Australia’s War Diary

December 3/4 – Britain. Target Leipzig for 527 bombers. 15 Halifaxes and nine Lancasters are lost but this is the most successful raid on Leipzig during the war. A 467 Sqn Lancaster crashes taking off. One from 460 Sqn collides with another Lancaster and returns prematurely minus two metres of wing. W/O M Foran of 101 Sqn RAF orders his crew to abandon their crippled Lancaster before reaching Leipzig. Before they can escape, another Bf 110 attacks. Foran’s violent evasive action extinguishes the fire but there are now dead and wounded aboard. He drops his bombs on Dessau and, although practically defenceless, evades a third fighter attack and flies safely back to England. Fighter Command now supports Bomber Command with Mahmoud patrols. Night fighters equipped with AI Mk. IV radar are despatched to counterattack German night fighters. 456 (Mosquito) Sqn flies two Mahmoud sorties. P/O G Gatenby & P/O J Fraser return with engine trouble but P/OJMay & F/OL Parnell crash in Germany.

December 4- New Britain. Beauforts of No 9 Group, consisting of 6, 8 and 100 Squadrons, raid Rabaul. This includes high level bombing of the airfields and a sweep by six torpedo carrying Beauforts led by S/Ldr N Quinn. F/O R Finlay’s torpedo hits a large ship. While dropping his torpedo, S/Ldr Quinn’s Beaufort strikes an obstruction and crashes. He and his observer P/O RO’Loghlen are recovered clinging to the Beaufort’s dinghy by the Japanese but the other crew members, F/Sgts I Mainland and D McDonald are killed. December 5- Britain. Reports concerning a German “flying bomb” have been received since mid 1943. By October evidence that the Germans are developing a pilotless aircraft has mounted and sites resembling ski ramps have been built in northern France only 200km from London. On Nov 28, a V-1 is photographed on a ramp at Peenemunde. Obviously, London will soon be attacked. The Germans have set Dec 15 to start operations, but the RAF’s 2nd TAF and the US 9th Air Force, joined by Bomber command, begin attacking the “ski sites” today. Despite bad weather, by the end of December, 52 “ski sites” will receive 3260 tonnes of bombs. No 464 (Mosquito) Sqn’s will contribute 35 successful sorties. Italy. Three and 450 Squadrons commence a busy period of dive bombing, strafing and close support activity for the Army’s new offensive. When returning from an ‘operation, F/O Wheeler of 3 Squadron narrowly escapes when the wheels of his Kittyhawk lock on touching down. The aircraft flips over at 150kmh, and breaks in half. Wheeler is imprisoned upside down in the cockpit. By smashing the side panels of the hood, he manages to scramble out, severely shaken but unhurt.

India. The Japanese launch a heavy attack on Calcutta with 19 Army Sally’s, 100+ Oscars, nine Navy Bettys and 27 Zeroes. RAF losses total nine Hurricanes and one Spitfire, two Hurricanes badly damaged and four pilots killed for one bomber and one fighter destroyed, two probable and four damaged. Civilian casualties are heavy. F/Sgt R Evans of 146 Squadron bales out of Hurricane HV983 when its engine is hit. December 8- Italy. Kittyhawks of 3 Squadron have just completed a bombing attack when the pilots become aware of Fw 190s and Bf 109s bombing Allied positions. There is a brief clash but no claims are made. On another mission, 450 Squadron’s P/O Larry Frost RCAF is KIA. Despite bitterly cold and wet weather, the army is given maximum support. 450 Squadron alone between 8-10th will fly 90 sorties. New Guinea. Wareo falls to Australian troops who push on toward Wandokai. December 10- Italy. While strafing enemy motor transport pulling out from the Sangro area, a call is heard from 3 Squadron’s P/O Gilbert saying he has been hit. He is picked up unhurt by Canadian troops.

December 12- New Britain. Until the middle of December, RAAF Catalinas attack targets in Dutch New Guinea. While raiding Babo, a twin engined aircraft makes four stern attacks on A24-38 (F/Sgt Don Abbey of 43 Sqn), five Zeros attack head on twice and make a stern attack before breaking off. Remarkably, the Catalina is only hit by one bullet! December 14- New Britain. In preparation for the Arawe landing, No 9 Group RAAF has increased its pressure on the airfields at Rabaul. Beauforts bomb Lakunai overnight but an enemy aircraft follows 100 Squadron back to Kiriwina. It bombs and strafes the airfield as the Australians are landing. One Beaufort is hit. The navigator, F/O W Jackson is killed and another crew member, F/O S Walsh seriously wounded. December 15 – New Guinea. Australian troops take Lakona, 25km north of Finschhafen. New Britain. The Americans land at Arawe and on Pilelo Island. No 335 Radar Station RAAF, 28 men commanded by P/OJ Colley, become the first Australian radar men to participate in an assault on enemy territory. Despite heavy Japanese air attacks, their equipment is working after 48 hours. At least 150 enemy aircraft attack Arawe on the 21st, inflicting casualties and sinking a number of Allied vessels. Australia. Eight Beaufighters of 31 Squadron, led by S/Ldr Reg Gordon, strafe and sink two barges and damage six schooners off Timor. Gordon then spots a convoy of cargo ships escorted by a destroyer. They make one strafing run each. The Beaufighters next attack and sink a small vessel. Finally, they range over Timor and strafe Atambua airfield. After returning, Gordon reports the convoy. Dutch flown Mitchells of 18 Squadron attack from mast height and leave the Wakatsu Maru in flames.

December 16-Britain. During H2S training, a Halifax of 466 Squadron captained by P/O G crashes near polovini wao wa RE VHC TH Cranswick. P/O E Gribble, F/Sgt C Angus and Sgt E Roynon are killed and P/O Bermingham seriously injured. Australia. 31 Sqn Beaufighters, each loaded with two 113kg bombs, hunt a Japanese convoy off Timor. Led by W/Cdr F Mann, they find the Wakatsu Maru burning and sinking. Concentrating on the other transport, they sink the Genmei Maru, causing heavy casualties. F/O J Garnham capsizes a barge. Reg Gordon notices four twin engined Nicks approaching. He downs one and damages another. December 16/17- Britain. Target Berlin for 493 aircraft. 25 Lancasters are lost but on returning to England, because of extremely low cloud and fog, another 29 Lancasters and a minelaying Stirling either crash or are abandoned when fuel runs out. 460 Sqn loses four aircraft, those of F/O F Randall DFC, W/O M Stafford, F/Lt E Greenacre and F/Sgt K Godwin. F/Lt Greenacre nurses his crippled Lancaster back and crashes at an emergency airfield without injury to his crew. Another Lanc crashes short of the runway at Binbrook with only minor injuries to its crew. The third smashes into the bomb dump of an adjacent airfield and the fourth crashes heavily killing the rear gunner and injuring the remainder. December 20/21-Britain. 466 Sqn’s first attack on Germany with Halifax IIIs is on Frankfurt, 16 aircraft forming part of a bomber force of 650 which includes 55 RAAF aircraft. 20 planes are lost. F/Sgt H Cotton’s Halifax is shot up by a night fighter and it forcelands at Foulsham. Two 466 Halifaxes fail to return (F/O J Scales and F/Sgt P Edwards and crews). December 21- Britain. After 18 fruitless attempts and one partly successful mission to photograph Berlin, reconnaissance photographs are at last taken by W/O K Campbell of 541 (PRU Spitfire) Squadron. These show that an additional 500 hectares of built-up area has been destroyed, the central districts heavily hit and 98 key factories in industrial areas extensively damaged.

December 22- Italy. Led by S/Ldr Eaton, 3 Sqn flies sorties over Yugoslavia to support the partisans. They attack a merchant vessel and two barges. The merchantman is left burning, and adjoining harbour buildings and wharves are strafed. December 23/24 – Britain. 379 aircraft raid Berlin. 16 Lancasters are lost including one from 463 Squadron. December 26- New Britain. US Marines land near Cape Gloucester in three places.

Burma, F/O R MacDonald and F/Sgt R Patterson of 152 Sqn scramble in their new Spitfire VIIIs and destroy a Dinah approaching Chittagong. Later, F/O Bill Andrews and F/Sgt Harry Chatfield of 615 Sqn are vectored onto another bandit but suddenly encounter 21 Sally bombers escorted by 78 Oscars! Andrews destroys a Sally and an Oscar while Chatfield accounts for two bombers before they have to escape. Australia. Experimental parachute descent trials from B-24 Liberator “Beautiful Betsy” of the 38th Bombardment Group USAAF commence at the Adelaide River Drop Zone near Batchelor. A metal slide designed by Australian Prof S W Carey has been installed to enable parachutists to simply and safely exit from the bottom rear. Supplies are dropped in “Storepedoes” from the bomb bay.

December 28- Bay of Biscay. F/Lt R Newton and crew of 461 Squadron in Sunderland EK577/2-D clash inconclusively with an Fw 200 Condor.

December 29- Britain. At Leuchars, with the help of 489 Squadron RNZAF, 455 Squadron’s conversion to Beaufighters has begun. A crash during a demonstration flight costs the lives of F/O F Gumbrell and a 489 pilot. By the end of the month 16 Beaufighters are on strength.

New Britain. Since the Arawe landings, air operations have increased dramatically. While USAAF bombers attack air-strips at Madang, Alexishafen and Wewak, other Allied aircraft fly against Rabaul. Commencing Dec 20, RAAF Catalinas bomb Kavieng nightly. A24-40, captained by F/Lt Damien Miller, is holed by AA which drains the sump of oil. Miller feathers the starboard engine and all unnecessary equipment is jettisoned. After flying one hour 50 minutes on one engine, he lands in Langemak Bay near Finschhafen with only 70 litres of fuel remaining, avoiding 43 Sqn’s first aircraft loss. December 29/30- Britain. Target Berlin. Out of 712 aircraft, 11 Lancasters (two from 460 Sqn, one from 463 Sqn) and nine Halifaxes are lost. F/O C Reynolds of 467 Sqn is about to attack when AA ignites his incendiaries. By diving steeply and jettisoning his bombs he prevents the fire spreading. F/Sgt G Burcher of 10 Sqn RAF bombs with one engine on fire. A second engine fails before he reaches an emergency airfield in England. It is 466 Sqn’s first time to Berlin. Sgt E Hourigan’s Halifax is attacked by fighters but sustains no damage. At the end of its first year of operations, 466 Sqn records show 4610 operational hours; 1,221,747km (759,321 miles) flown in 917 sorties; 177,482 bombs dropped weighing 733,546kg (1,615,740lbs); 666 mines laid weighing 428,122kg (943,000lbs); two enemy aircraft destroyed and four damaged. The loss rate has been 4. 5%.

December 30 – Italy. Despite rain, gales and snow, 3 Sqn Kittyhawks continue operations. F/O Raffen’s aircraft is hit by anti aircraft fire and crashes in flames into a hillside. F/Sgt Collier limps home with an 88mm shell hole in his starboard mainplane and a shattered canopy.

New Britain. US Marines complete the capture of the Japanese airfield at Cape Gloucester.

December 31 – Burma. The Japanese send 14 Sallys and 15 Oscars to raid Chittagong. 12 Spitfires of 136 Sqn led by S/Ldr Noel Constantine intercept and score an outstanding success, destroying eight Sallys and five Oscars, plus other probables for one Spitfire lost, with the pilot safe, and two damaged. F/O Denis Garvan accounts for one Sally, another Sally probably destroyed and two Oscars damaged. Australia. Hudsons of 2 Sqn, fitted with extra fuel tanks enabling up to 12 hour trips, continue unspectacular but necessary patrols between Darwin and New Guinea. The Japanese submarine threat all around Australia has disappeared completely since the last sinking off NSW on June 16.