iscover
If One Aircraft Type More Than Any Other Symbolised the Work of Australian Fighter Pilots in Ww2 It Was the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. Seen here is a P-40E on Bougainville. Behind is a 5 Squadron Boomerang. (George Hunt)
Australia’s War Diary
0 comment
July, 1945. 50 Years Ago
July 1 – Borneo. In the amphibious landing at Balikpapan which begins early morning, some 200 ships taking part, with hundreds of Allied aircraft thundering overhead. This operation is the biggest of the three Borneo invasions and the final landing in the OBOE series. USAAF Liberators bomb the shore defences followed by 21 aircraft from 82 Wing. Bombs and naval shellfire in the Balikpapan area start many fires amid the oil storage tank farms sending up huge billowing clouds of smoke. Beach areas are completely devastated. Australian troops landing east of the main town encounter only light opposition. Later, on an air observation sortie over the beaches, 24 Squadron Liberator A72-61 flown by the new CO of 82 Wing, G/Capt Donald McLean, is shot down by AA fire. Most of the crew bales out but four, including RAAF intelligence officer F/Lt J Roy and McLean himself, perish. Bougainville. Since Australian air operations began, the effort of No 84 Wing, including a Dakota detachment of 36 Squadron, has been: 5 Squadron 1839 sorties; 17 AOP Flight 1328 sorties; 10 Local Air Supply Unit 144 sorties; and 36 Squadron detachment 781 sorties. Boomerangs and Wirraways of 5 Squadron continue supporting the southern Bougainville campaign but they are needed less and less for lead in duties because of the improved map reading and skill of the RNZAF Corsair pilots. The Austers are taking over contact reconnaissance duties.
July 2 – Borneo. 24 Squadron’s F/Lt Roy Beattie DFM in Liberator A72-64 crashes in enemy territory inland of Balikpapan when his aircraft is hit by flak at less than 1000ft. Army observation officer, Capt H Spry is among 14 men aboard who are killed. Twenty four Kittyhawks of 75 Squadron and Spitfires of 452 Squadron, operating from Tarakan, strike at Kalabakan and Simalumong. At Simalumong, the Spitfires make eight strafing passes. Just after one of these, F/Lt A Proctor crashes and is killed. Over Kalabakan, S/Ldr Kinninmont’s Kittyhawk hits the tops of coconut trees while strafing, damaging both mainplanes. He reaches Tarakan, where he parachutes out and is rescued from the sea by a crash boat.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Australian Aviation a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Australian Aviation as a preferred news source.
