No. 73 Wing RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 73 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) wing of World War II
. It was formed in February 1943 at Port Moresby
, Papua New Guinea, as part of No. 9 Operational Group
. The wing initially comprised three attack squadrons flying CAC Wirraway
s, Douglas Bostons, and Bristol Beaufighter
s, with which it took part in the New Guinea campaign
until mid-year. It was then reorganised with three fighter squadrons operating P-40 Kittyhawks and Supermarine Spitfire
s; in this form it saw action in the New Britain and Admiralty Islands campaign
s through 1943–44. By the beginning of 1945 its squadrons had been absorbed into other RAAF wings under No. 10 Operational Group (later the Australian First Tactical Air Force
).
No. 73 Wing was formed in February 1943, consisting of No. 4 Squadron
(flying CAC Wirraway
s), No. 22 Squadron
(Douglas Bostons) and No. 30 Squadron
(Bristol Beaufighter
s). Based at Port Moresby
, Papua New Guinea, the wing was under the control of No. 9 Operational Group
, the RAAF's "premier fighting unit" in the South West Pacific Area
(SWPA), whose purpose was to act as a mobile strike force in support of advancing Allied troops. In March, the wing's units participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea
, "the decisive aerial engagement" in the SWPA according to General Douglas MacArthur
, that resulted in twelve ships from a Japanese convoy being sunk. During this engagement, some of No. 22 Squadron's Bostons struck Lae
airfield to prevent Japanese fighters taking off to intercept Allied bombers, while others took part in the actual assault on the convoy; No. 30 Squadron's Beaufighters launched "withering" low-level cannon and machine-gun attacks on the Japanese ships to suppress anti-aircraft fire prior to bombing runs by USAAF B-25 Mitchells. Flight Lieutenant Bill Newton, one of the Boston pilots who attacked Lae, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross
for pressing home bombing missions against Salamaua
later that month, in spite of severe damage to his aircraft.
Having earlier been led by Wing Commander Blake Pelly
, by June 1943 No. 73 Wing was under the command of Group Captain Ian McLachlan
. That month, McLachlan established his headquarters at Goodenough Island
, where the wing was reorganised as a fighter formation consisting of No. 76 Squadron
(flying P-40 Kittyhawks), No. 77 Squadron
(Kittyhawks) and No. 79 Squadron
(Spitfires
). As well as providing local air defence, and fighter escort for Australian bombers, the Kittyhawks were themselves armed with incendiary
and general-purpose bombs so that they could engage in ground attack
missions, a practice that had already been employed by Commonwealth forces in the Middle Eastern theatre
. In August, the wing transferred to Kiriwina
, while No. 9 Group's other combat formation, No. 71 Wing
, took over responsibility for Goodenough. Transport delays meant that No. 77 Squadron remained at Goodenough, however, and its place in No. 73 Wing at Kiriwina was taken by No. 78 Squadron
, which arrived from Australia in November, also equipped with Kittyhawks.
assumed command of No. 73 Wing in October 1943. Minimal offensive air activity by the Japanese meant that No. 79 Squadron's Spitfires saw relatively little action, while in contrast the wing's P-40s with their ground attack capability were "fully engaged". As part of the build-up to the Battle of Arawe
in December, the Kittyhawks launched a series of attacks on the Gasmata
airfield and fuel dumps; on the day of the Allied landings, as No. 76 Squadron Kittyhawks patrolled above the beaches, the Spitfires remained at Kiriwina in case of strikes by Japanese raiders, though none came. In January 1944, the wing's Spitfires and Kittyhawks accompanied Beauforts on the two largest raids mounted by the RAAF to that time, each involving over 70 aircraft attacking enemy camps and depots at Lindenhafen, New Britain
.
As part of No. 9 Group's contribution to the Admiralty Islands campaign
, No. 73 Wing took up garrison duties at Los Negros
commencing in March 1944. Its complement of combat squadrons was again Nos. 76, 77 and 79 Squadrons, supported by No. 49 Operational Base Unit, No. 114 Mobile Fighter Sector, No. 27 Air Stores Park and No. 26 Medical Clearing Station, among other ancillaries, with total ground staff numbering approximately 900. The fighters' primary duty was providing air cover for Allied shipping; they also carried out bomber escort, ground attack and anti-shipping missions in the region. In mid-April, the wing escorted the largest Allied convoy in the South-West Pacific to that date, 80 ships carrying 30,000 personnel, from Finschhafen
to Aitape
. Completing their garrison work in the Admiralties that June, No. 73 Wing's combat units were all eventually transferred to other formations under No. 10 Operational Group (later renamed the Australian First Tactical Air Force
). Nos. 76 and 77 Squadrons joined another Kittyhawk unit, No. 82 Squadron
, at No. 81 Wing
on Noemfoor
under Steege’s command, while No. 79 Squadron was withdrawn to Darwin, Northern Territory
in November to re-equip with new Spitfires before joining No. 80 Wing
and returning to the Pacific at Morotai
in March 1945.
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 February 1943 at Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, Papua New Guinea, as part of 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...
. The wing initially comprised three attack squadrons flying CAC Wirraway
CAC Wirraway
The Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...
s, Douglas Bostons, and Bristol 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...
s, with which it took part in the New Guinea campaign
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:...
until mid-year. It was then reorganised with three fighter squadrons operating P-40 Kittyhawks and Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s; in this form it saw action in the New Britain and Admiralty Islands campaign
Admiralty Islands campaign
The Admiralty Islands campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of World War II in which the United States Army's 1st Cavalry Division occupied the Japanese-held Admiralty Islands....
s through 1943–44. By the beginning of 1945 its squadrons had been absorbed into other RAAF wings under No. 10 Operational Group (later 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...
).
New Guinea campaign
No. 4 Squadron RAAF
No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron responsible for training forward air controllers. The squadron was previously a fighter and army co-operation unit active in both World War I and World War II.-World War I:...
(flying CAC Wirraway
CAC Wirraway
The Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...
s), No. 22 Squadron
No. 22 Squadron RAAF
No. 22 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force mixed regular and reserve squadron that provides support for the RAAF in the Sydney region. Formed in 1936, the squadron served in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War, and later followed the Pacific war as far as the Philippines...
(Douglas Bostons) and No. 30 Squadron
No. 30 Squadron RAAF
No. 30 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force . Raised in 1942 as a fighter unit, the Squadron saw action in the Second World War and later served in the target towing and surface-to-air missile roles. After a long period of disbandment lasting from the late 1960s, No...
(Bristol 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...
s). Based at Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, Papua New Guinea, the wing was under the control of 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...
, the RAAF's "premier fighting unit" in the South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
(SWPA), whose purpose was to act as a mobile strike force in support of advancing Allied troops. In March, the wing's units participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea
Battle of the Bismarck Sea
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea took place in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. During the course of the battle, aircraft of the U.S. 5th Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force attacked a Japanese convoy that was carrying troops to Lae, New Guinea...
, "the decisive aerial engagement" in the SWPA according to General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, that resulted in twelve ships from a Japanese convoy being sunk. During this engagement, some of No. 22 Squadron's Bostons struck Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
airfield to prevent Japanese fighters taking off to intercept Allied bombers, while others took part in the actual assault on the convoy; No. 30 Squadron's Beaufighters launched "withering" low-level cannon and machine-gun attacks on the Japanese ships to suppress anti-aircraft fire prior to bombing runs by USAAF B-25 Mitchells. Flight Lieutenant Bill Newton, one of the Boston pilots who attacked Lae, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for pressing home bombing missions against Salamaua
Salamaua
Salamaua was a small town situated on the north-eastern coastline of Papua New Guinea part of Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland...
later that month, in spite of severe damage to his aircraft.
Blake Pelly
Blake Raymond Pelly OBE was an Australian air force officer, politician and businessman, who represented the Liberal Party of Australia in New South Wales Parliament....
, by June 1943 No. 73 Wing was under the command of Group Captain Ian McLachlan
Ian Dougald McLachlan
Air Vice Marshal Ian Dougald McLachlan CB, CBE, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in Melbourne, he was a cadet at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, before joining the Air Force in December 1930...
. That month, McLachlan established his headquarters at Goodenough Island
Goodenough Island
Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands.It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island...
, where the wing was reorganised as a fighter formation consisting of No. 76 Squadron
No. 76 Squadron RAAF
No. 76 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training squadron. Established in 1942, the squadron operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft and saw combat during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
(flying P-40 Kittyhawks), No. 77 Squadron
No. 77 Squadron RAAF
No. 77 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. The Squadron was formed in 1942 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown.-History:...
(Kittyhawks) and No. 79 Squadron
No. 79 Squadron RAAF
No. 79 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training unit which has been formed on four occasions since 1943. The squadron was established in May 1943 as a fighter unit equipped with Supermarine Spitfires, and subsequently saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II...
(Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
). As well as providing local air defence, and fighter escort for Australian bombers, the Kittyhawks were themselves armed with incendiary
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
and general-purpose bombs so that they could engage in ground attack
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
missions, a practice that had already been employed by Commonwealth forces in the Middle Eastern theatre
Middle East Theatre of World War II
The Middle East Theatre of World War II is defined largely by reference to the British Middle East Command, which controlled Allied forces in both Southwest Asia and eastern North Africa...
. In August, the wing transferred to Kiriwina
Kiriwina
Kiriwina is the largest of the Trobriand Islands, with an area of 290.5 km². It is part of the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Most of the 12,000 people who live in the Trobriands live on Kiriwina. The Kilivila language, also known as Kiriwina, is spoken on the island...
, while No. 9 Group's other combat formation, No. 71 Wing
No. 71 Wing RAAF
No. 71 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force wing of World War II. It was formed in February 1943 at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, as part of No. 9 Operational Group. The wing initially comprised two squadrons of P-40 Kittyhawks, one of Lockheed Hudsons, and one of Bristol Beauforts...
, took over responsibility for Goodenough. Transport delays meant that No. 77 Squadron remained at Goodenough, however, and its place in No. 73 Wing at Kiriwina was taken by No. 78 Squadron
No. 78 Squadron RAAF
No. 78 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II. The Squadron was formed in July 1943 and was disbanded in April 1948 after seeing action in the South West Pacific.-History:...
, which arrived from Australia in November, also equipped with Kittyhawks.
New Britain and Admiralty Islands campaigns
Wing Commander Gordon SteegeGordon Steege
Air Commodore Gordon Henry Steege DSO, DFC is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Air Force . He became a fighter ace in World War II, credited with eight aerial victories...
assumed command of No. 73 Wing in October 1943. Minimal offensive air activity by the Japanese meant that No. 79 Squadron's Spitfires saw relatively little action, while in contrast the wing's P-40s with their ground attack capability were "fully engaged". As part of the build-up to the Battle of Arawe
Battle of Arawe
The Battle of Arawe was a battle during the New Britain Campaign of World War II. This campaign formed part of Operation Cartwheel and had the objective of isolating the key Japanese base at Rabaul. Arawe was attacked on 15 December 1943 by U.S...
in December, the Kittyhawks launched a series of attacks on the Gasmata
Gasmata
Gasmata is a village on the southern coast of New Britain, Papua New Guinea located at 6° 16' 60S 150° 19' 60E. It is serviced by Gasmata Airport.The Imperial Japanese occupied the village between 8–9 February 1942 during World War II...
airfield and fuel dumps; on the day of the Allied landings, as No. 76 Squadron Kittyhawks patrolled above the beaches, the Spitfires remained at Kiriwina in case of strikes by Japanese raiders, though none came. In January 1944, the wing's Spitfires and Kittyhawks accompanied Beauforts on the two largest raids mounted by the RAAF to that time, each involving over 70 aircraft attacking enemy camps and depots at Lindenhafen, 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...
.
As part of No. 9 Group's contribution to the Admiralty Islands campaign
Admiralty Islands campaign
The Admiralty Islands campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of World War II in which the United States Army's 1st Cavalry Division occupied the Japanese-held Admiralty Islands....
, No. 73 Wing took up garrison duties at Los Negros
Los Negros
Los Negros was a criminal organization that was once the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel and after a switch of alliances, became the armed wing of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel. On 2010 it went independent and had been contesting the control of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel. It was then the criminal...
commencing in March 1944. Its complement of combat squadrons was again Nos. 76, 77 and 79 Squadrons, supported by No. 49 Operational Base Unit, No. 114 Mobile Fighter Sector, No. 27 Air Stores Park and No. 26 Medical Clearing Station, among other ancillaries, with total ground staff numbering approximately 900. The fighters' primary duty was providing air cover for Allied shipping; they also carried out bomber escort, ground attack and anti-shipping missions in the region. In mid-April, the wing escorted the largest Allied convoy in the South-West Pacific to that date, 80 ships carrying 30,000 personnel, from Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
to 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...
. Completing their garrison work in the Admiralties that June, No. 73 Wing's combat units were all eventually transferred to other formations under No. 10 Operational Group (later renamed 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...
). Nos. 76 and 77 Squadrons joined another Kittyhawk unit, No. 82 Squadron
No. 82 Squadron RAAF
No. 82 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. The Squadron was formed in June 1943 and was disbanded in October 1948 after seeing action during World War II and participating in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.-History:...
, at No. 81 Wing
No. 81 Wing RAAF
No. 81 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's air superiority wing. Formed during World War II, it operated in the South West Pacific theatre, flying P-40 Kittyhawks. Following the end of hostilities, it converted to P-51 Mustangs and was based in Japan as part of the Allied occupational forces...
on Noemfoor
Noemfoor
Numfor is one of the Biak Islands in Papua province, Indonesia. It was the site of conflict between Japanese and the Allied forces during World War II, and was major airbase for both sides.-Geography:The island is situated just north of the large Cenderawasih Bay...
under Steege’s command, while No. 79 Squadron was withdrawn to Darwin, Northern Territory
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...
in November to re-equip with new Spitfires before joining No. 80 Wing
No. 80 Wing RAAF
No. 80 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force wing of World War II. The unit was formed on 15 May 1944 and eventually comprised three squadrons equipped with Spitfire fighter aircraft. The wing's headquarters was absorbed into the newly formed No...
and returning to the Pacific 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 March 1945.