Rescue Feat - RNZAF Catalinas

[Dave Homewood]

From the New Zealand Herald, 7 March 1945. I had no idea that the RNZAF Catalinas were involved in the Philippines campaign.

RESCUE FEAT

DESTROYER'S MEN

AIRCRAFT USED

NEW ZEALAND CREWS

EXPLOIT IN PACIFIC

(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) EMIRAU, March 3

What makes one of the most amazing stories to come out of the Pacific war is the rescue of a destroyer's crew within easy range of enemy guns on Leyte Island, in the Philippines. The rescue was effected by four New Zealand Catalina flying-boats. Altogether, 142 survivors were picked up.

One aircraft took off with 63 men on board. The flying-boats made five trips and some of the survivors were picked up within 1500 yards of the enemy-held shore.

With seven Thunderbolts for cover, the first two Catalinas landed in Ormoc Bay, just before noon, one taking the eastern and the other the western half of the bay. The aircraft in the eastern area picked up 16 men from a life net and taxied a mile and a-half up the bay to rescue another 12 from a life raft. Sixteen more were taken from the water, the plane taxi-ing from place to place. No more survivors were to be seen so, with 44 passengers and a crew of seven, the Catalina, took off and returned to its base.

In the meantime, the Catalina operating in the other part of the bay had sighted a number of survivors in rafts and float nets and picked up 30, going within 1,500 yards of the shore to get 20 of these. Thunderbolts circling overhead directed the flying-boat across the bay to opposite the town of Albuera, where another 22 men were rescued from the sea. Further on, four men who were seriously wounded were taken on board out of a party of 30.

The 56 survivors filled the flying-boat, the wounded being placed in bunks while the others were packed throughout the plane. Then, with its 63 occupants, including the crew of seven, the Catalina took off after a three-mile run across the bay. It reached its base after a flight of three hours.

Three other sorties finished the job, the bay being completely cleared of survivors, the last Catalina doing a coastal sweep at 50 feet through near-by islands.

[Dave Homewood]

OCEAN RESCUE

NEW ZEALANDERS' FEAT

LANDING IN HEAVY SEA

(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) GUADALCANAL Feb. 16

Solomon Islands-based Catalinas have carried out a second gallant sea rescue, this time under exceptionally difficult sea conditions. Five members of the crew of a United States Liberator bomber were rescued.

The Liberator got into difficulties when returning from a raid on the Marshall islands and was lost while making a forced landing in the sea. The survivors were adrift for six days before being located by a New Zealand Catalina. The rescue brought the New Zealanders' "score" of American fliers rescued to 16 in two days.

The Catalina had just turned for home after a routine patrol when smoke was noticed from the Americans' flare signals from four rafts lashed together. After circling, and while making an unsuccessful attempt to contact the Catalina's base to advise of the proposed sea landing, the crew made preparations for landing on the open sea. Bombs were jettisoned and the usual procedure for a forced sea landing carried out. The Catalina was still carrying a large supply of petrol and a full crew of nine.

Rivets Shorn Oft
A heavy white-capped sea was running, whipped along by a fresh wind, and the Catalina came down fairly heavily. Some rivets were shorn off and the hull commenced to make water, but the electric bilge pumps kept if under control. The Catalina taxied to windward so that the rafts drifted alongside and the Americans were helped on board.

Facing the rough water to take off, the Catalina eventually had to take off well across-wind. The flying-boat landed at its base five hours later.

Sharks Driven Away
The Americans were in fair physical condition in spite of six days' exposure. They had a terrifying experience when making the water landing in the Liberator, as the big aircratt dived into the sea and broke in two. Two of the crew were not seen again after the crash, and three others disappeared when struggling to gain the life-rafts, in spite of the desperate efforts of their comrades.

During the six days adrift sharks attacked the Americans' rafts, but sea-markers thrown into the water succeeded in driving them away.

NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 19 FEBRUARY 1944

[chinapilot]

Interesting find Dave.

First mention that RNZAF Catalinas were involved. Leyte is a long haul from their normal bases.Maybe attached to a ‘tender’.

The RAAF Catalinas staged through the PI on their way to conduct mine laying operations along the China coast.

[Dave Homewood]

I wonder if they were staging through Los Negros. There were RNZAF fighters and bombers based there, it is the furthest north the RNZAF got in the Pacific chain, in terms of bases.

[Dave Homewood]

I also wonder which squadron this was, No. 5 (FB) Squadron or No. 6 (FB) Squadron.

[Dave Homewood]

SAVING AIRMEN

MORE RESCUES AT SEA

NEW ZEALAND CATALINAS

(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) BOUGAINVILLE, March 8

Listed as missing for nine days, an American Corsair pilot has been returned to his unit by a New Zealand Catalina flying-boat. He was saved from hostile seas and probable death. The flier was shot down over Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, while covering a raid on the Vunakanau airfield, near Rabaul. He carried his liferaft through the jungle, floated down a river and finally emerged at night into St. George's Channel, where, injured and suffering from exposure, he was picked up by a R.N.Z.A.F. Catalina.

This was one of a number of rescues carried out in recent weeks by R.N.Z.A.F. flying-boats operating from the Solomons. Notable in these "Dumbo" missions has been the fact that at times three types of New Zealand aircraft have co-operated in the rescuing of Allied airmen from the sea.

On the same day as the Corsair pilot was rescued another New Zealand Catalina brought to safety two injured survivors of an American Mitchell bomber which was hit on a strafing mission and crashed into the sea northward of Buka.

On another recent morning, with an escort of Corsairs and Airacobras, a New Zealand Catalina received a message to proceed to a point off Cape Henpan, Buka Island, to search for a marooned New Zealand fighter pilot. At the cape the flying-boat was met by three R.N.Z.A.F. Warhawks, who guided the searchers to a point where the New Zealander was in the water, being circled by other Warhawks. Making an open water landing, the Catalina picked up the pilot, who had been forced down an hour earlier when his Warhawk's petrol pump failed.


NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 11 MARCH 1944