Strana 10
HISTORY
The raid resulted in the destruction of
one twin-engine Hudson aircraft, damage
to another, and inflicted significant damage
to buildings, tents, a water tank, and vehicles.
On their return flight, the bomber crews stra-
fed an Allied vessel.
The Japanese fighter escorts kept most of
the American pilots engaged and claimed ei-
ght aircraft shot down. Among the Japanese
pilots was Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, who would la-
ter become the most successful Japanese na-
val fighter pilot of the war. However, only four
American aircraft sustained damage and the
only complete loss was a P-40 whose pilot lost
his bearings and had to bail out. He was later
rescued by two young Aboriginal Australians.
During the battle, the Americans claimed
four Zeros shot down. Among the Japanese ca-
sualties was Lt. (jg) Nobuhiro Iwasaki, whose
aircraft was later recovered, allowing Allied
intelligence to gather valuable information,
particularly from component nameplates. Iwa-
saki’s likely victor was Lt. Morrissey, who fired
on the enemy from a distance of 200 yards. One
of Iwasaki’s wingmen during the engagement
was Nishizawa.
The second Japanese pilot shot down was
PO1c Genkichi Oishi. In his case, there is no
doubt about his victor. Lt. A. T. House attacked
a Zero that was attempting to get behind Morri-
ssey. However, when House tried to fire, his
machine guns malfunctioned, and not a single
shot was fired.
Thinking quickly, he decided to ram the Zero
by striking its fuselage with the right wingtip
of his aircraft, killing Oishi in the cockpit. The
P-40 then entered uncontrollable, erratic ma-
neuvers, but House managed to regain control
at 4,000 feet and successfully landed back at
the base at high speed, without deploying flaps.
For this daring action, he was rightfully
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Shortly after this battle, the 7th Pursuit Squad-
ron was withdrawn from Horn Island, and Hou-
se soon found himself in the hospital—but not
due to combat. While on leave in Sydney, a taxi
driver ran over his foot. Well, as the saying
goes, those destined to hang will never drown.
The Threat of Invasion
Concerns about a potential Japanese invasi-
on of Australia grew even more in early March
1942. On March 3, Broome Airfield in Western
Australia was attacked by nine Zeros from the
3rd Kōkūtai. The Japanese airmen strafed the
base and its surroundings, killing nearly 90
soldiers and civilians and destroying 23 air-
craft.
While returning to Koepang, three Zero pi-
lots spotted a Dutch DC-3 transport aircraft.
Because it was camouflaged, they assumed it
was a legitimate target and opened fire, hitting
the fuselage, right wing, and right engine.
The aircraft went into a spin, but to the Japa-
nese pilots' surprise, the pilot managed to re-
cover just above the ground and successfully
executed an emergency landing. That pilot was
Ivan Smirnoff, a Russian fighter ace from World
War I. Later that day, eight more Zeros from the
same unit attacked Wyndham Base, destroying
one aircraft and damaging several buildings.
The very next day, on March 4, 1942, nine
Zeros from the 3rd Kōkūtai attacked the RAAF
base in Darwin. They successfully destroyed
one Hudson bomber and damaged several buil-
dings. All Japanese aircraft returned safely to
base, although three sustained minor damage
from anti-aircraft fire.
At the time, the main Allied focus was on the
battle for Java, leaving Australian bases tem-
porarily unprotected. With the urgent need to
secure fighter defenses for Port Moresby in
New Guinea, the American military allocated 25
P-40 Warhawks to form No. 75 Squadron RAAF,
which was officially established on March 4.
The squadron relocated to Port Moresby on
March 21, where its commander, "Old John"
Jackson, faced extreme challenges. Despite
the harsh conditions, he successfully led and
motivated his pilots, transforming them from
a group of inexperienced rookies into formida-
ble challengers against the battle-hardened
Japanese Navy pilots.
By April, Allied fighter strength in the Port
Moresby area was bolstered with the arri-
val of American Airacobras. Additionally, No.
76 Squadron RAAF at Archerfield and No. 77
Squadron RAAF at Pearce, Western Australia,
were gradually equipped with P-40E Warhawks.
9th Pursuit Squadron Deploys to
Darwin
Immediately after the Japanese attacks in
Western Australia, the American 9th Pursuit
41-5509, 1Lt. Joseph J. Kruzel, 17th PS (Provisional), 4th CG, Java, February 1942
Joseph John Kruzel was born on February 17, 1918, in Pennsylvania. He entered the Air Force in May 1940 and was
assigned to the 2nd Observation Squadron in the Philippines in December of that year. He was then transferred to
the 17th PS in September 1941. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the invasion of the Philippines, the
17th PS moved to Australia and Kruzel subsequently took part in the fighting in the Dutch East Indies. He achieved
his first kill on February 17, 1942, when he shot down a Ki-27 over Palembang. This was followed by two A6M
kills on February 19 and 20. In March he joined the 9th FS in Australia, where his wingman was George Preddy.
He served with the unit until his return home in December 1942. In November 1943, he moved with the 361st FG
to England to Bottisham Base, where the group received its P-47Ds. In Europe, Kruzel achieved three more kills
plus one shared. This brought his total to 6.5 kills and one damaged aircraft. He returned to the US in January
1945 and held a number of important positions postwar, achieving the rank of Major General. He retired on August
1, 1970 and died on July 10, 2002 at the age of 84. His P-40 from when he was still with the 17th PS sported the
drawing of a dragon breathing fire on both sides of the nose. A similar drawing then adorned another P-40E that
Kruzel used in Australia. This one, however, was camouflaged in British colors, and Kruzel’s Flight was named
“Dragon Flight” after it.
41-5647, 1Lt. John Landers, 9th FS, 49th FG, Darwin, Australia, 1942
John Dave Landers was one of the fighter pilots who achieved victories in two different theatres of war during WW
II. He scored his first six kills in the Pacific and added the rest to his total of 14.5 kills in Europe. Born in Oklahoma
on August 23, 1920, he moved to Texas at the age of eighteen. He entered the Army Air Cadet program in April 1941,
was commissioned as a First Lieutenant on December 12 and shipped to Australia as early as January 1942. He joi
-
ned the 9th FS/49th FG after delivering one P-40E to Darwin on April 3. He scored two kills the very next day, then
added two more victories on June 14 and July 30 before taking off on December 26 for his last combat flight in the
Pacific. That day he firstly scored two kills, then was shot down over New Guinea and had to find his way through
the jungle. In February 1943 he returned to the USA and was sent on his second operational tour, this time in Euro
-
pe (where he later completed a third tour as well). The first of Lander’s P-40s is portrayed here. On the left side of
the fuselage behind the cockpit, it bore a drawing of a hawk in a yellow field, as a mark of affiliation with the Andy
Reynolds Flight, who was the first to use this decoration. The decals provide the Hawk in black and dark brown
version, as it is not sure which color was used. On the nose, Skeeter inscription and the drawing of a mosquito
holding a machine gun were painted. It is not sure the mosquito was painted on the starboard side as well.
INFO Eduard10
March 2025