley, in his Martlet, was looking for his new posting: a tiny airfield outside of Singapore. It was an attempt to try and deter (and avoid) the constant Japanese attacks on Kallang Airfield itself. He couldn’t believe that a single plane flown by pilot with no combat experience was really going to be considered reinforcements, but those were his orders. “Join up Squadron Leader Marriot at Podunk Field. Follow this heading for 10 minutes, then turn to this one for another 14 and you should see it. Good luck.” Those were orders. That was it.
Rowley saw a single speck in the sky ahead of him, then saw the field beyond him. His headset radio cackled. “Unknown plane on heading 182, identify yourself. This is Foster 3. That you rook?” “Roger Foster 3, this is Flight 815, inbound for Podunk.” “You found us. Welcome. And where in blazes did you get a Martlet? Form on me, and I’ll show your parking spot.” As the speck developed into a plane, he recognized it as a Brewster Buffalo Mark I, and were those patch marks on it’s fuselage?
As the two formed up and headed for the field, which was a very generous name for the dirt strip and canvas tent buildings he saw near it, his radio cackled again. “Rook, you are just in time…looks like we got company at 2”.
Startled, Rowley looked ahead and saw a flight of planes headed at them. “You are the only friendly expected Rook, so they bloody aren’t.” As they raced towards each other Rowley saw that there were 4 planes, inbound, 2 Oscars and 2 Nates. He was good at recognizing planes, that was easy. How would he fare at combat, well, he hadn’t even gotten to stow his bag and he was about to find out! As he watched, the Japanese broke into 2 pairs and attempted a pincer move on Rowley and his new friend, Foster 3 (known to the rest of the world as Pilot Officer Noel Sharp, flying his B-339E-M on CAP around the airfield).
END TEASER.
(I cannot guarantee that the sortie will be flown before we go to Legoland & Universal Studios (Harry Potter world) this weekend, but it's coming soon).
(I will use the AI for the Allies, and the damage generator as well.
FYI - Peter Rowley is an actual pilot, the relative of one of our own members. He WAS NOT in 488th RNZAF, and he flew a P40. But I had a Wildcat painted in his schemes, and this is his plane. No Martlet's were in the 488th, but it is a plane I had so I have taken some liberties.
ALSO - PLEASE NOTE - I will probably us Zero mini's as proxies for Oscar's & Nate's & a P40 for the Brewster, but I will be using the appropriate card to manage them.
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=187174&d=1455117924
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=187175&d=1455117924
488th RNZAF (9/1/41) - Singapore - to become 14 RNZAF (3/2/42)
Squad Ldr Richard D'Arcy Marriott (Veteran-Evasion): Brewster Buffalo Mk1 (B-339E) V
FO Raymond G Jeffs : Brewster Buffalo Mk1 (B-339E-S) S
PO Noel Sharp : Brewster Buffalo Mk1 (B-339E-M) S
FS John Anderson : Gloster Gladiator S
FO Tohunga Riwai : Gloster Gladiator S
PO Peter FH Rowley (Rookie): F4F Martlet R
Sgt J Nesbitt-Dufort : Bristol Beaufighter S
Flt Lt (Nav) Arthur Crookes S
PO Geoge E Jameson : Bristol Beaufighter S
FS (Nav) Edward Stanley Hickmore S
When the Japanese attacked, the squadron was still in training and sorting out difficulties with its machines, including dysfunctional oxygen which prevented high altitude flying, weight difficulties which resulted in armour and machine guns being deleted and high maintenance requirements resulting from Brewster's use of worn out ex-airline engines in manufacturing the aircraft (which had been supplied to No. 67 Squadron in March). There were also problems getting spares and with the peacetime red tape and restricted flying hours laid down by the British High Command in Singapore.
Frequent air battles over Singapore occurred from 12 January 1942, the Japanese pilots being better trained and outnumbering the defenders, but (despite widespread claims of Mitsubishi Zeros being present), with the exception of a few Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa "Oscars" most Japanese fighters and many bombers were in no better condition than those of the Royal Air Force's.[8] As the Buffalo squadrons (many manned by New Zealanders and Australians) lost men and machines, several were amalgamated into 488 Squadron.
Peter Rowley kept both hands on the stick and scanned the ground in front of him nervously, then looked at his compass headings and once again checked the notes on his flight notes strapped to his leg. “Where is this airfield?” he wondered. He was on the right heading and it should be coming into view any minute.
PO Rowley, in his Martlet, was looking for his new posting: a tiny airfield outside of Singapore. It was an attempt to try and deter (and avoid) the constant Japanese attacks on Kallang Airfield itself. He couldn’t believe that a single plane flown by pilot with no combat experience was really going to be considered reinforcements, but those were his orders. “Join up Squadron Leader Marriot at Podunk Field. Follow this heading for 10 minutes, then turn to this one for another 14 and you should see it. Good luck.” Those were orders. That was it.
Rowley saw a single speck in the sky ahead of him, then saw the field beyond him. His headset radio cackled. “Unknown plane on heading 182, identify yourself. This is Foster 3. That you rook?” “Roger Foster 3, this is Flight 815, inbound for Podunk.” “You found us. Welcome. And where in blazes did you get a Martlet? Form on me, and I’ll show your parking spot.” As the speck developed into a plane, he recognized it as a Brewster Buffalo Mark I, and were those patch marks on it’s fuselage?
As the two formed up and headed for the field, which was a very generous name for the dirt strip and canvas tent buildings he saw near it, his radio cackled again. “Rook, you are just in time…looks like we got company at 2”.
Startled, Rowley looked ahead and saw a flight of planes headed at them. “You are the only friendly expected Rook, so they bloody aren’t.” As they raced towards each other Rowley saw that there were 4 planes, inbound, 2 Oscars and 2 Nates. He was good at recognizing planes, that was easy. How would he fare at combat, well, he hadn’t even gotten to stow his bag and he was about to find out! As he watched, the Japanese broke into 2 pairs and attempted a pincer move on Rowley and his new friend, Foster 3 (known to the rest of the world as Pilot Officer Noel Sharp, flying his B-339E-M on CAP around the airfield).
END TEASER.
(I cannot guarantee that the sortie will be flown before we go to Legoland & Universal Studios (Harry Potter world) this weekend, but it's coming soon).
(I will use the AI for the Allies, and the damage generator as well.
FYI - Peter Rowley is an actual pilot, the relative of one of our own members. He WAS NOT in 488th RNZAF, and he flew a P40. But I had a Wildcat painted in his schemes, and this is his plane. No Martlet's were in the 488th, but it is a plane I had so I have taken some liberties.
ALSO - PLEASE NOTE - I will probably us Zero mini's as proxies for Oscar's & Nate's & a P40 for the Brewster, but I will be using the appropriate card to manage them.
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=187174&d=1455117924
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=187175&d=1455117924
488th RNZAF (9/1/41) - Singapore - to become 14 RNZAF (3/2/42)
Squad Ldr Richard D'Arcy Marriott (Veteran-Evasion): Brewster Buffalo Mk1 (B-339E) V
FO Raymond G Jeffs : Brewster Buffalo Mk1 (B-339E-S) S
PO Noel Sharp : Brewster Buffalo Mk1 (B-339E-M) S
FS John Anderson : Gloster Gladiator S
FO Tohunga Riwai : Gloster Gladiator S
PO Peter FH Rowley (Rookie): F4F Martlet R
Sgt J Nesbitt-Dufort : Bristol Beaufighter S
Flt Lt (Nav) Arthur Crookes S
PO Geoge E Jameson : Bristol Beaufighter S
FS (Nav) Edward Stanley Hickmore S