Australia’s War Diary

Eastern Front. German and Soviet forces have assembled huge ground and air forces for what will be the largest tank engagement of the war, the Battle of Kursk. In all areas the Soviets have prepared elaborate fixed defenses of minefields, other obstacles and antitank guns. Even before the German attack starts they fire a disruptive bombardment which causes considerable German losses. When the attack is launched at dawn progress is slow and many tanks are lost.

July 6-Australia. A Japanese force of 27 bombers and 21 fighters is intercepted by Darwin’s Spitfire Wing led by W/Cdr Clive “Killer” Caldwell. Ten bombers and two fighters are claimed destroyed for the loss of seven Spitfires. Killed in actionare F/OFHamilton, F/ON Robinson andP/OF McDowell. F/Lt P Makin makes a force landing when his engine fails. Sgt A Richardson and F/OCLloyd parachute to safety. Meanwhile, Mitchells, Hudsons and Liberators raid airfields at Penfui, Cape Chater, Babo, Nabire, Fuiloro and Selaru.

July 6/7-Australia. Five Hudsons of 2 Squadron, led by F/Lt J Austin, successfully bomb Koepang.

July 7/8-Australia. F/Lt J Austin of 2 Squadron leads seven Hudsons against grounded aircraft on Penfui airfield. The bombing causes many fires but there is no proof that the aircraft have been destroyed.

July 9-Eastern Front. The vicious battle of attrition at Kursk continues.

Sicily. Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily begins at night with airborne landings. The Allies have 1200 transports and 2000 landing craft which will land elements of eight divisions (more than on D-Day). By the third day 150,000 will be ashore. Eventually 480,000, of whom slightly more than half will be British, will land. General Eisenhower is the Supreme Commander and his deputy, General Alexander, will lead the 15th Army Group. This is composed of Patton’s 7th Army and Montgomery’s 8th Army. The naval commander is Admiral Cunninghain with Admirals Ramsay and Hewitt controlling the British and American landings respectively. A/M Sir Arthur Tedder commands the Allied air forces providing 3700 aircraft for direct support.

July 10-Pacific. Under the code name Filly, the mine laying target for RAAF Catalinas is changed from Kavieng, the commencement of a new phase in the campaign to plant mines in all mineable harbours and shipping routes in the Netherlands East Indies within the Catalinas’ range. The Australians and Americans cut the Japanese in Mubo off from Salamaua. July 11 Sicily. Over the beachheads, Spitfires maintain regular patrols but opposition is negligible. The only notable combat occurs in the Cape Passero-Syracuse sector where seven Spitfires of 111 Squadron RAF claim four enemy aircraft destroyed, Sgt H Eccleston being credited with two. At night, F/Lt Bob Cowper of 108 Squadron RAF destroys a Ju 88 east of Syracuse but is so close that his Beaufighter is damaged by the debris and he is forced to bale out over the sea. Cowper is rescued by a hospital ship and taken to Tripoli but will return to his unit by the 14th.

July 12 Britain. Two Mosquitoes of 456 Squadron (F/Lt Panitz & F/O Williams, F/ Lt Howard & F/O Ross) heavily damage the transformer station at Guerledan. On the way home, Panitz strafes two goods trains on the Guingamp- Chateaulerun railway line.

Eastern Front. In the Battle of Kursk the German Fourth Panzer Army makes one final effort towards Prokhorovka but cannot break through and in the north of the salient a Soviet counter offensive begins toward Orel. At day’s end, Hitler Spitfire Mk Vc, BS234/CA-C, of W/Cdr CR Caldwell, in command of No 1 Fighter Wing, RAAF, at Darwin in mid 1943. (Dennis Newton) orders that the battle be discontinued. Although Russian losses have been heavier, the German’s cannot afford it and they have lost their strategic initiative to the Soviets for good. They will soon need to send troops to Italy and the Mediterranean to bolster Mussolini. Luftwaffe losses have been so severe that its dominance is over.

Sicily. Sgt K Clarkson of 72 (Spitfire) Sqn destroys a Bf 109. July 13 Sicily. Just before dawn, F/O L McIntosh of 111 Squadron shoots down one of six Ju 88s discovered over Augusta. By now Luftwaffe bombing attacks are carried out almost entirely after dark and Spitfires had little to do over the beaches. Augusta is captured by the British.

Britain. 464 Squadron flies its last operation with Venturas, all aircraft scoring direct hits on St Omer airfield assembly sheds without loss. The unit is to convert to Mosquitoes.

July 14-Sicily. American units take Biscani airfield and Niscemi and the British capture Vizzini.

July 15/16-Sicily. Radar-navigator F/Lt HDavidson, teamed with Scotsman S/Lr J Allan of 256 Squadron RAF, achieves phenomenal success when during a single sortie they claim four Ju 88s and a trimotor Cant Z. 1007 out of a force of thirty attacking Syracuse. This highly skilled Mosquito team will be credited with the destruction of a further nine enemy bombers during the Sicilian campaign.

July 16-Bay of Biscay. F/Lt R Humble of 10 Squadron finds two outward bound U-boats. They oppose him with accurate AA fire. His attack blows several men overboard before the U-boats submerge apparently undamaged.

Roosevelt and Churchill issue a special joint statement calling for an Italian surrender and suggest to the Italian people that they should remove Mussolini.

Sicily. The US 3rd Division attacks Agrigento and Porto Empedocle. The Canadian 1st Division takes Caltagirone and advances on Piazza Armerina while units of the British 50th Division succeed in crossing the Simeto River.

July 17-Solomons. A large American air raid on Bougainville. Shipping offshore and the airfields between Buin and Faisi are attacked. One destroyer is sunk.

New Guinea. The Australian 3rd and the US 41st Divisions progress toward Salamaua in a holding action to prepare for a move against Lae and the Markham Valley.

Sicily. The Americans take Agrigento and Porto Empedocle. The last Australian day fighter success is recorded when Sgt J Connolly and another 72 Squadron pilot claim two Bf 109s attempting a reconnaissance between Catania and Augusta. Meanwhile, Kittyhawks of 239 Wing, including 3 and 450 Squadrons, begin operations from Pachino airfield after moving in from Malta.

July 18-Australia. North of Coomalie, S/Ldr Ken James, CO of 457 (Spitfire) Squadron, destroys a Japanese ‘Dinah’ on a photo reconnaissance mission.

Sicily. The Americans capture Caltanisetta and push on to cut the Palermo-Enna road. East of Enna, the Canadians take Valguarnerna but on the east coast strong German resistance halts the British north of the River Simeto.

July 21-New Guinea. As part of a regular service, F/Lt Denis Lawrence of 20 Sqn carries personnel, supplies and equipment for 322 Radar Station to Tanahmerah, staging through Horn Island and landing on the Fly River close to the site. While unloading, the Catalina is almost swept onto the bank by a log jam. Further north, S/Ldr Coventry in Catalina A24-52 flies army officers, including the commander of ANGAU, Major General Basil Morris, from Port Moresby to the junction of the Yellow and Sepik Rivers, his third trip since the 16th. A new force known as “Mosstroops”, under Maj Raleigh Farlow, has been approved to protect Allied intelligence parties in the area. July 22-New Britain. Following a reconnaissance by 30 Squadron Beaufighters, 62 RAAF aircraft from five squadrons (including eight Bostons from 22 Squadron, 24 Kittyhawks from 75 Squadron and 14 Kittyhawks from 77 Squadron) successfully attack Gasmata airfield. Unfortunately, 77 Squadron is forced to abort due to bad weather enroute to the target. Sicily. The Americans enter Palermo and have now cut off 50,000 Italian troops in the west of the island but the mobile forces including most of the Germans are escaping to the northeast corner.

July 23-Crete. In early July, 454 Squadron had been especially active in escorting the Sicily invasion fleets before returning to her usual sweeps around Crete. For a large scale raid on Crete, 454 contributes eight Baltimores led by S/Ldr Folkard. They attack from low level into heavy flak. Five Baltimores, AG952, AG995, FA224, FA247 and FA409, go down over the target. F/Sgt R Ackhurst and crew in FA390 bomb the target but their aircraft is badly damaged as it escapes through the mountains. On one engine, Ackhurst manages to fly the crippled Baltimore to a successful ditching off the African coast near Derna, saving his crew. Ackhurst himself is badly injured but he will be awarded the squadron’s first DFM. Only two Baltimores return in 454’s worst day of the war.

July 24 Australia. 12 Beaufighters of 31 Squadron raid Taberfane. Low cloud and rain prevents effective strafing but at least four floatplanes are damaged. F/Os B Gillespie and A Cameron in A19-118 do not return.

July 24/25-Britain. Target Hamburg. The RAF uses Window for the first time, with great success. Crews of many of the 740 bombers on this raid push bundles of tinfoil out into the night sky at one minute intervals to produce radar echoes which simulate up to 12,000 aircraft, throwing German radar operators into confusion. Amid this chaos, 2300 tons of HE and incendiary bombs are dropped setting Hamburg alight from end to end. Devastation in the city is widespread. Twelve British aircraft are lost, including Lancaster W4987 from 460 Squadron flown by Sgt A Ashley and crew on their 5th operation. All aircraft from 466 and 467 Squadrons return safely. July 25-Britain. Flying now as part of the RAF’s Ibsley Wing, 453 (Spitfire) Squadron escorts American B-26s bombing coke ovens at Ghent. P/OJ Ferguson and F/OR Ewins each damage an Fw 190. All bombers return safely.

Sicily. The Americans in the north are now encountering stronger resistance. In the centre the British and Canadians attack Agira from two directions. Allied reinforcements are being brought over from North Africa.

July 26-Britain. Two Mosquitoes, Panitz & Williams of 456 Squadron, accompanied by F/Os Pratt & S Smith, attack a power station near Marais de St Miche. There is an explosion and it is left in flames.

July 27/28 Britain. Target Hamburg. Of 787 aircraft, 11 Lancasters, 4 Halifaxes, 1 Stirling, and I Wellington are lost. This is the night of the devastating firestorm, in which the fires combine into one massive inferno with air being drawn into it with the force of a hurricane. It rages for 3 hours and only subsides when all combustible material is consumed. 16,000 multi-storeyed apartment buildings are destroyed and approximately 40,000 people die, most by carbon monoxide poisoning when all air is drawn out of their basement shelters. After this 20H Sunderland Mk II, DV960 H’, of 461 Squadron RAAF. On May 17, over the Bay of Biscay, FAL. JGP Weatherlake and crew had a running battle with three Ju 88s in this aircraft but survived despite severe damage. One Ju 88 broke away with blacksmoke trailing from its port engine. None in the Sunderland were injured but the aircraft received 200 bullet and four cannon shell hits. (Dennis Newton) raid 1,200,000 people, two thirds of Hamburg’s population, will flee the city in fear of further attacks. Twoofthe lost Lancasters are from 467 Squadron, W5003 (P/O J Carrington and crew on their 12th op) and W4946 (P/OJT Buchanan and crew on their 1st op), both victims of night fighters.

July 29/30-Britain. Target Hamburg 777 aircraft set out to raid those northern and north-eastern districts which have so far not been hit. 11 Halifaxes, 11 Lancasters, 4 Stirlings and, 2 Wellingtons do not return. Fires are widespread which exhausted Hamburg fire units can do little to check-though no firestorm. 460 Squadron loses Lancaster JA689 (F/Sgt H Fuhrmann DFM and crew), probably shot down by an Fw 190, and Lancaster ED525 (F/O A Johnson and crew), shot down by a Bf 110. F/Sgt R Park and crew of 467 Squadron in Lancaster ED534 is also thought to have been the victim of fighters. July 30-Britain. F/Sgt T Vance of 165 (Spitfire) Squadron RAF stationed at Exeter, shoots down an Fw 190 fighter-bomber near Plymouth.

Bay of Biscay. An intense battle develops between three U-boats found on the surface and six aircraft-a Liberator, a USAAF B-24, a Catalina, two Halifaxes and a Sunderland of 461 Squadron. Taking advantage of a brief diversion, F/Lt Dudley Marrows in Sunderland W6077/U drops seven depth charges. By an extraordinary coincidence Sunderland U/461 sinks the U461. On his way home, Marrows finds yet another U-boat. He attacks using his last depth charge but enemy fire cripples his bomb release mechanism. After strafing, he sets course for an emergency landing at the Scilly Isles.