No. 79 Wing was a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
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, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF)
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
of World War II. It was formed in December 1943 at
Batchelor, Northern Territory, as part of
North-Western Area Command. Led by Group Captain
Charles Eaton, the wing comprised four
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
s on its establishment, flying
Beaufort Beaufort may refer to:
People and titles
* Beaufort (surname)
* House of Beaufort, English nobility
* Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England
* Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility
Places Polar regions ...
and
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...
bombers and
Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...
heavy fighters. No. 79 Wing took part in the
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
and
North-Western Area Campaign
The North-Western Area Campaign was an air campaign fought between the Allied and Japanese air forces over northern Australia and the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) between 1942 and 1945. The campaign began with the Japanese bombing of Darwin on 1 ...
s during 1944–45, eventually transferring to
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 2 ...
in the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
as the Allies advanced northward. By the end of the Pacific War, the wing was attached to the
Australian First Tactical Air Force
The Australian First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and na ...
and was made up of
Nos. 2 and
18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadrons, both flying Mitchells. The latter transferred to the
Netherlands Air Force
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in late 1945, while the former returned to Australia where it disbanded the following year. No. 79 Headquarters itself disbanded in October 1945, soon after the end of hostilities.
History
![Eaton1941](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Eaton1941.jpg)
No. 79 Wing was established at
Batchelor, Northern Territory, on 30 November 1943. Its combat units consisted of
Nos. 1 and
2 Squadrons (flying
Beaufort Beaufort may refer to:
People and titles
* Beaufort (surname)
* House of Beaufort, English nobility
* Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England
* Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility
Places Polar regions ...
light reconnaissance bombers),
No. 31 Squadron (
Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...
long-range fighters), and
No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron (
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...
medium bombers). The wing was commanded by Group Captain
Charles Eaton, whose Dutch personnel called him "Oom Charles" (Uncle Charles).
[Odgers, ''Air War Against Japan'', pp. 215–218](_blank)
/ref> Operating under the auspices of North-Western Area Command (NWA), Darwin, No. 79 Wing participated in the New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
and North-Western Area Campaign
The North-Western Area Campaign was an air campaign fought between the Allied and Japanese air forces over northern Australia and the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) between 1942 and 1945. The campaign began with the Japanese bombing of Darwin on 1 ...
s during 1944.
Through March–April 1944, the Beaufighters attacked Japanese shipping, while the Mitchells and Beauforts bombed Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...
on a daily basis as a prelude to Operations Reckless and Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...
, the invasions of Hollandia and Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 18,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the ...
. Eaton organised a large raid against Su, Dutch Timor, on 19 April. Consisting of thirty-five Mitchells, Beauforts and Beaufighters, the force destroyed the town's barracks and fuel dumps, a result that earned the personal congratulations of the Air Officer Commanding NWA, Air Vice Marshal "King" Cole. On the day of the Allied landings, 22 April, the Mitchells and Beaufighters made a daylight raid on Dili
Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...
, Portuguese Timor. The ground assault on Hollandia–Aitape met little opposition, credited in part to the air bombardment leading up to it.
In May 1944, Nos. 1, 18 and 31 Squadrons attacked Japanese positions in Timor, while No. 2 Squadron was withdrawn from combat to re-equip with Mitchells. No. 79 Wing's light and medium bombers suffered from a lack of suitable targets as they had few airfields in forward areas from which to refuel. No. 2 Squadron returned to operations with Mitchells in June. That month, No. 18 Squadron flew 149 sorties, damaging Japanese airfields and shipping in the Timor area, but lost its commanding officer to anti-aircraft fire during a raid.
In June–July 1944, No. 79 Wing supported the Allied attack on Noemfoor. No. 18 Squadron was again the wing's most active unit, flying 107 sorties. In September, the Beaufighters and Mitchells attacked Japanese shipping and infrastructure in Ceram and Celebes
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu A ...
, but lost nine aircraft and twenty-six crewmen killed, among them Squadron Leader Wilbur Wackett, son of Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) was an Australian aircraft manufacturer. The CAC was established in 1936, to provide Australia with the capability to produce military aircraft and engines.
History
In 1935 the Chief General Manager ...
manager Lawrence Wackett
Sir Lawrence James Wackett (2 January 1896 – 18 March 1982) is widely regarded as "father of the Australian aircraft industry". He has been described as "one of the towering figures in the history of Australian aviation covering, as he did, ...
.[Odgers, ''Air War Against Japan'', pp. 243–247](_blank)
/ref> By the end of the month, Mitchell missions were put on hold while replacement crews were trained. In late 1944, plans were made to transfer No. 79 Wing from North-Western Area Command to Northern Command in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
, where it would undertake operations against the Japanese in New Britain
New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...
. The wing's composition for this move was to be Nos. 2 and 18 Squadrons, operating Mitchells, and 120 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron, operating P-40 Kittyhawks. No. 31 Squadron was transferred from No. 79 Wing to the Australian First Tactical Air Force
The Australian First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and na ...
at Morotai
Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands.
Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...
in December.[Odgers, ''Air War Against Japan'', pp. 297–299](_blank)
/ref> The same month, Group Captain Eaton posted out and was replaced by Group Captain John Ryland
John Ryland (1753–1825) was an English Baptist minister and religious writer. He was a founder and for ten years the secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society.
Life
The son of John Collett Ryland, he was born at Warwick on 29 January 175 ...
.
Weather hampered the wing's activities in January 1945. No. 1 Squadron was withdrawn to Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
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, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
to re-equip with Mosquitos
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "litt ...
, with No. 13 Squadron, flying Venturas, taking up the slack on anti-shipping missions. The squadron accounted for around half of the thirty-eight enemy vessels sunk by No. 79 Wing in February, and a similar ratio to the twenty sunk the following month. Wing operations were cut back in March, as preparations were made to transfer the Mitchells to Jacquinot Bay
Jacquinot Bay is a bay in East New Britain Province, south-eastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . It is near the mountain where twenty-eight people died when a Royal Australian Air Force plane crashed in November 1945. To its west is the Gasm ...
in New Britain. On 6 April, all twenty available aircraft of Nos. 2 and 18 Squadrons were ordered to join B-24 Liberators
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
of No. 82 Wing in an assault on a Japanese convoy that included the cruiser '' Isuzu''. The Liberators were late for their rendezvous with the Mitchells off Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
so the latter, at the very limit of their range, attacked the convoy regardless. They claimed two direct hits without loss, despite anti-aircraft fire from the cruiser and other ships, and frontal attacks by enemy fighters. Allied submarines sank the damaged ''Isuzu'' the next day.[18 (NEI) Squadron RAAF](_blank)
at Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...
. Retrieved on 12 November 2010.
The wing's proposed move to New Britain was cancelled in May 1945, after the Netherlands government requested that its squadrons operate over the Dutch East Indies. No. 120 Squadron was transferred to Biak
Biak is an island located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua (province), Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak is the largest island in its small archipelago, and has many atolls, reefs, and c ...
, while No. 79 Wing and its two Mitchell squadrons were ordered to move to Borneo, under the command of First Tactical Air Force. By July, No. 79 Wing had relocated from Batchelor to Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 2 ...
, leaving No. 13 Squadron under the control of North-Western Area Command. After the Pacific War ended in August 1945, the Mitchells joined Liberators of No. 82 Wing repatriating RAAF personnel from Borneo to Australia. No. 79 Wing Headquarters was disbanded on 8 October. The following month, No. 18 Squadron was reassigned to the Netherlands Air Force
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. No. 2 Squadron returned to Australia in December, disbanding in mid-1946. These were the only two squadrons in the RAAF to operate Mitchells during the war.[Wilson, ''Military Aircraft of Australia'', p. 154]
Notes
References
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{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
79
Military units and formations established in 1943
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945