Flying at wave-top height in all weather and under heavy fire, the crews of 455 (RAAF) Squadron and 489 (RNZAF) Squadron formed one of the Second World War’s most daring maritime strike forces – and they paid a devastating price.

Between December 1943 and May 1945, 87 young men were lost as the two squadrons flew together as a strike wing under Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command in the fight against German shipping across the North Sea. 

That story of courage, comradeship and relentless operational tempo has been brought together in ANZAC Strike Wing: Operations in the North Sea with RAF Coastal Command, the 12th title in the Australian Air Campaign Series published by History and Heritage – Air Force (HH-AF). 

Drawing on newly digitised archives, operational records and eyewitness accounts, the book by retired Air Vice-Marshal John Quaife chronicles the exhilaration and chaos of low-level strike warfare and the human bonds forged in one of the war’s most dangerous arenas.  

The project has its origins in a conversation with then Director-General HH-AF Air Commodore John Meier, who suggested the author take on the story while he was finalising an earlier work.

Air Vice-Marshal Quaife’s exposure to the Strike Wing deepened through his role with the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal and Ken Wright’s application related to Beaufighter pilot James Hakewill and his navigator Fred Sides – a story that first appeared in the earlier book and would become one thread in this larger narrative.

While the Battle of Britain and Bomber Command’s campaign dominate popular memory, Coastal Command’s anti-shipping war remains less visible to many readers. The author notes that these operations were often out of the public eye, peaked later in the war, and were conducted on a different scale to the bomber offensive – all factors that helped keep the campaign in the shadows despite its strategic impact.

What made the Strike Wing’s work uniquely perilous was the combination of tactics, proximity and timing. Coastal Command’s strike wings flew aggressive, massed attacks, using aircraft such as Beaufighters and Mosquitos to smash convoys protected by concentrated ship-borne defences.

'They were cheerful, generous and brave; we shall remember them with gratitude and affection.'

In a typical ship strike, 'flak-busting' aircraft attacked at close range with cannon and rockets to suppress anti-aircraft fire, creating a narrow window for torpedo aircraft to deliver the decisive blow.

Within the ANZAC Strike Wing, 455 Squadron performed the flak-busting role while 489 Squadron launched torpedoes. This was a partnership that demanded precision, discipline and extraordinary nerve under fire.

The book also highlights that the Strike Wing concept did not emerge fully formed. Early attempts were costly, prompting a deliberate period of work-up training and tactics development before the approach proved effective.

RAF narrative documents prepared by the Air Historical Branch after the war capture that methodical evolution, including the development of aircraft, weapons and massed attack tactics.

Beyond operational detail, ANZAC Strike Wing centres on the people and what 'Anzac spirit' looked like far from home in a harsh, unfamiliar theatre. The author follows two crews in particular, showing how ordinary young men from vastly different backgrounds shouldered relentless danger and loss without fanfare.

Commanding Officer 489 Squadron Wing Commander Derek Hammond said: “They were cheerful, generous and brave; we shall remember them with gratitude and affection.”

In the book’s introduction, Air Commodore Pete Robinson draws a direct line from the Strike Wing’s experience to contemporary air power, noting that while tools have changed, the underlying truths remain: maritime strike is dynamic, complex and dependent on skilled, cohesive aviators operating in demanding environments.

With ANZAC Strike Wing, Air Vice-Marshal Quaife hopes modern readers take away a clear message: the service and sacrifice on which today’s air forces are built should never be forgotten, and can only be honoured by telling these stories honestly and without embellishment.  

ANZAC Strike Wing can be purchased from Big Sky Publishing: www.bigskypublishing.com.au/anzac-strike-wing/