Allies make mark

Map from An Atlas of Australia’s Wars (Oxford, 2001) by LTGEN John Coates

Three Boston bombers from No. 22 Squadron return to their base at Port Moresby. The nearest aircraft was regularly flown by Flight Lieutenant Bill Newton.

A Japanese transport on fire during the Bismarck Sea action, photographed from a No. 30 Squadron Beaufighter flown by Flight Lieutenant Ronald Uren. Photos courtesy AWM

Plaque to be unveiled

The Australian War Memorial will host a plaque dedication ceremony for No 22 Squadron on Sunday, March 16, at 12.45pm. Guests will include New South Wales Governor Professor Marie Bashir and Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Angus Houston.

Sixty years ago Australian and US aircraft ambushed a Japanese troop convoy en route to Lae in New Guinea, inflicting an emphatic defeat and gaining control of the surrounding seas for the first time, as WGCDR Geoff Willans and Richard Hogan write

Careful planning, practice and synchronised attacks helped produce a decisive victory over the Japanese during the 1943 Battle of the Bismarck Sea.

Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the battle, a defining moment in the New Guinea campaign during World War II.

Planning and practising aerial attacks in a combined effort enabled the RAAF and United States Army Air Force (USAAF) crews to destroy a Japanese troop convoy and regain control of seas around New Guinea.

An innovative – and some would say aggressive – RAAF officer, Group Captain William “Bull” Garing, played an integral part in the planning and convinced his senior commanders that a concentrated attack with different types of aircraft would be necessary to destroy the enemy convoy.

A rehearsal was held near Port Moresby for aircrews to practise timing and hone their bombing and gunnery skills.
Importantly, US 5th Air Force commander General George Kenney had initiated the upgrade and modification of some B-25s and aircrew training in skip-bombing techniques to improve ship-strike capabilities.

General Douglas MacArthur described the Battle of the Bismarck Sea – from March 2-4, 1943 – as “the decisive aerial engagement of the war in the south-west Pacific”.

The Allied aerial assault involved RAAF Bostons, Beauforts and Beaufighters working in unison with USAAF B-17 Fortresses, Mitchells and Bostons.

Allied intelligence knew the Japanese were planning a convoy to reinforce their garrison at Lae.

The convoy of eight merchant ships, eight destroyers and more than 6000 Japanese Army troops and 400 Marines left Rabaul bound for Lae on the night of February 28. Initially favoured by poor weather which restricted Allied reconnaissance, the convoy was detected on March 2 by USAAF B-24 Liberators and bombed by the first wave of B-17s.

Earlier that day six Bostons from the RAAF’s No 22 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Keith Hampshire, attacked the Lae airfield to hinder Japanese air support.

RAAF Catalinas from No. 11 and No. 20 Squadrons shadowed the convoy through the night. Beauforts from the RAAF’s No 100 Squadron attempted night attacks but because of the weather conditions only two aircraft managed to harass the convoy.

Weather conditions had hindered the attacks but cleared on the morning of March 3 as more than 90 Allied aircraft rallied at the rendezvous point over Cape Ward Hunt to synchronise their strike on the convoy.

They attacked in three waves at three levels and only seconds apart. The American B-17 bombers, escorted by P-38 Lightning fighters, led the assault, bombing from about 7000 feet. The P-38s engaged the Zeros as the B-17 bombing broke up the convoy formation. RAAF Beaufighters from No 30 Squadron then made a devastating low-level attack, spraying the ships with their cannons and machine guns to suppress anti-aircraft fire. With the convoy in disarray, a third wave of American bombers (B-25 Mitchells and Bostons) used skip-bombing techniques to inflict more heavy damage, leaving ships listing and sinking.

Allied air losses from the morning raid totalled three P-38 Lightnings and a single B-17 but the American fighters accounted for 20 Zeros.

A second attack in the afternoon included American B-17s and Mitchells and five No. 22 Squadron Bostons, led by Squadron Leader Charles Learmonth, who sank a destroyer with two hits. Disabled ships from the morning attack were finished off and late in the afternoon the four surviving Japanese destroyers withdrew through Dampier Strait.
PT boats from Tufi finished off an abandoned transport overnight and an abandoned destroyer was sunk by air attack on the morning of March 4.

All eight Japanese transports were sunk along with four of their eight accompanying destroyers. More than 3000 Japanese were killed and only 850 troops eventually reached Lae.

The Japanese never attempted convoy resupply of New Guinea again although they did attempt an unsuccessful counter air attack campaign.

The CO of No. 22 Squadron, Wing Commander Hampshire, and the CO of No 30 Squadron, Wing Commander Brian “Blackjack” Walker, were each awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for their role in the battle.
Squadron Leader Learmonth was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his attack on the destroyer, and a bar in August 1943 as Commanding Officer of No. 22 Squadron. As CO of No.14 Squadron, he was killed in a Beaufort accident off Rottnest Island on January 6, 1944.

Squadron Leader Ross Little, Flight Lieutenant Ronald Uren, Flying Officers John Maguire, Jack Sandford and Alexander Spooner, and Pilot Officer Colin Campbell from No. 30 Squadron were also awarded DFCs.
Group Captain Garing, whose planning was vital to the success of the attack, was awarded the American Distinguished Service Cross.

.