Australia’s War Diary

USA. First flight of the Grumman XTBF-1 Avenger.

President Roosevelt bans the export of aviation fuel except to Britain and unoccupied countries resisting the Nazis. This is a blow to Japan which is at war in China. Japan is a member of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy.

August 2 – Middle East. At Tobruk, believing that enemy forces had been thinned along the Salient, the Australians launch an assault. In fact, two Australian battalions are thrown against three entrenched and ready German battalions. The attack fails with heavy losses. This marks the last attempt to straighten the dented perimeter. From now on the defenders will continue with aggressive patrol activity. Meanwhile, the navy’s ” Tobruk Ferry Service”, often under heavy air attack, remains the only method of supplying the besieged fortress.

August 3 -Atlantic. Catapulted from the SSMap/in, Lt Bob Everett of 804 Squadron intercepts and shoots down an Fw 200 Condor which has been shadowing the convoy. Afterwards he ditches his Hurricane and is picked up from the water by an escort destroyer, HMS Wanderer. Everett has scored the first “Catafighter” kill of the war, and for this and his earlier attempt on July 18 he will be awarded the DSO. This method of interception will provide interim air cover for Atlantic convoys until the introduction of light escort carriers.

Britain. During late afternoon over St Omer, the Kenley Wing, led by 452 Squadron RAAF, clashes with Bf 109Fs. 452’s Irish flight commander, F/Lt Paddy Finucane, claims one destroyed and P/O Bill Eccleston of Sydney accounts for another.

August 516 – Britain. RAF Bomber Command continues to raid with increasing strength. Major attacks are directed against Frankfurt (68 aircraft), Mannheim (98 aircraft) and Karlsruhe (97 aircraft). Bombing the latter is S/Ldr Dick Taylor DFC of 207 Squadron in Hampden AE297, on his 46th mission. August 7 – Malta. On the last day of July, the Blenheims of 105 Squadron, led by W/Cdr Hughie Edwards VC, DFC, had flown their first operation, an anti-shipping strike against an Axis convoy 50 miles off Pantelleria. Heavy flak and patrolling Italian fighters had caused the attack to be abandoned but in contrast today is highly successful. Four ships are destroyed out of a convoy of six. August 7/8 – Eastern Front. Five Russian Ilyushin 11-4 (DB-3F) bombers set out from Estonia to make the first Soviet air attack on the German capital. Two are shot down on the way, two become lost and one bombs a Berlin suburb causing little damage. It is a start. There will be another four such raids, with losses ranging up to 75%, before September 4 when they will cease because of the German advance through Estonia. Russian airfields will then be beyond range.

August 9 – North Africa. First mission of No 451 RAAF tactical reconnaissance Squadron (Hurricanes).

Britain. Circus 68. 5 Blenheims escorted by 5 wings of fighters attack the power station at Gosnay, south-west of Bethune. 452 Squadron is led by S/Ldr Bob Bungey. In a fight right from the French coast to the target and back again the Australians claim five Bf 109s. Scorers are Paddy Finucane who claims 1 plus sharing 1 with P/O Ray Thorold-Smith and another with Sgt Keith Chisholm; Chisholm shares the fourth with P/O Don Lewis and P/O Keith “Bluey” Truscott destroys the fifth. At low level on the way home Lewis and Truscott strafe ground targets in Boulogne. The cost is high. Sgt Barry Haydon from Brisbane, Sgt Geoff Chapman from Charlesville and P/O Jay O’Byrne from Launceston all fail to return. O’Byrne becomes a POW.

Circus 68 is deemed highly successful by the RAF which claims 11 Bf 109s destroyed, 7 probables and 5 damaged for the loss of 5 pilots. However one of these is the legendary legless British ace, Douglas “Tin Legs” Bader, leader of the Tangmere Wing, who bails out and also becomes a POW.

August 10 – North Africa. P/O Ray Hudson scores 451 Squadron’s first success when, on a reconnaissance sortie near Bardia, he shoots down a Hs 126. His victim is Obit Heymer, CO of the Luftwaffe’s 2/H14 reconnaissance unit.

August 11- Britain. 452Squadron’sSgt Arch Stuart from Grafton becomes lost in cloud and, emerging into the clear over Le Touquet, he makes two solo strafing runs on the airfield. The Germans are ready the second time. On his return to Kenley he declares his resolve to never again make more than one pass at a ground target! Malta. Six Blenheims from HughieEdwards’ 105 Squadron bomb the Montecatini and Pertusola chemical works near Crotone in southern Italy. One bomber is lost.

August 12-Australia. Test pilot Capt T R Young flies Bristol Beaufort L4448 non-stop from Melbourne to Archer field in 3 hours 12 minutes to demonstrate its long range capabilities and help Air Cdr Harry Cobby’s current recruitment drive. Newfoundland. At Placentia Bay at the end of meetings commenced on the 9th in British and US warships, Churchill and Roosevelt finalised the Atlantic Charter.

August 12/13 – Britain. RAF bomber Command targets Berlin, Hannover, Magdeburg and Essen. For his 47th mission, Melbourne’s S/Ldr Dick Taylor of 207 Squadron is briefed to attack Berlinin Manchester L7377 /EM-G with a 4,0001b(1,816kg) bomb load. Two Manchesters fail to return. One is L7377.

August 13 – Germany. First flight, under full rocket power, of the Me 163A at Peenemunde. August 14-Britain. F/Lt Vic Hodgkinson and crew in Sunderland W3979/RB-Q of 10 Squadron RAAF clash with an Fw 200 Con- dor over the Bay of Biscay. After furious exchanges of fire the Condor escapes into low cloud leaving a trail of black smoke. Intercepted German radio signals reveal that it fails to return to its base

August 15-Singapore. 453 Squadron RAAF arrives, joining two other Australian units, 8 and 21 Squadrons, at Sembawang. It commences a lengthy work-up and will be equipped with 18 new. Brewster Buffalo fighters.

August 16-Britain. While leading 452 Squadron on Circus 73 to St Omer in the morning, Paddy Finucane destroys a Bf 109E. Circus 75 in the late afternoon is again on its way to St Omer and this time the Australians bounce a formation of Bf 109s, claiming 7 destroyed without loss. Scorers are Finucane 2, Keith Chis- holm 2. Bluey Truscott 1, Arch Stuart 1 and Sgt Pat Tainton 1. August 17-Atlantic. F/Lt Vic Hodgkinson and crew in Sunder-land L2163/RB-P of 10 Squadron RAAF searches without success for a missing Wellington.

August 18-USA Roosevelt announces Pan American Airways (PAA) aircrew will ferry US built aircraft to Britain’s forces in the Middle East.

August 19-Britain. On Circus 81 to bomb Gosnay power station, 452 Squadron is involved in heavy fighting. P/O Don Willis is slightly wounded and his Spitfire damaged. He has to return to base. Paddy Finucane sends down 2 Bf 109s and Bluey Truscott probably another but 2 Australians fail to return, P/O Bill Eccleton and Sgt Dick Gazzard, both from Sydney.

August 20-Australia. At Laverton, Victoria, W/Cdr A Biggar flies Hurricane V7476 for the first time. As agreed on February 20, this recently arrived unarmed aircraft is the modern fighter sent to Australia by the British Government for fund raising displays. August 22-Australia. The first Australian built Beaufort V, T9540, has its maiden flight at Laverton with Capt T Young at the controls. (Refer article elsewhere this issue)

August 22/23-North Africa. Responding to pressure from the Australian Government to have AIF troops relieved in Tobruk, it has been organised for 5,000 Australian soldiers to be withdrawn in a series of night operations. They are to be replaced by 6,000 troops of the Polish Brigade. On this night they are taken aboard the RN destroyer HMS Jervis and other vessels including HMS Kimberley, Hasty and the fast minelayer Abdiel. The convoy leaves Tobruk Harbour but with the coming of daylight is subjected to air attack. Upon reaching Alexandria, the ships form line ahead and proceed up the harbour into a tumultuous welcome from the assembled ships, to honour the now famous “Rats of Tobruk”.

August 24-North Africa. F/Lt J Saunders of 3 Squadron RAAF damages a Ju 88 near Alexandria in the unit’s first action since its recent return from Syria. There are now 4 operational P-40 Tomahawk squadrons in this theatre, the others being 112 and 250 RAF, each with a large Australian content, and 2 Squadron South African Air Force (SAAF).

August 25-Persian Gulf. Wary of possible German intervention, British and Soviet forces advance into Iran to “protect” their oil interests and secure their supply route through Persia to Russia. HMAS Yarra and HMS Kanimbla, manned by Australians, are part of the assorted naval force which covers the British landings. The fighting ends by the 29th.

August 26-Britain. During a Circus to St Omer, 452’s F/Lt Graham Douglas and Arch Stuart claim a Bf 109 apiece.

August 27-Britain. Circus 85 is again to St Omer. The bombers fail to rendezvous so the 4 wings of fighters from Kenley, Northolt, Tangmere and Biggin Hill begin an independent sweep over Pas de Calais. Before they are recalled 452 Squadron is engaged. Paddy Finucane and Ray Thorold-Smith send down 2 Bf 109s each, all 4 going into the sea.

Atlantic. South of Iceland, the U-570 surfaces underneath Hudson UA-S of 269 Squadron RAF. After being attacked it surrenders to become the first German submarine captured by the RAF. August 29-North Africa. North-west of Sidi Barrani, 250 Squadron is attacked by Bf 109s while on a shipping patrol. Acting as weaver, P/O Clive Caldwell is wounded in the back, left shoulder, leg and neck when his Tomahawk is shot up and begins to burn. The German pilot. Lt Werner Schroer of I/JG 27, who will be credited with 61 of his 114 victories in North Africa and be second only to the legendary Hans-Joachim Marseille in this theatre of operations, returns to base and claims a kill. He does not see what happens next. As Caldwell prepares to bail out the fire dies outso he sits back down in his cockpit. Then, despite his injuries. the Australian ace attacks and shoots down a Bf 109 in flames before flying home.

August 29/30-Britain. From Swinderby, a single aircraft, Hampden AE296/UB-F with S/Ldr Dereck French DFC at the controls flies 455 Squadron’s first operation, a bombing attack on Frankfurt. The sortie is carried out without incident, French’s only inconve-nience occurring when he returns and has to fly “approximately 40 circuits” befoe receiving permission to land. August 30-Australia. Owing to the changing circumstances of the deployment of Australian airmen under the Empire Air train- ing Scheme (EATS), the Minister for Air appoints Air Marshal Richard Williams to command the Overseas Headquarters of the RAAF. This HQ will absorb the existing liaison office in London and be under the general control of the High Commissioner. As well as looking after the interests of all EATS personnel, including Australians serving in the Middle East, those of the members of 3 and 10 Squadrons will be covered too. Records only will be maintained of Australians serving in the Far East.

Eastern Front. The Germans take Mga, severing the last remaining rail link between Leningrad and the rest of the USSR.

August 31-Britain. With 22 destroyed and 9 probables, 452 Squadron RAAF is Fighter Command’s highest scoring unit for the month of August.

Atlantic. This month 41 Allied ships, totalling 130,700 tons (132,800 tonnes), have been sunk, 23 of them by U-boats.