No. 4 Squadron RAAF
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No. 4 Squadron is a
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
squadron composed of the air force special forces Combat Controllers, aircrew who operate the Pilatus PC-21 aircraft and instructors for the Australian Defence Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course. The squadron was previously a fighter and army co-operation unit active in both World War I and World War II. Formed in late 1917, the squadron operated on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
as part of the Australian Flying Corps until the armistice in November 1918. It was disbanded after the war in mid-1919, but re-raised in 1937 and 1940. In 1942 it deployed to New Guinea, where it supported military forces by spotting for artillery and providing reconnaissance and
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
. As the war progressed, the squadron took part in the Huon Peninsula,
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 ...
and Borneo campaigns. It was disbanded in early 1948, but was re-formed on 2 July 2009 to provide training to forward air controllers and to support Army Special Operations Command.


Composition

No. 4 Squadron consists of three flights designated as A, B and C as well as maintenance / logistics sections and a small administrative team.


A Flight

A Flight is composed of aircrew responsible for operating four Pilatus PC-9A(F) Forward Air Control (FAC) variant aircraft. The PC-21 in grey paintwork differs in appearance from the standard multi-coloured RAAF PC-21. The aircraft are based at
RAAF Base Williamtown RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located north of the coastal city of Newcastle ( by road) in the local government area of Port Stephens, in New South Wales, Australia. The base serves as the h ...
to train ADF Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC).


B Flight Combat Control Team (CCT)

B Flight is the Combat Control Team (CCT), composed of Combat Controllers responsible for reconnaissance, joint terminal attack control and advanced force operations, doing so either as part of a larger advanced force (supporting the SASR or Commandos from the 1st or
2nd Commando Regiment The 2nd Commando Regiment is a special forces unit of the Australian Army and is part of Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when the 4th Battalion RAR (Commando) was renamed. It is based at Holsworthy, ...
), or independently. Combat Controllers provide a range of capabilities, including from Forward Air Control of Offensive Air Support, Landing Zone Reconnaissance, Aviation Meteorology Observation and Airspace Management. The Special Tactics Project was formed in 2007 to train air force personnel as Combat Controllers similar to US Air Force combat controllers, following a request by the Army Special Operations Command in 2006. Between 2008 and 2009, three intakes completed initial training and four members deployed during combat operations in Afghanistan with the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG). Combat Controllers served continuously with the SOTG from 2008 rotating controllers at each SOTG rotation until withdrawal. In July 2009, the Special Tactics Project became B Flight in the reformed No. 4 Squadron. Selection to become a Combat Controller is open to any ADF member and involves completion of the 8-week CCT Intake Course providing preparatory ground skills training and to prepare volunteers for the Special Forces Entry Test. Volunteers need to pass the Special Forces Entry Test, complete the Commando Reinforcement Training Cycle, Joint Terminal Attack Controller, Aviation Meteorology, Assault Zone Reconnaissance and Air Weapons Delivery courses. After passing selection and completing nearly two years of training, the Combat Controller is issued with a grey beret featuring a Sykes-Fairbain (commando) dagger.


C Flight

C Flight delivers the ADF Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course as well as the ongoing accreditation of graduates. In 2005, the Air Force became the first foreign air force to receive Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) accreditation from the United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM). The six-week JTAC course teaches planning, briefing, controlling and reporting of close air support (CAS). The JTAC course is conducted twice a year with aim of graduating 32 students a year. More than 300 students have graduated since 1997.


History


World War I

No. 4 Squadron was established as a unit of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) at Point Cook, Victoria, on 16 October 1916.Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 26RAAF Historical Section, ''Units of the Royal Australian Air Force'', p. 9 According to the unit war diary, Captain Andrew Lang took command of the squadron and its initial complement of one officer and 26 men on 25 October. Shortly after its formation the squadron departed for Britain, arriving at Castle Bromwich for further training in March 1917. The unit arrived in France on 18 December 1917. During its time on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
, it was assigned to No. 80 Wing. Operating Sopwith Camels and
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, it performed fighter sweeps, provided air support for the army, and raided German airstrips. No. 4 Squadron claimed more "kills" than any other AFC unit: 199 enemy aircraft destroyed.Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 16–21 In addition, 33 enemy balloons were destroyed or driven down. Members of the unit included Captain Harry Cobby, the AFC's leading ace of the war, credited with destroying 29 aircraft and observation balloons, and Captain George Jones, who shot down seven aircraft and later served as the RAAF's Chief of the Air Staff for ten years. Aces Roy King,
Edgar McCloughry Air Vice-Marshal Edgar James Kingston-McCloughry, (10 September 1896 – 15 November 1972), born Edgar James McCloughry, was an Australian fighter pilot and flying ace of the First World War, and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during t ...
, Herbert Watson, Thomas Baker,
Leonard Taplin Lieutenant Leonard Thomas Eaton Taplin (16 December 1895 – 8 July 1961) was an Australian World War I flying ace. During his service in Palestine (region), Palestine, he helped pioneer the use of aerial photography for cartography. He then ...
,
Thomas Barkell Lieutenant Thomas Henry Barkell (born 1892, date of death unknown) was an Australian flying ace of the First World War, credited with seven aerial victories. Military service No. 3 Squadron AFC Barkell worked as a motor mechanic in Sydney be ...
, Arthur Palliser,
Norman Trescowthick Norman Charles Trescowthick, (18 July 1895 – 23 March 1966) was an Australian flying ace of the First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in histo ...
,
Garnet Malley Garnet Francis Malley, (2 November 1892 – 20 May 1961) was an Australian fighter ace of World War I, credited with six aerial victories. He was an aviation adviser to Chiang Kai-shek's government in China during the 1930s, and an ...
and Albert Robertson also served in the squadron. Following the armistice, No. 4 Squadron remained in Europe and was based in Cologne, Germany, as part of the
British Army of Occupation British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
. It returned to Australia in March 1919 and was disbanded in Melbourne in June.Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 27


World War II

No. 4 Squadron was re-formed as a general reconnaissance unit at RAAF Station Richmond, New South Wales, on 3 May 1937, flying
Hawker Demon The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...
s before taking delivery of its first Avro Anson the following month. Re-numbered No. 6 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron on 1 March 1939, No. 4 Squadron was re-formed again at Richmond on 17 June 1940, this time as an army co-operation unit. Originally equipped with Demons and
De Havilland Moth The de Havilland Moths were a series of light aircraft, sports planes, and military trainers designed by Geoffrey de Havilland. In the late 1920s and 1930s, they were the most common civilian aircraft flying in Britain, and during that time ever ...
s, it converted to CAC Wirraways in September and relocated to
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
later that month. On 20 May 1942, No. 4 Squadron deployed to Camden Airfield, where it flew anti-submarine patrols as well as army co-operation training sorties until redeploying to Queensland and then in November to New Guinea. The squadron's initial task in New Guinea was to support the American and Australian forces in the Battle of Buna-Gona. Until the end of the war the squadron operated in the army co-operation role, providing ground forces with artillery observation, reconnaissance and
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
. On 26 December 1942, a No. 4 Squadron Wirraway piloted by
Pilot Officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...
John Archer shot down an A6M Zero. This was the only kill achieved by a Wirraway during the war and earned Archer the US
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
.Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 28 On 31 January 1943, the squadron sent one of its flights to Wau, where it participated in the Battle of Wau.Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 29 In May 1943, No. 4 Squadron was re-equipped with CAC Boomerang fighter aircraft, to be operated in a tactical reconnaissance role. Operating with these new aircraft and also some Wirraways it had retained, the squadron supported the Australian
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and
9th 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
Divisions during the Huon Peninsula campaign.Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 30 It also operated six Piper Cubs as liaison aircraft during these campaigns. The squadron continued to support Australian, US Army and US Marine Corps units in New Guinea and
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 ...
until March 1945 when it deployed to Morotai and then to the island of Labuan to support Australian ground forces in the Borneo campaign. It supported the 9th Division's campaign in North Borneo and the 7th Division's landing at Balikpapan.Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 31 Casualties during the war amounted to 37 personnel killed.


Post-war years

After the war, No. 4 Squadron returned to Australia on 14 November 1945 and was again based at Canberra. It re-equipped with late-model P-40 Kittyhawks, having received a few of these aircraft while in Borneo, and this was followed by CAC Mustangs and Austers in early 1947. After completing training on its new aircraft, the squadron provided a firepower demonstration for cadets of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, during an exercise at Braidwood in September 1947. On 7 March 1948, No. 4 Squadron ceased to exist, having been re-numbered No. 3 Squadron. No. 4 Squadron was re-formed on 3 July 2009 at
RAAF Base Williamtown RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located north of the coastal city of Newcastle ( by road) in the local government area of Port Stephens, in New South Wales, Australia. The base serves as the h ...
to train
forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
lers. The Forward Air Control Development Unit (FACDU) of No. 82 Wing, which operated Pilatus PC-9s, was merged into the new unit, along with the Special Tactics Project. This continued the FAC presence at Williamtown that had been maintained by FACDU and No. 4 Flight, which operated Winjeels out of Williamtown from 1970 to 1989. No. 4 Squadron's Pilatus PC-9s were replaced with Pilatus PC-21s in 2020.


Aircraft operated

No. 4 Squadron has operated the following aircraft:Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', pp. 26–32 * Sopwith Camel (1917–1918) * Sopwith Snipe (1918–1919) *
Hawker Demon The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...
(1937 and 1940) * Avro Anson (1937–1939) *
de Havilland Moth Minor The de Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor was a 1930s British two-seat tourer/trainer aircraft built by de Havilland at Hatfield Aerodrome, England. With the start of the second world war production of the Moth Minor was moved to de Havilland Australi ...
(1940–1941) * CAC Wirraway (1940–1945) *
de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...
(1942–?) * CAC Boomerang (1943–1945) * Piper Cub (1943–1944) * Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk (1945–1947) *
CAC Mustang The CAC Mustang is an Australian variant of the North American P-51 Mustang. It was built under license by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in the final stages of World War II, and though it was too late to see combat, it did participate in the ...
(1947–1948) * Auster AOP III (1947–1948) * Pilatus PC-9 (2009–2019) * Pilatus PC-21 (2020–current)


Notes


References

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Further reading

* * * * {{Air force ground forces and special forces 071 4 Military units and formations established in 1916 1916 establishments in Australia Special forces of Australia