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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 1, 2011 20:58:09 GMT 12
Has anyone ever compiled a record of details and statistics of the bombers (Avengers, Dauntless, Mitchells, Flying Fortress, Liberators, Marauders, etc) that were escorted by fighters of the New Zealand Fighter Wing inthe Pacific?
Is it known how many bombers were actually lost to enemy action under NZ escort? I understand it was a much smaller number than when the US fighters escorted them alone, the bomber crews being very keen to have kiwi escorts according to many accounts as they felt much safer wih them. It has even been recorded that some US squadrons refused to fly on days that the NZ squadrons were unavailable.
Did the NZ Fighter Wing actually lose any bombers to air-to-air combat under their watch? I guess some will have been lost to flak and mechanical problems, but did the Kapanese fighters breach their escort and down bombers very often?
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Post by shorty on Aug 1, 2011 21:13:23 GMT 12
You've been studying the Tuskegee story haven't you Dave!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 1, 2011 23:25:28 GMT 12
This is something that I have actually wondered about several times when I have come across the testiment from US bomber crew members of how good the RNZAF fighters were. But yes, the recent chatter about the red tail Mustangs did remind me of this, and prompt me to post the query. I believe they had a very good record of protecting the bombers too.
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Post by Tony on Aug 2, 2011 13:47:07 GMT 12
In The Blue Arena, Bob Spurdle was not impressed with the B-24 crews he was meant to protect while on tour with 16 Squadron.
He was unable to maintain formation with them because they kept climbing well above the P-40's ceiling - so he gave up and flew home.
Got into the pooze over it as well....
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Post by Luther Moore on Aug 17, 2011 6:53:52 GMT 12
Dave, great subject this was to be my next research mission, as I just read Peter's biography and it notes he flew escort for US Planes.
Also it's noted that they also flew cover for Australian toops.
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Post by Luther Moore on Aug 21, 2011 22:38:31 GMT 12
Dave, any luck with any info one the US escort? I have been trying to find information on it but cant find much.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 21, 2011 22:51:28 GMT 12
I have not found any figures like i was asking about Luther. Will keep trying.
Yes the Kiwis did fly cover for Australian troops on places like Bougainville and New Britain. They acted with their P-40's and Corsairs as ground attack for the Army in the same way as the Mustangs, Typhoons, Tempests, Thunderbolts and Spitfires were doing in Europe and Warhawks and Hurribombers in North Africa, etc.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 22, 2011 0:31:31 GMT 12
Yes but I cannot open it on my slow dial up. I need to get to Mum's to have a watch, eventually. Cheers.
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Post by Luther Moore on Aug 22, 2011 0:44:37 GMT 12
Oh really!Check it out it's going to be a great movie!
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Post by Luther Moore on Sept 28, 2011 4:12:11 GMT 12
Dave,
Did the RNZAF use S.B.D's and Mitchel's?
Do you know what a T.B.F.L is?
In my log book it says 39plane sweep with those planes.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 28, 2011 9:45:30 GMT 12
The RNZAF did have one squadron of SBD Dauntless divebombers, and two squadrons of TBF Avenger medium bombers. The Mitchells would have been US Marine Corps or USAAF examples and most of the SBD's and TBF's escorted by RNZAF fighters were also USMC or US Navy examples. The RNZAF SBD's and TBF's were based only at Espiritu Santo and Bougainville in the forward area, during 1944.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 28, 2011 16:25:45 GMT 12
It will have been, both the RNZAF P-40's and the Corsairs of the RNZAF escorted the PBJ Mitchells regularly on bombing strikes. They operated from the same bases often alongside each other.
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