Strana 12
HISTORY
J. Gardner, 2nd Lt. John A. Kelting, and 2nd Lt.
John D. Livingstone, Jr. each shot down one
bomber, 2nd Lt. John Dave Landers claimed
two bombers, while 2nd Lt. Andrew Jackson
Reynolds and 2nd Lt. John S. Sauber each shot
down one bomber and one Zero. In this engage-
ment, the Americans successfully executed
their well-rehearsed attack tactics, diving
from above and striking the bombers head-on.
If conditions allowed, they would then launch
follow-up attacks from the rear.
However, the G4M Betty bombers pro-
ved to be a new and challenging adversary.
The American pilots quickly learned that their
opponents had a dangerous surprise, a 20mm
cannon mounted in the rear turret, making
attacks from rear risky.
The Japanese fighters suffered no losses
and scored four victories. Two P-40s were
actually lost, but not due to Zeroes. Appro-
aching the base with their landing gear exten-
ded, pilots Garder and Livingstone came under
fire from their own anti-aircraft defenses.
Gardner managed to bail out, but Livingstone
was killed while attempting to land at another
airfield.
In mid-April, a decision was made on the
Japanese side to withdraw air units from Ko-
epang to Kendari and to temporarily limit air
raids on Australia because of other priorities.
However, two more air raids were planned on
Darwin before the troops were moved.
The first raid took place on April 25, 1942,
and was carried out by 27 Betty bombers from
Takao Kōkūtai, accompanied by nine Zeros
from the 3rd Kōkūtai. Three bombers aborted
the mission due to technical issues, and one
was lost on its return. As usual, the Japane-
se executed a precise high-altitude attack on
the RAAF base, but this time, they encountered
greater resistance than in previous operations.
On this day, the entire 49th Pursuit Group
took to the air for the first time, with the 7th,
8th, and 9th Pursuit Squadrons deploying
a total of 50 aircraft. In the ensuing battle,
four Betty bombers were shot down, with all
crew members killed. One bomber suffered
a structural failure, causing its wing to collap-
se and leading to a mid-air collision with
another aircraft. Additionally, 20 bombers
sustained damage, three of which lost the use
of one engine. One Zero was also shot down,
the first lost in combat against the 49th PG
over Darwin. Its pilot was PO1c Shirō Murakami.
The bomber gunners claimed three downed
P-40s, while the escort fighters reported ano-
ther seven. However, none of the American
aircraft were actually shot dow, only two P-40
pilots were forced to make emergency lan-
dings. Zeros were credited to 2nd Lt. William
J. Hennon of the 9th Pursuit Squadron, while
his colleagues from the 8th Pursuit Squadron
claimed ten bombers and one Zero.
Two days later, on April 27, the same Japa-
nese units returned to Darwin. This time, only
17 bombers participated, but the fighter escort
was larger, led by Lt. Takeo Kurosawa at the
head of 21 Zeros. Once again, the 49th Pursuit
Group deployed all three squadrons against
the attackers, but this time they did not esca-
pe without losses. Four P-40 pilots were shot
down, including the commander of the 8th Pur-
suit Squadron, Capt. Allison W. Strauss, who
was killed. One of the local airfields was later
named in his honor, like in the case of the un-
fortunate Livingstone.
After a fierce battle, the Americans claimed
several victories. 2nd Lt. Stephen Wallace
Andrew of the 7th Pursuit Squadron reported
downing one bomber and one Zero, while his
colleagues from the 8th Pursuit Squadron clai-
med three bombers, four Zeros, and one additi-
onal Zero as probably shot down.
In reality, the Japanese lost only one bomber,
though ten others were damaged. Additionally,
two Zeros returned to base with damage, but
none were actually shot down. The bomber
gunners claimed one P-40 destroyed, while
the Japanese fighter escort optimistically re-
ported shooting down thirteen P-40s with six
more probable kills. The discrepancies in both
sides' reports highlight the confusion and in-
tensity of the aerial combat.
Australian Winter
The period from June to August is considered
winter in Australia, and in the Darwin area, it is
characterized by slightly cooler temperatures
and, most notably, significantly less rainfall.
After the battles in April, the 49th Pursuit
Group took advantage of the favorable weather
and a temporary pause in Japanese air raids
to recover from losses, enhance combat rea-
diness, and implement several administrative
changes. The unit was officially redesignated
as the 49th Fighter Group, and its squadrons
were renamed Fighter Squadrons. Additiona-
lly, the pilots selected combat names and em-
blems for their squadrons.
The 9th Fighter Squadron adopted the win-
ged helmet as its emblem and began using
the combat name "Flying Knights." Members
of the 8th Fighter Squadron, initially nickna-
med the "Eight Balls," later chose the fighting
name "Black Sheep," a reference to their air-
craft procurement. Unlike other units, they
rarely received new planes and instead took
over well-used aircraft from other squadrons.
The 7th Fighter Squadron selected the Bunyip,
a mythical Australian predator, as its emblem.
It was painted on the aircraft rudders by Bill
Hennon, a veteran of combat over the Philippi-
nes and Java.
In mid-June, the Japanese once again fo-
cused their attacks on Darwin. On June 13,
15, and 16, a total of 27 Betty bombers from
Takao Kōkūtai carried out each raid, with their
escorts varying in size. The first raid was
accompanied by as many as 45 Zeros from 3rd
Kōkūtai, while the following two raids were
escorted by 21 and 27 Zeros, respectively.
A different type of Japanese attack took
place on June 14. That day, 27 Zeros from 3rd
Kōkūtai were tasked with strafing the base
in Darwin. Radar operators initially believed
the incoming aircraft were escorting appro-
ximately nine bombers, but it appears that no
bombers were operating in the area. Instead,
the Japanese fighters' mission was not only to
attack the RAAF station but also to inflict lo-
sses on enemy fighters.
P-40E, Lt. Robert Harry Vaught, 9th FS, 49th FG, Darwin, Australia, 1942
INFO Eduard12
March 2025