Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 18, 2015 0:53:25 GMT 12
From the Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 133, 3 December 1945, Page 8
FLEET AIR ARM
N.Z. PILOTS" RECORD
"SECOND TO NONE"
Parents and friends of New Zealand airmen in the Fleet Air Arm were thrilled at what Vice-Admiral Sir Philip Vian said of these young men in an address last night.
"Nearly 10 per cent, of the pilots who fought through the war in the Air Arm of the Royal Navy come from this country, and they were in it at the beginning as at the end, for there were New Zealand airmen in the successful dive-bomber attack on the German cruiser Koenigsberg in early 1940, the very first warship to have been sunk by dive-bombing, as, there were, also, your naval airmen in the last bombings of Japan," said Sir Philip.
"I should say that it has been my experience in command of the British Carrier Force that New Zealanders are naturally possessed of the qualities which make for eminence in air combat; and I expressed as much in a signal sent in September last to the New Zealand Naval Board, which read:
'As I understand it is likely that the majority of the R.N.Z.N.V.R. pilots who left us in August for leave will not now return to this command, I wish to assure you how great has been their part in the British carrier operations against Japan. I consider the pilots from New Zealand to have been second to none, and to have ever excelled in the offensive spirit. I hope the close and happy association of our naval airmen, welded in the war, may be continued in the peace.'
THROUGH OWN SHIP'S FLAK
"Here are three examples, typical of the fighting spirit of New Zealand pilots," he continued. "When operating off Sumatra last year, the fleet was attacked by Japanese aircraft of the suicide type, all save one of which were shot down in time by our guns or fighters. The one penetrated the screen into the main body of the fleet, where it was a menace and difficult to hit by gunfire through fear of hitting other ships; and it was hard .of access by our fighters on account of the fire of our guns. A Hellcat piloted by Sub-Lieutenant Keith Alexander McLennan. R.N.Z.N.V.R., of H.M.S. Indomitable, my flagship, was flown off at this time. He had to take off while his own ship's guns were firing at the enemy. Without hesitation he flew through the gunfire of the fleet and shot down the enemy, a Helen, into the sea.
"A second example was provided by Lieutenant Alexander Macrae, D.S.O., R.N.Z.N.V.R., of H.M.S. Indomitable, who was severely wounded in the thigh when carrying out a low strafing attack during the first fighter sweep our aircraft made on the Sakishima Gunto airfields. Although in great pain, he carried out two more attacks. It was not until he ran out of ammunition that he told his leader that he was wounded and was returning to his ship. Encouraged by messages from the ship, he flew back 100 miles alone, injecting morphine on the way to ease the pain. On arrival he found he could not lower his wheels. His right leg was now useless, and he was weak from loss of blood, but he made a perfect crash landing on the deck. He was lifted unconscious from the cockpit.
UGLY SITUATION SAVED
On a further occasion, more recently, the British Pacific Fleet was operating alongside three American carrier task groups off Japan. During the day Japanese shadowing aircraft had sighted the combined fleets; at dusk, a concentration of hostile aircraft was detected by our radar. For some reason this detection was not accepted by the U.S. fleet, who, therefore, did not send out their specialised night fighters, with which they were equipped, to intercept the enemy. The Formidable carried four Hellcats which were not equipped for night fighting, but whose pilots were experienced in night flying. Two of these were flown off, led by a New Zealand pilot, Sub-Lieutenant Richard MacKie. D.S.C., R.N.Z.N.V.R., of Hawke's Bay. It was now dark and the position critical because heavy ships in mass at night are particularly vulnerable to attack by torpedo bombers, which these, aircraft were adjudged to be. The radar showed us that the Hellcats were close to one group of the enemy. Suddenly there was a ball of fire falling in the sky - some plane had been hit. A fighter pilot's voice - MacKie's - announced over the radio the destruction of a torpedo bomber, then another, and another, and a fourth hit.
U.S fighters now arrived to drive off the remaining enemy group, and an ugly situation was saved. The Admiral signalled, "Well done your radar team and pilots."
"But while these are the men — the pilots and aircrews — who did most of the actual fighting, never forget that in naval flying these men would be ineffectual without the help of the thousands of others who man the aircraft carrier — the guns' crews, the signalmen, the first aid parties, and all the countless others who have to perform vital duties to keep the ship in action," continued Admiral Vian.
"But from amongst those may I say a special word for the men down below in the magazines, the boiler, and engine rooms, who should the ship be torpedoed or bombed, are usually in the greatest danger of all. It is these men. the pilots and aircrews and ships' companies of the Indefatigable, Urchin, and Wizard, who are visiting your shores today.
"They have all longed to come to New. Zealand, it is a great wish of any sailor. May I thank you so much for all the hospitality and kindness you are showing them."
FLEET AIR ARM
N.Z. PILOTS" RECORD
"SECOND TO NONE"
Parents and friends of New Zealand airmen in the Fleet Air Arm were thrilled at what Vice-Admiral Sir Philip Vian said of these young men in an address last night.
"Nearly 10 per cent, of the pilots who fought through the war in the Air Arm of the Royal Navy come from this country, and they were in it at the beginning as at the end, for there were New Zealand airmen in the successful dive-bomber attack on the German cruiser Koenigsberg in early 1940, the very first warship to have been sunk by dive-bombing, as, there were, also, your naval airmen in the last bombings of Japan," said Sir Philip.
"I should say that it has been my experience in command of the British Carrier Force that New Zealanders are naturally possessed of the qualities which make for eminence in air combat; and I expressed as much in a signal sent in September last to the New Zealand Naval Board, which read:
'As I understand it is likely that the majority of the R.N.Z.N.V.R. pilots who left us in August for leave will not now return to this command, I wish to assure you how great has been their part in the British carrier operations against Japan. I consider the pilots from New Zealand to have been second to none, and to have ever excelled in the offensive spirit. I hope the close and happy association of our naval airmen, welded in the war, may be continued in the peace.'
THROUGH OWN SHIP'S FLAK
"Here are three examples, typical of the fighting spirit of New Zealand pilots," he continued. "When operating off Sumatra last year, the fleet was attacked by Japanese aircraft of the suicide type, all save one of which were shot down in time by our guns or fighters. The one penetrated the screen into the main body of the fleet, where it was a menace and difficult to hit by gunfire through fear of hitting other ships; and it was hard .of access by our fighters on account of the fire of our guns. A Hellcat piloted by Sub-Lieutenant Keith Alexander McLennan. R.N.Z.N.V.R., of H.M.S. Indomitable, my flagship, was flown off at this time. He had to take off while his own ship's guns were firing at the enemy. Without hesitation he flew through the gunfire of the fleet and shot down the enemy, a Helen, into the sea.
"A second example was provided by Lieutenant Alexander Macrae, D.S.O., R.N.Z.N.V.R., of H.M.S. Indomitable, who was severely wounded in the thigh when carrying out a low strafing attack during the first fighter sweep our aircraft made on the Sakishima Gunto airfields. Although in great pain, he carried out two more attacks. It was not until he ran out of ammunition that he told his leader that he was wounded and was returning to his ship. Encouraged by messages from the ship, he flew back 100 miles alone, injecting morphine on the way to ease the pain. On arrival he found he could not lower his wheels. His right leg was now useless, and he was weak from loss of blood, but he made a perfect crash landing on the deck. He was lifted unconscious from the cockpit.
UGLY SITUATION SAVED
On a further occasion, more recently, the British Pacific Fleet was operating alongside three American carrier task groups off Japan. During the day Japanese shadowing aircraft had sighted the combined fleets; at dusk, a concentration of hostile aircraft was detected by our radar. For some reason this detection was not accepted by the U.S. fleet, who, therefore, did not send out their specialised night fighters, with which they were equipped, to intercept the enemy. The Formidable carried four Hellcats which were not equipped for night fighting, but whose pilots were experienced in night flying. Two of these were flown off, led by a New Zealand pilot, Sub-Lieutenant Richard MacKie. D.S.C., R.N.Z.N.V.R., of Hawke's Bay. It was now dark and the position critical because heavy ships in mass at night are particularly vulnerable to attack by torpedo bombers, which these, aircraft were adjudged to be. The radar showed us that the Hellcats were close to one group of the enemy. Suddenly there was a ball of fire falling in the sky - some plane had been hit. A fighter pilot's voice - MacKie's - announced over the radio the destruction of a torpedo bomber, then another, and another, and a fourth hit.
U.S fighters now arrived to drive off the remaining enemy group, and an ugly situation was saved. The Admiral signalled, "Well done your radar team and pilots."
"But while these are the men — the pilots and aircrews — who did most of the actual fighting, never forget that in naval flying these men would be ineffectual without the help of the thousands of others who man the aircraft carrier — the guns' crews, the signalmen, the first aid parties, and all the countless others who have to perform vital duties to keep the ship in action," continued Admiral Vian.
"But from amongst those may I say a special word for the men down below in the magazines, the boiler, and engine rooms, who should the ship be torpedoed or bombed, are usually in the greatest danger of all. It is these men. the pilots and aircrews and ships' companies of the Indefatigable, Urchin, and Wizard, who are visiting your shores today.
"They have all longed to come to New. Zealand, it is a great wish of any sailor. May I thank you so much for all the hospitality and kindness you are showing them."
