Australia’s War Diary

May 3 Burma. Blenheims escorted by Hurricanes raid Akyab. Japanese bombers are encountered heading north. Escorting Oscars attack the British formation. 79 Squadron’s F/O Gatty May is wounded and his Hurricane (HV641) damaged.

May 4- Mediterranean. Baltimores of 454 Squadron begin anti-shipping sweeps off Greece and Crete, searching for small caiques supplying German garrisons on the Aegean islands. May 4/5 Battle of the Ruhr. Target Dortmund. 596 RAF bombers carry out the largest “non-1000” raid of the war to date. 31 aircraft are lost, seven more crash in bad weather at their bases. 1218 buildings are destroyed and 693 people killed, including 200 POWs. From 460 Squadron, Sgt D Jackel and crew, on their first operation, are shot down.

May 5 Burma. Hurricanes of 135 Squadron RAF attack Japanese positions at Kyauksadaung. Separated, F/Lt Jack Storey encounters a squadron of Oscars and shoots one down. May 6-Britain. During a daylight Ranger patrol, F/O “Peter” Panitz & P/O Dickie Williams of 456 (Mosquito) Squadron are credited with six trains destroyed in six minutes marking the beginning of Panitz’s reputation as a “train buster”.

Australia. Flying across the Arafura Sea, Beaufighters of 31 Sqn strafe Taberfane and destroy nine floatplanes. F/OW Budd and P/OF McQueen (A19-60), on their first operation, are lost. May 7-Tunisia. British forces enter Tunis and the Americans enter Bizerta. A Halifax of 462 Squadron enroute to a target in Tunisia, reports engine failure. It ditches at sea and the crew take to their dinghy. After 10 days and nights they drift ashore safely between Homs and Tripoli. Flight engineer, Sgt C Curnow is awarded a DFM for maintaining crew morale and safety. Bay of Biscay. F/Lt Geoff Rossiter of 10 Squadron in Sunder- land W3993/RB-W finds three separate U-boats during a single patrol. The first two dive before he can attack but he sinks U-466. Meanwhile, from Gibraltar, Sgt T Holland of 233 (Hudson) Squadron sinks U-447 south west of Cape St Vincent. May 8-Tunisia. Paralysed for lack of fuel, German and Italian troops withdraw into the Cape Bon peninsula. Three Axis steamships reach Tunisia, but they are then attacked by Kittyhawks of 239 Wing, including 3Squadron, and sunk before unloading Britain. Sgt R Williams of 122 Squadron (Spitfire) RAF destroys one of six Ju 88s over the Thames Estuary.

May 9-Australia. Milingimbi is raided by Sally bombers. May 10-Australia. Milingimbi is raided again by nine Zeros. The Maroubra, a 72 tonnes vessel, and 36 tonne of RAAF equipment are destroyed. Defending 457 Squadron Spitfires claim two. F/O Bruce Little’s Spitfire, A58-81, hits the ground during a low level combat. He walks uninjured from the wreckage back to the airfield. F/Lt Phil Biven of 31 Squadron just after landing Beaufighter A19-72 is walking away with his observer when the Zeros strike. A19-72 is destroyed and another Beaufighter damaged.

May 11-Britain. W/Cdr John Ratten takes command of the Hornchurch Wing, the RAAF officer to become a wing leader in RAF Fighter Command. As if to celebrate, Ratten shares in the destruction of an Fw 190.

Burma. The 26th Indian Division evacuates Maungdaw ending the first Arakan campaign in a stalemate. The British have lost 3000 killed and seriously wounded, twice as many as the Japanese.

Australia. Covering a convoy near the Wessel Islands, 31 Squadron’s F/O J Madden & P/O R Cormie in Beaufighter A19-83 destroy a Jake making a sneak attack.

May 12-Tunisia. General von Arnim, commander of German troops in Africa, surrenders.

AJOL Avro Lancaster Mk 1ED929/G, AJ-L, of 617 Squadron RAF, one of the aircraft specially modified to carry the “bouncing bomb” developed by Dr Bames Walls for the famous “Dambusters raid”. It was flown during the attack on the night of May 16/17 by South Australian F/Lt Dave Shannon DFC. (Dennis Newton) Britain. Two Hampdens of 455 Squadron led by S/Ldr J Davenport sink a merchant vessel off Norway.

May 12/13-Ruhr. The devastating fourth and final raid on Duisburg. Of 572 aircraft participating, 34 are lost. 467 Squad- ron’s S/Ldr K Thiele RNZAF returns for the second time within four weeks with only two engines of his Lancaster in action. May 13 Tunisia. 250,000 Germans and Italians surrender their arms. General Alexander’s message to Churchill: “It is my duty to report that the Tunis campaign is over. All enemy resistance has ceased. We are masters of the North African shores. ” Top scoring unit in North Africa is 3 Squadron RAAF. It is credited with 212 enemy aircraft destroyed, 63 probables and 136 damaged. No 3 has covered every lap of the “Desert Stakes” and is the only squadron to have fought in the first push and be still with the victorious 8th Army at the end of the African campaign.

May 13/14-Ruhr: 442 RAF aircraft target Bochum, 24 being lost including a Wellington from 466 Squadron. German decoy markers draw much of the bombing away from the target. 168 bombers also attack the Skoda armaments factory at Pilsen. Nine, including a 467 Squadron Lancaster, are lost.

May 14 Britain. Leading the Hornchurch Wing, W/Cdr Ratten destroys a Fw 190 and shares another while covering USAAF B-17s between Antwerp and Flushing.

Atlantic. P/O B Gaston of 86 (Liberator) Squadron sinks the U-266 while proceeding to escort Convoy SC-129.

May 15-New Guinea. Off Arawe, Sgt W Cosgrove and F/Sgt B Le Griffon in 30 Squadron Beaufighter A19-111 strafe a Japanese submarine found on the surface before it can escape by diving.

May 16/17-Ruhr. The Dambusters Raid. Lancasters of the specially trained 617 Squadron RAF, attack at low level and breach the Mohne and Eder dams in the Ruhr Valley with special ‘bouncing bombs’ developed by Barnes Wallis. Two aircraft bomb the Sorpe Dam and one the Schwelme Dam without success. Australians engaged in the attacks are F/Lts H “Micky Martin DFC (pilot); D Shannon DFC (pilot); J Leggo DFC (navigator); R Hay DFC (bomb aimer); and R Barlow DFC (pilot); F/O CWilliams (WAG); P/OS LKnight (pilot); A. Burcher DFM (wireless operator); B Foxlee DFM (gunner); F Spafford DFM (bomb aimer); and C Howard (navigator); F/Sgts T Simpson (gunner); and R Kellow (wireless operator). RAF casualties are eight aircraft out of 19 dispatched. Of 56 crew members lost, 53 are killed and three become POWs. Widespread flooding disrupts rail, road and canal communications and supply of electricity and water. An estimated 1294 people are drowned. The hoped-for impact on Ruhr industry is kept to a minimum because the Sorpe reservoir just manages to maintain water supplies until the Mohne Dam can be repaired. 34 of the attacking crews are decorated, the leader W/Cdr Guy Gibson DSO DFC winning the VC. DSOsare awarded to Martin, Shannon and Knight; Leggo and Hay win Bars to their DFCS; Spafford and Howard receive DFCs; and Simpson wins the DFM. His aircraft shot down by flak, Burcher, the only survivor of his crew, is captured. Barlow and Williams fail to return. May 17-Britain. 455 (Hampden) Squadron suffers its first casualty since January when F/Sgt G Courteney crashes into the sea. No survivors. During a Circus to Caen, Sgt V Lancaster of 611 Squadron destroys a Bf 109.

Bay of Biscay. F/Lt J Weatherlake’s Sunderland battles six Ju 88s for 30 minutes and survives. The 461 Squadron Sunderland has over 200 holes. Unfortunately, 10 Squadron’s Sunderland W4004/RB-Z flown by F/Lt Keith McKenzie and crew is lost over the same area.

May 19-Timor. Six 31 Squadron Beaufighters attack Penfoei, arriving at the same time as USAAF B-24s. Three Beaufighters are lost to fighters and AA guns: P/OS E Frith & H McLennon (A19-29), Sgts N Armstrong & S Robertson (A19-58) and F/O R Taylor & Sgt C Coburn (A19-45). Two Japanese bombers and one fighter are destroyed on the ground.

Bay of Biscay. 10 Squadron’s Sunderland W3984/5, flown by F/Lt Geoff Rossiter and crew, eludes a Bf 110 before landing and recovering two survivors of a shot down Liberator. May 21-Burma. Heavy fighting over Cox’s Bazaar. 79 Squad- ron’s F/Lt Russ Bowes DFC is killed. Several Oscars fall to his cannon armed Hurricane (BN880), before it is seen to suddenly dive away. His score is at least nine.

May 22 Atlantic. Admiral Doenitz orders all U-boats on patrol in the North Atlantic to cease operations against convoys. Losses have grown too high. Only by diverting them to less vital areas can he continue his campaign, albeit at a reduced level. U-boats move to the Caribbean and the Azores. Contributing to this Allied victory is the use of radar, aircraft patrols and code-breaking information. Allied shipping losses this month decline to 58 ships, of which submarines sink 50. The Germans lose 41 U-boats.

May 23-New Guinea. No 22 Squadron Bostons, with 4 Army Co-op Squadron, carry the main burden of supporting the army on the Salamaua trail. Joined by four Beaufighters of 30 Squadron, five Bostons attack Nassau Bay and the Duali area. May 23/24 Ruhr. Target Dortmund. Bomber Command dispatches 826 aircraft, the greatest number in a “non-1000” raid so far. 38 aircraft are lost including two Lancasters from 460 Squadron (F/Sgts G Stevens and BDavis). Sgt Marshall’s Lancaster is attacked bya night fighter overthe target. Marshall, though slightly wounded, has no difficulty returning to base. Large areas of Dortmund are devastated including 2000 buildings completely destroyed. The Hoesch steelworks ceases production. 599 people are killed.

May 24-Britain. A Hampden of 455 Squadron piloted by F/Sgt J Freeth, who had sunk the U-227 on April 30, collides with a Beaufighter on an exercise flight. No survivors.

New Guinea. 22 Squadron Bostons attack a wrecked ship on the beach near Lae. It is suspected the Japanese are using it to store supplies and unload submarines. In spite of heavy AA fire, hits are scored on the wreck which catches fire. The Boston piloted by F/O H Rowell is heavily damaged. Sgt A Taylor (gunner) is killed and Sgt D Duncan (wireless operator) se- verely wounded but Rowell, by skilful handling, manages to return safely.

May 25/26-Ruhr. Target Düsseldorf. Because of cloud over the target and Germans use of decoy markers and fire sites, bombing is scattered and results poor. Out of 759 aircraft, 27 aircraft, including two Lancasters of 467 Squadron, do not return.

May 27-Britain. 14 Mosquitoes of 105 and 139 Squadrons attack a glassworks and the Zeiss optical instruments factory at Jena. The second formation is led by, S/Ldr W Blessing. New Guinea. Beaufighters of 30 Squadron accompany USAAF aircraft attacking Lae airfield and Jacobsen’s Plantation. In- tense ground fire hits F/Lt E Eddison’s A19-24 and it crashes at the end of the runway.

May 27/28-Ruhr. Of 518 Bomber Command aircraft raiding Essen, 23 are lost. P/O C Harrison’s Lancaster from 460 Squadron fails to return.

May 28-Bay of Biscay. F/Lt W Dods and crew of 461 Squadron in Sunderland JM675/0 crash. Dods is killed but the rest V-107 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 Zero of the Tainan Kokutal. This particular aircraft was one of those flown by the Japanese ace, Saburo Sakal Operating from Lae, the Tainan Kokutal took part in the air fighting over Port Moresby, Milne Bay and Guadalcanal until late in 1942 when what remained of it was absorbed into the ‘251 Kokutal stationed at Rabaul 1942-3. (Dennis Newton) scramble aboard a dinghy. They link up with the Whitley crew they had been trying to rescue.

May 29-Bay of Biscay. F/Lt W Dods’ crew and the Whitley crew are picked up by T9114/E flown by F/O G Singleton. The overloaded aircraft is too heavy to take off so it is taken in tow by Free French sloop La Combattante. Its hull is damaged in the heavy seas. After transferring 20 men to the sloop, Singleton manages to take-off and make a remarkable landing on the airfield at Angle in Pembrokeshire. T9114/E will eventually be repaired and returned to 461 Squadron.

May 29/30-Ruhr. 719 aircraft attack Wuppertal. 33 aircraft are lost. Five of the town’s 6 largest factories, 211 other industrial premises and nearly 4000 houses are destroyed; 71 industrial and 1000 domestic buildings are heavily damaged; and 3400 people killed. From 460 Squadron, two crews, Sgts T Russell and H Bull, fail to return. Flak and searchlights force P/O F Robinson off course and he bombs Witten instead. 466 Squadron also takes part but it loses three of its 14 Wellingtons. May 30-Britain. Sgt Lancaster of 611 Squadron shoots down one of four Fw 190s destroyed by the Biggin Hill Wing near Tricqueville.

New Guinea. During a practice attack on “the Moresby wreck”, 30 Squadron Beaufighter A19-73 strikes the mast and crashes into the water. Killed are P/O W Harding and F/O F King. May 31-Bay of Biscay. Submarine U-563, unable to submerge after an attack by a Halifax, is finished off by two Sunderlands, one from 10 Squadron flown by F/Lt M Mainprize and crew.