No. 78 Squadron RAAF
Encyclopedia
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.
on 20 July 1943. The squadron was equipped with P-40 Kittyhawk fighters and reached operational status in October. In November 1943 the squadron arrived on Kiriwina Island and began flying ground attack and bomber escort missions. The squadron moved to Nadzab
on the New Guinea
mainland in January 1944 and flew in support of Allied ground forces. After brief periods at Cape Gloucester
and Tadji
No. 78 Squadron arrived at Hollandia
in May 1944.
On 3 June 1944, aircraft from the Squadron fought the RAAF's last major air combat of the Pacific War, when 16 Kittyhawks engaged 15 Japanese aircraft, shooting down up to nine Japanese aircraft for the loss of a single Kittyhawk. A No. 78 Squadron aircraft, "Black Magic", flown by Flight Lieutenant
Denis Baker scored the last aerial victory of the New Guinea campaign
on 10 June.
The squadron operated from Noemfoor
island from June to December when it moved to Morotai
island, where it conducted raids on Japanese positions in the Dutch East Indies
. The squadron moved to Tarakan Island
off Borneo
in July 1945 and remained at this base until it returned to Australia in December. The RAAF's only Indigenous Australian pilot of World War II, Warrant Officer Len Waters
, flew 95 sortie
s as a member of 78 Squadron, between November 1944 and the end of the war.http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/lastbattles/lenwaters.html Waters was assigned "Black Magic".
Following the war No. 78 Squadron was reduced to cadre status but was returned to operational status in August 1946 when it moved to RAAF Base Williamtown
and was equipped with P-51D Mustang aircraft. No. 78 Squadron was disbanded on 1 April 1948.
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...
fighter squadron 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...
. The Squadron was formed in July 1943 and was disbanded in April 1948 after seeing action in the South West Pacific.
History
No. 78 Squadron was formed at Camden, New South WalesCamden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
on 20 July 1943. The squadron was equipped with P-40 Kittyhawk fighters and reached operational status in October. In November 1943 the squadron arrived on Kiriwina Island and began flying ground attack and bomber escort missions. The squadron moved to Nadzab
Nadzab
-History:A Lutheran mission station was established at Nadzab around 1910. Nadzab was the site of the only Allied paratrooper assault in New Guinea on 5 September 1943.The Lae Nadzab Airport is a regional airport served by regional aircraft with domestic flights....
on the 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...
mainland in January 1944 and flew in support of Allied ground forces. After brief periods at Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
and Tadji
Tadji
Tadji may refer to:*Tadji, Iraq, town in Iraq*Tadji, Papua New Guinea, town in Papua New Guinea...
No. 78 Squadron arrived at 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....
in May 1944.
On 3 June 1944, aircraft from the Squadron fought the RAAF's last major air combat of the Pacific War, when 16 Kittyhawks engaged 15 Japanese aircraft, shooting down up to nine Japanese aircraft for the loss of a single Kittyhawk. A No. 78 Squadron aircraft, "Black Magic", flown by Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Denis Baker scored the last aerial victory of 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:...
on 10 June.
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...
island from June to December when it moved 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:...
island, where it conducted raids on Japanese positions in the Dutch 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....
. The squadron moved to Tarakan Island
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
off Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
in July 1945 and remained at this base until it returned to Australia in December. The RAAF's only Indigenous Australian pilot of World War II, Warrant Officer Len Waters
Len Waters
Leonard Victor Waters was the first Australian Aboriginal military aviator, and the only one to serve as a fighter pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II...
, flew 95 sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
s as a member of 78 Squadron, between November 1944 and the end of the war.http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/lastbattles/lenwaters.html Waters was assigned "Black Magic".
Following the war No. 78 Squadron was reduced to cadre status but was returned to operational status in August 1946 when it moved to RAAF Base Williamtown
RAAF Base Williamtown
RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force base and headquarters to Australia's Tactical Fighter group. The base is located north of the coastal city of Newcastle, New South Wales in the Local Government Area of Port Stephens. The military base shares its runway facilities with...
and was equipped with P-51D Mustang aircraft. No. 78 Squadron was disbanded on 1 April 1948.
Aircraft operated
- P-40 Kittyhawk (July 1943 – December 1945(?))
- P-51D Mustang (August 1946 – April 1948)
- CAC WirrawayCAC WirrawayThe Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...
(August 1946 – April 1948(?))