No. 42 Squadron RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 42 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) mine laying
and maritime patrol
squadron
of World War II
. It was formed in June 1944 and conducted patrol and mine-laying operations over the Netherlands East Indies
(NEI) from August 1944 until the war ended a year later, as well as operations in the waters off southern China in early 1945. Following the Japanese surrender, the squadron performed transport and reconnaissance flights until it was disbanded in November 1945.
in Australia's Northern Territory on 1 June 1944. In early July the squadron's 50 personnel moved to Melville Bay aboard , arriving there on the 11th of the month. During July No. 42 Squadron was expanded to a strength of 300 personnel, and it received its PBY Catalina flying boats and further personnel in August. The unit conducted its first operation on 27 August when three Catalinas flew patrols searching for shipping.
During 1944 RAAF Catalinas based in northern Australia
conducted a highly-successful minelaying campaign against Japanese shipping in the NEI which formed part of the North Western Area Campaign
. In order to expand this campaign Air Vice Marshal William Bostock
, the commander of RAAF Command
, ordered that the Catalina-equipped No. 20
, No. 42 and No. 43 Squadrons
be assigned solely to minelaying under the command of No. 76 Wing
.
No. 42 Squadron commenced minelaying operations in September 1944. During this month it laid mines off Celebes
and suffered its first loss on 23 September when a Catalina made a forced landing in Japanese-controlled territory; the aircraft's crew were later rescued by a No. 43 Squadron Catalina. The squadron focused on laying mines off Makassar
and Pare Pare Bay in Celebes during October, and lost two aircraft to Japanese anti-aircraft guns. In November a detachment of aircraft was deployed to Morotai
in the NEI, which had been captured by Allied forces
in mid-September, from where they flew minelaying operations against Brunei Bay
, Tarakan
, Sandakan
and the Balabac Strait
s. Later in 1944 seven No. 42 Squadron Catalinas were deployed to Leyte
in the Philippines
from where they mined Manila Bay
on the night of 14/15 December.
In January and February 1945 No. 42 Squadron and the other units of No. 76 Wing focused on laying mines off Surabaya
and the Laoet Straits. One of the squadron's Catalinas was forced to make an emergency sea landing on 14 January after being damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire, but its crew was rescued by an aircraft from No. 43 Squadron. From March to May detachments of No. 42 Squadron aircraft laid mines off the coast of southern China
and Formossa
as part of a No. 76 Wing offensive in this area; these operations were conducted from Jinamoc Island in Leyte Gulf
with the aircraft refueling at Lingayen Gulf
in Luzon
while en-route to their targets. During June No. 42 Squadron aircraft flying from Jinamoc Island via a refueling base which had been established at Brunei Bay
laid mines off Sumatra
while some of its other Catalinas mined Surabaya. Following this, the squadron's aircraft were mainly used to conduct harassment raids on Japanese air bases in south-west Celebes, though they also attacked shipping in the Flores Sea
and Banda Sea
.
No. 42 Squadron assisted in the repatriation of Australian prisoners of war from Manila
and other Australian personnel from Labuan
following the Japanese surrender
. The squadron also conducted several reconnaissance flights over Japanese-occupied islands. No. 42 Squadron was disbanded at Melville Bay on 30 November 1945. During its existence it conducted 396 operational sorties, during which its aircraft dropped 549 tons of mines and 17 tons of bombs. The squadron also flew 6,330 hours of transport and courier flights. During these operations it lost very few aircraft.
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) mine laying
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
and maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
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...
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 June 1944 and conducted patrol and mine-laying operations over the Netherlands East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
(NEI) from August 1944 until the war ended a year later, as well as operations in the waters off southern China in early 1945. Following the Japanese surrender, the squadron performed transport and reconnaissance flights until it was disbanded in November 1945.
History
No. 42 Squadron was formed at DarwinDarwin, 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...
in Australia's Northern Territory on 1 June 1944. In early July the squadron's 50 personnel moved to Melville Bay aboard , arriving there on the 11th of the month. During July No. 42 Squadron was expanded to a strength of 300 personnel, and it received its PBY Catalina flying boats and further personnel in August. The unit conducted its first operation on 27 August when three Catalinas flew patrols searching for shipping.
During 1944 RAAF Catalinas based in northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
conducted a highly-successful minelaying campaign against Japanese shipping in the NEI which formed part of the 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...
. In order to expand this campaign Air Vice Marshal William Bostock
William Bostock
Air Vice Marshal William Dowling Bostock CB, DSO, OBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force. During World War II he led RAAF Command, the Air Force's main operational formation, with responsibility for the defence of Australia and air offensives against Japanese targets in the...
, the commander of RAAF Command
RAAF Command
RAAF Command was the main operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. The command was established in September 1942 and by April 1943 comprised 27 squadrons, including units from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Australia...
, ordered that the Catalina-equipped No. 20
No. 20 Squadron RAAF
No. 20 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron of World War II. It was formed in 1941 and disbanded in 1946.-History:...
, No. 42 and No. 43 Squadrons
No. 43 Squadron RAAF
No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol and mine laying squadron of World War II.-Squadron history:No. 43 Squadron was formed at Bowen in Queensland on 1 May 1943. Equipped with Catalina aircraft the Squadron flew its first operational patrols from Karumba on 8...
be assigned solely to minelaying under the command of No. 76 Wing
No. 76 Wing RAAF
No. 76 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force wing of World War II. Initially based in Cairns, Queensland, its headquarters transferred to Darwin, Northern Territory, in September 1944 to take control of three PBY Catalina squadrons, Nos. 20, 42, and 43...
.
No. 42 Squadron commenced minelaying operations in September 1944. During this month it laid mines off 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...
and suffered its first loss on 23 September when a Catalina made a forced landing in Japanese-controlled territory; the aircraft's crew were later rescued by a No. 43 Squadron Catalina. The squadron focused on laying mines off Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
and Pare Pare Bay in Celebes during October, and lost two aircraft to Japanese anti-aircraft guns. In November a detachment of aircraft was deployed to 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 the NEI, which had been captured by Allied forces
Battle of Morotai
The Battle of Morotai, part of the Pacific War, began on September 15, 1944, and continued until the war ended in August 1945. The fighting began when United States and Australian forces landed on the south-west corner of Morotai, a small island in the Netherlands East Indies , which the Allies...
in mid-September, from where they flew minelaying operations against Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay is the gateway to Brunei and Borneo. It is located 4°45'-5°02'N, 114°58'-115°10'E; east of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Brunei portion of the bay is in two sections separated by a finger of Sarawak about 6km wide at the coast...
, Tarakan
Tarakan
Tarakan volcano is located in Indonesia's Halmahera islands, near the shore of Galela Bay north east of Dukono volcano. Tarakan consists of two large cinder cones, namely Tarakan Lamo and Tarakan Itji ....
, Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
and the Balabac Strait
Balabac Strait
Balabac Strait is a strait in the South China Sea, at . It separates the Balabac island , Philippines from the Banggi Island north of Borneo that are a part of Malaysia's Sabah state....
s. Later in 1944 seven No. 42 Squadron Catalinas were deployed to Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from where they mined Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
on the night of 14/15 December.
In January and February 1945 No. 42 Squadron and the other units of No. 76 Wing focused on laying mines off Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
and the Laoet Straits. One of the squadron's Catalinas was forced to make an emergency sea landing on 14 January after being damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire, but its crew was rescued by an aircraft from No. 43 Squadron. From March to May detachments of No. 42 Squadron aircraft laid mines off the coast of southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Formossa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
as part of a No. 76 Wing offensive in this area; these operations were conducted from Jinamoc Island in Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
with the aircraft refueling at Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
while en-route to their targets. During June No. 42 Squadron aircraft flying from Jinamoc Island via a refueling base which had been established at Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay is the gateway to Brunei and Borneo. It is located 4°45'-5°02'N, 114°58'-115°10'E; east of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Brunei portion of the bay is in two sections separated by a finger of Sarawak about 6km wide at the coast...
laid mines off Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
while some of its other Catalinas mined Surabaya. Following this, the squadron's aircraft were mainly used to conduct harassment raids on Japanese air bases in south-west Celebes, though they also attacked shipping in the Flores Sea
Flores Sea
The Flores Sea covers 93,000 square miles of water in Indonesia.- Geography :The seas that border the Flores Sea are the Bali Sea , Java Sea , and the Banda Sea ....
and Banda Sea
Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is a sea in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera and Ceram Seas...
.
No. 42 Squadron assisted in the repatriation of Australian prisoners of war from Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and other Australian personnel from 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...
following the Japanese surrender
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
. The squadron also conducted several reconnaissance flights over Japanese-occupied islands. No. 42 Squadron was disbanded at Melville Bay on 30 November 1945. During its existence it conducted 396 operational sorties, during which its aircraft dropped 549 tons of mines and 17 tons of bombs. The squadron also flew 6,330 hours of transport and courier flights. During these operations it lost very few aircraft.