Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 22, 2020 9:15:14 GMT 12
AIR WAR AGAINST JAPANESE
DETERMINED STRAFING OF TARGETS
DARING EXPLOITS OF NEW ZEALAND PILOTS
(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) BOUGAINVILLE, May 5.
Although Japanese targets round Rabaul have been burnt and blasted by ceaseless Allied raids from the Solomons, the enemy is putting up a grim, but doomed defence of a once formidable base which threatened the whole South Pacific. New Zealand airmen flying Dauntlesses and Avengers report that the anti-aircraft fire which meets them over the airfields and supply areas is as fierce as ever, and often very accurate.
Major Roland F. Smith, D.F.C., commander of a United States Marine Avenger squadron, said after the last trip of his third tour in the area: “It was the most ‘ack-ack’ I have seen and possibly the most accurate. "
The Japanese are matching their wits against the bombers, varying their tactics and changing their gun positions, but the Allied airmen are confident of wearing them down. The targets are becoming more difficult to locate as the wily ‘Nips.’ spray the runways green to match the surroundings, and hide supplies in hill plantations and in the jungle. Pin-pointing a target under these conditions calls for keen spotting and good judgment.
Some New Zealanders have shown particular skill at this, as well as artillery spotting against the enemy on Bougainville—the result of Army cooperation experience in New Zealand. It is remarkable what they can detect through the jungle and camouflage. Japanese gunners try desperately to stave the bombers off the target, first with a screen of heavy fire to cover the raiders’ approach, and then with light automatic fire, generally intense and accurate, while the aircraft are over the target.
‘‘This is the stuff that shakes you," said a New Zealand pilot. After releasing their bombs the aircraft run through a curtain of machine-gun and light automatic fire as they withdraw from the area to stream out over the countryside, strafing all they can see. Tests of Airmanship
Returning aircraft have shown how they can take it. Some come back with holes in their wings big enough for a man to crawl through, and others with two-thirds of their elevators shot away or their rudder practically gone. Steering aircraft through these hazards and bringing damaged machines safely home says a lot for the airmanship of the New Zealand crews.
Squadron Leader H. N. James, of Auckland, has led some outstanding Avenger attacks, one against the Talili Bay supply area, when his was the only force to reach the target through bad weather, and another against the Lakunai airfield, on which 59 bomb-hits were reported.
Flight Lieutenant M. G. Stubbs, of Wellington, led a determined Avenger strike against the Vunakanau airfield, when ‘ack-ack’ was at its heaviest, scoring 51 hits on the runway. Lately Avengers have included gun, positions in their targets with marked' success, notably against troublesome guns on Hospital Ridge north of Rabaul.
The battle against guns, however, is mainly a job of Dauntlesses, and the New Zealand squadron, under Squadron Leader T. McL. de Lange, of Auckland, put up a fine showing. The dive-bombers’ aim is to distract ‘ack-ack’ and throw up as much debris as possible, to cover the Avengers’ approach, on the airstrip or supply target.
“To get in on the target you’ve got to go right through the flak and just take it as it comes,” said a Dauntless pilot. “A gun position is a pretty small target, and you’ve got to be right on the mark, or it is useless. This combat with guns has an individual flavour. It’s you against the guns, like fighter against fighter.”
PRESS, 8 MAY 1944
DETERMINED STRAFING OF TARGETS
DARING EXPLOITS OF NEW ZEALAND PILOTS
(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) BOUGAINVILLE, May 5.
Although Japanese targets round Rabaul have been burnt and blasted by ceaseless Allied raids from the Solomons, the enemy is putting up a grim, but doomed defence of a once formidable base which threatened the whole South Pacific. New Zealand airmen flying Dauntlesses and Avengers report that the anti-aircraft fire which meets them over the airfields and supply areas is as fierce as ever, and often very accurate.
Major Roland F. Smith, D.F.C., commander of a United States Marine Avenger squadron, said after the last trip of his third tour in the area: “It was the most ‘ack-ack’ I have seen and possibly the most accurate. "
The Japanese are matching their wits against the bombers, varying their tactics and changing their gun positions, but the Allied airmen are confident of wearing them down. The targets are becoming more difficult to locate as the wily ‘Nips.’ spray the runways green to match the surroundings, and hide supplies in hill plantations and in the jungle. Pin-pointing a target under these conditions calls for keen spotting and good judgment.
Some New Zealanders have shown particular skill at this, as well as artillery spotting against the enemy on Bougainville—the result of Army cooperation experience in New Zealand. It is remarkable what they can detect through the jungle and camouflage. Japanese gunners try desperately to stave the bombers off the target, first with a screen of heavy fire to cover the raiders’ approach, and then with light automatic fire, generally intense and accurate, while the aircraft are over the target.
‘‘This is the stuff that shakes you," said a New Zealand pilot. After releasing their bombs the aircraft run through a curtain of machine-gun and light automatic fire as they withdraw from the area to stream out over the countryside, strafing all they can see. Tests of Airmanship
Returning aircraft have shown how they can take it. Some come back with holes in their wings big enough for a man to crawl through, and others with two-thirds of their elevators shot away or their rudder practically gone. Steering aircraft through these hazards and bringing damaged machines safely home says a lot for the airmanship of the New Zealand crews.
Squadron Leader H. N. James, of Auckland, has led some outstanding Avenger attacks, one against the Talili Bay supply area, when his was the only force to reach the target through bad weather, and another against the Lakunai airfield, on which 59 bomb-hits were reported.
Flight Lieutenant M. G. Stubbs, of Wellington, led a determined Avenger strike against the Vunakanau airfield, when ‘ack-ack’ was at its heaviest, scoring 51 hits on the runway. Lately Avengers have included gun, positions in their targets with marked' success, notably against troublesome guns on Hospital Ridge north of Rabaul.
The battle against guns, however, is mainly a job of Dauntlesses, and the New Zealand squadron, under Squadron Leader T. McL. de Lange, of Auckland, put up a fine showing. The dive-bombers’ aim is to distract ‘ack-ack’ and throw up as much debris as possible, to cover the Avengers’ approach, on the airstrip or supply target.
“To get in on the target you’ve got to go right through the flak and just take it as it comes,” said a Dauntless pilot. “A gun position is a pretty small target, and you’ve got to be right on the mark, or it is useless. This combat with guns has an individual flavour. It’s you against the guns, like fighter against fighter.”
PRESS, 8 MAY 1944
