No. 79 Wing RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 79 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) wing 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
s on its establishment, flying Beaufort
and B-25 Mitchell bombers and Beaufighter
heavy fighters. No. 79 Wing took part in the New Guinea
and North Western Area Campaign
s during 1944, transferring to bases in New Guinea
and later Morotai
as the Allies advanced northward. By the end of the Pacific War, the wing was attached to the Australian First Tactical Air Force
and was made up of Nos. 2
and 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadrons
, both flying Mitchells. The latter transferred to the Netherlands Air Force in late 1945, while the former returned to Australia where it disbanded the following year.
, on 30 November 1943. Its combat units included No. 1
and No. 2 Squadrons
(flying Beaufort
light reconnaissance bombers), No. 31 Squadron
(Beaufighter
long-range fighters), and No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies)
Squadron
(B-25 Mitchell medium bombers). The wing was commanded by Group Captain Charles Eaton
, whose Dutch personnel nicknamed him "Oom Charles" (Uncle Charles).
Operating under the auspices of North Western Area Command (NWA), Darwin
, No. 79 Wing participated in the New Guinea
and North Western Area Campaign
s during 1944. Through March–April, the Beaufighters attacked enemy shipping, while the Mitchells and Beauforts bombed Timor
on a daily basis as a prelude to Operations Reckless and Persecution
, the invasions of Hollandia
and Aitape
. On 19 April, Eaton organised a large raid against Su
, Dutch Timor, employing thirty-five Mitchells, Beauforts and Beaufighters to destroy the town's barracks and fuel dumps, the results earning 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
, Portuguese Timor. The ground assault met little opposition, credited in part to the air bombardment in the days leading up to it.
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In May 1944, Nos. 1, 18 and 31 Squadrons attacked enemy positions in Timor, while No. 2 Squadron was withdrawn from combat to re-equip with Mitchells.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, 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
, but lost nine aircraft and twenty-six crewmen killed. By the end of month, Mitchell missions were put on hold while replacement crews were trained. In late 1944, the decision was made to transfer No. 79 Wing and its Mitchell squadrons from North Western Area Command to Northern Command (formerly No. 9 Operational Group
) in Papua New Guinea
, to undertake operations against the Japanese in New Britain
. No. 31 Squadron was transferred from No. 79 Wing to the Australian First Tactical Air Force
at Morotai
in December. The same month, Group Captain Eaton posted out and was replaced by Group Captain John Ryland.
Weather hampered the wing's activities in January 1945. No. 1 Squadron was withdrawn to Queensland
to re-equip with Mosquitos
, 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. On 6 April, all twenty available Mitchells of Nos. 2 and 18 Squadrons joined B-24 Liberators of No. 82 Wing
in an assault on a Japanese convoy that included the cruiser Isuzu
; the Mitchells 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 following day. In July, following the Battle of North Borneo
, No. 79 Wing and its remaining squadrons, Nos. 2 and 18, were transferred to the First Tactical Air Force at Labuan
. The wing's final recorded action was repatriating RAAF personnel from the islands of Borneo to Australia, following the end of the Pacific War in August 1945. No. 18 Squadron was reassigned to the Netherlands Air Force in November 1945; the next month No. 2 Squadron returned to Australia, where it disbanded in mid-1946.
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF) wing of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was formed in December 1943 at Batchelor, Northern Territory
Batchelor, Northern Territory
Batchelor is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. The town is located in the Coomalie Shire Local Government Area, 98 kilometres south of the territory capital, Darwin...
, as part of North Western Area Command. Led by Group Captain Charles Eaton
Charles Eaton (RAAF officer)
Charles Eaton OBE, AFC was a senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force , who later served as a diplomat. Born in London, he joined the British Army upon the outbreak of World War I and saw action on the Western Front before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917...
, the wing comprised four squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s on its establishment, flying Beaufort
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
and B-25 Mitchell bombers and Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
heavy fighters. No. 79 Wing took part in the New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
and North Western Area Campaign
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 between 1942 and 1945...
s during 1944, transferring to bases in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and later Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
as the Allies advanced northward. By the end of the Pacific War, the wing was attached to the Australian First Tactical Air Force
Australian First Tactical Air Force
The Australian First Tactical Air Force was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force . Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and naval units fighting the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Area...
and was made up of Nos. 2
No. 2 Squadron RAAF
No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. From its formation in 1916, it has operated a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control.-World War I:No...
and 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadrons
No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF
No. 18 Squadron was a joint Dutch and Australian bomber squadron of World War II.-History:No. 18 Squadron was formed at Canberra on 4 April 1942. Like the other two joint Australian-Dutch squadrons the Dutch authorities provided No. 18 Squadron's pilots and aircraft...
, both flying Mitchells. The latter transferred to the Netherlands Air Force in late 1945, while the former returned to Australia where it disbanded the following year.
History
No. 79 Wing was established at Batchelor, Northern TerritoryBatchelor, Northern Territory
Batchelor is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. The town is located in the Coomalie Shire Local Government Area, 98 kilometres south of the territory capital, Darwin...
, on 30 November 1943. Its combat units included No. 1
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
and No. 2 Squadrons
No. 2 Squadron RAAF
No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. From its formation in 1916, it has operated a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control.-World War I:No...
(flying Beaufort
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
light reconnaissance bombers), No. 31 Squadron
No. 31 Squadron RAAF
No. 31 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force airbase support squadron re-raised in July 2010. The Squadron was first formed in August 1942 and was disbanded in July 1946 after seeing action in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II.-History:No...
(Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
long-range fighters), and No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies)
Squadron
No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF
No. 18 Squadron was a joint Dutch and Australian bomber squadron of World War II.-History:No. 18 Squadron was formed at Canberra on 4 April 1942. Like the other two joint Australian-Dutch squadrons the Dutch authorities provided No. 18 Squadron's pilots and aircraft...
(B-25 Mitchell medium bombers). The wing was commanded by Group Captain Charles Eaton
Charles Eaton (RAAF officer)
Charles Eaton OBE, AFC was a senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force , who later served as a diplomat. Born in London, he joined the British Army upon the outbreak of World War I and saw action on the Western Front before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917...
, whose Dutch personnel nicknamed him "Oom Charles" (Uncle Charles).
Operating under the auspices of North Western Area Command (NWA), Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, No. 79 Wing participated in the New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
and North Western Area Campaign
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 between 1942 and 1945...
s during 1944. Through March–April, the Beaufighters attacked enemy shipping, while the Mitchells and Beauforts bombed Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
on a daily basis as a prelude to Operations Reckless and Persecution
Operations Reckless and Persecution
Operation Reckless, known as the Landing at Hollandia and Operation Persecution known as the Aitape landing, were Allied amphibious landings which commenced the Western New Guinea campaign. Both operations commenced on 22 April 1944....
, the invasions of Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
and Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 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 highway between these two capitals...
. On 19 April, Eaton organised a large raid against Su
South Central Timor Regency
South Central Timor Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Established in 1958,the regency has its seat in Soe.- References :...
, Dutch Timor, employing thirty-five Mitchells, Beauforts and Beaufighters to destroy the town's barracks and fuel dumps, the results earning the personal congratulations of the Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
NWA, Air Vice Marshal "King" Cole
Adrian Cole (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the army at the outbreak of World War I, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2...
. On the day of the Allied landings, 22 April, the Mitchells and Beaufighters made a daylight raid on Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, Portuguese Timor. The ground assault met little opposition, credited in part to the air bombardment in the days leading up to it.
Battle of Noemfoor
The Battle of Noemfoor was a battle of World War II that took place on the island of Noemfoor, in Dutch New Guinea, between 2 July and 31 August 1944. United States and Australian forces attacked to capture Japanese bases on the island.-Background:...
. 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
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, but lost nine aircraft and twenty-six crewmen killed. By the end of month, Mitchell missions were put on hold while replacement crews were trained. In late 1944, the decision was made to transfer No. 79 Wing and its Mitchell squadrons from North Western Area Command to Northern Command (formerly No. 9 Operational Group
No. 9 Operational Group RAAF
No. 9 Operational Group was a major Royal Australian Air Force unit providing fighter, ground attack and anti-shipping support to the Allies in the South West Pacific theatre during World War II. It was designed to act as a mobile striking force independent of the RAAF's static area commands. As...
) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, to undertake operations against the Japanese in New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
. No. 31 Squadron was transferred from No. 79 Wing to the Australian First Tactical Air Force
Australian First Tactical Air Force
The Australian First Tactical Air Force was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force . Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and naval units fighting the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Area...
at Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
in December. The same month, Group Captain Eaton posted out and was replaced by Group Captain John Ryland.
Weather hampered the wing's activities in January 1945. No. 1 Squadron was withdrawn to Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
to re-equip with Mosquitos
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
, with No. 13 Squadron
No. 13 Squadron RAAF
No. 13 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The Squadron saw combat during World War II as a bomber and maritime patrol squadron and is currently active as a mixed regular and reserve RAAF unit located in Darwin, fulfilling both operational support and training duties.-History:No. 13...
, flying Venturas
Lockheed Ventura
The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...
, 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. On 6 April, all twenty available Mitchells of Nos. 2 and 18 Squadrons joined B-24 Liberators of No. 82 Wing
No. 82 Wing RAAF
No. 82 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's strike and reconnaissance wing. It is headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, and operates the F/A-18F Super Hornet multirole fighter and Pilatus PC-9 forward air control aircraft. The wing was formed in August 1944, flying B-24 Liberator...
in an assault on a Japanese convoy that included the cruiser Isuzu
Japanese cruiser Isuzu
was one of six s in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was named after the Isuzu River, near Ise Shrine in the Chūbu region of Japan.-Background:Isuzu was the second of the six vessels completed in the Nagara-class of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as...
; the Mitchells 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 following day. In July, following the Battle of North Borneo
Battle of North Borneo
The Battle of North Borneo took place during the Second World War between Allied and Japanese forces. Part of the wider Borneo campaign of the Pacific War, it was fought between 10 June and 15 August 1945 in North Borneo...
, No. 79 Wing and its remaining squadrons, Nos. 2 and 18, were transferred to the First Tactical Air Force at Labuan
Labuan
Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
. The wing's final recorded action was repatriating RAAF personnel from the islands of Borneo to Australia, following the end of the Pacific War in August 1945. No. 18 Squadron was reassigned to the Netherlands Air Force in November 1945; the next month No. 2 Squadron returned to Australia, where it disbanded in mid-1946.