Catalina crews recall battles

By Allan Cole

The Black Cat of the skies, an A24- 352 Catalina, taxies at the RAAF Museum’s Air Pageant in February.

ON THE morning of March 2, 1943, Catalina aircraft staging through Milne Bay shadowed a Japanese convoy transporting some 7000 troops from Rabaul to New Guinea and later that night helped to almost completely destroy it.

So began the Battle of the Bismark Sea, that had been planned for since February 19, when Allied intelligence had intercepted signals that indicated a large Japanese force was being prepared for transport.

Bad weather prevented an earlier attack. Stories such as these were recalled at the Catalina Club of Australia’s recent 14th National Reunion at RAAF Base Edinburgh. More than 150 members attended.

Geoff Watson, a wireless operator and air gunner with No. 11 Squadron, was on the Catalina that tracked the convoy.

“It came round from north of New Britain and was expected to head through Vitiaz Straight,” he said.

“I sent that message and chatted all night sending position reports and we dropped a few bombs every now and again until dawn when the US Air Force and Australian Beaufighters took over and wiped them out.

“I think there was about 7000-8000 Japanese killed in the convoy. All of the merchant ships were destroyed and some of the warships and the rest had to limp away.”

The Air Force had posted him to Cairns for 12 months from where he undertook about 40 odd missions on Catalinas bombing the Japanese, dropping supplies to coast watchers, locating Japanese convoys and carrying out aerial searches for lost planes.

Bruce Wellington was an air frame fitter and gunner on a Catalina. “I realise now how many incredible escapes we had, like being close enough to Japanese ships to count them,” he said.

“They could have shot us out of the sky with a 303 rifle we were that close. “The Catalina was a very slow aircraft, your car will go faster, but its endurance was incredible. The longest I have been up in one was 22 hours five minutes but some went 25-26 hours depending on the operation. It was a great old plane, slow but reliable.”

Various units operated Catalinas, including Nos. 11, 20, 42 and 43 Squadrons, Air-Sea Rescue Units and No. 3 Operational Training Unit. The four Catalina squadrons, because of their
long-range and endurance, patrolled throughout south-east Asia.

They were camouflaged in black – hence their nickname, Black Cat. The squadrons suffered heavy losses with 320 members losing their lives. The squadrons received 113 decorations.

.