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BOXART STORY
The wereabouts of Allied air units during
World War II were often very tortuous, and
their pilots faced many difficulties. Two RAAF
squadrons that became part of the Australian
Coltishall Wing at the turn of 1944 and 1945
serve as examples of different deployment
paths.
The first unit, No. 451 Squadron, was deployed
in Africa and the Mediterranean from May 1941
until the end of 1944. Initially, its pilots flew
Hurricanes, switching to Spitfires in March 1943,
and even testing Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib planes
in the Mediterranean in the second half of the
year. Ultimately, however, the unit remained
loyal to the Spitfires. Its deployment was so
monotonous and casual that it became the
squadron with the lowest morale in the RAAF in
1942 and 1943. By the end of 1944, the command
was not considering moving No. 451 Squadron
back to Australia, and its equipment was not
suitable for deployment in Italy. Therefore,
it handed over its Mk.IX Spitfires to another unit,
moved to Britain, and re-equipped with Mk.XVI
Spitfires.
The second unit of the Australian Wing,
No. 453 Squadron, had a considerably more
colourful history. It was first deployed with
Brewster Buffalo aircraft in the fight against
the Japanese, and after suffering heavy losses,
the command disbanded it in the spring of 1942.
In the summer of 1942, a new RAAF unit with
this number was established in the UK with
Spitfire aircraft.. In January 1944, it became
part of No. 125 Airfield, then No. 125 Wing within
the 2nd Tactical Air Force in May 1944. It was
one of the squadrons operating from French
territory in June 1944 and withdrew to the
UK in September 1944. Its pilots scored their
last aerial victories on September 27, 1944, in
combat with Messerschmitt Bf 109s at Arnhem.
In Britain, both squadrons were based at
Matlaske airfield as part of the Australian Wing
and became part of the Air Defence of Great
Britain (ADGB). The main task of the Australian
airmen was to attack V-1 and V-2 weapon
launchers in the Netherlands. Occasionally, they
were tasked with fighter sweeps or escorting
bombers, but their primary mission was ground
attacks, targeting train transports or armoured
personnel carriers. The Australians no longer
clashed with enemy airmen, their main
adversary was German flak.
The Wing was led by former No. 453 Squadron
RAAF commander, W/Cdr Donald G. Andrews,
who had previously served with RAF Squadrons
No. 615, 245, and 175. He served with Australian
No. 453 Squadron until May 1944 and was
awarded the DFC for his performance. After an
operational hiatus, he assumed command of
the Australian Wing in February 1945. Despite
incorporating his old No. 453 Squadron into it,
he also deployed pilots from No. 451 Squadron
into combat. He later recalled that within
ten days, German flak shot down two of his
wingmen, fortunately with both airmen escaping
safely. Records from both squadrons, however,
indicate that malfunctions and accidents were
the primary causes of Spitfire losses.
In April 1945, the Australian Wing primarily
escorted British bombers on daytime operations
over northern Germany. An exception was
on April 11, during a raid by about a hundred
Halifaxes on Bayreuth railway station. Andrews
personally led the wing in this action, but
executing the escort was challenging as
bomber crews struggled to maintain formation.
This raid marked the third attack on the city in
April 1945, resulting in the destruction of about
a third of its buildings. American troops entered
Bayreuth on April 14, 1945.
The final ceremonial task of the Australian
Wing was to provide escort by No. 453 Squadron
for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on
her return to her homeland on May 2, 1945.
Following the end of the war in Europe, the
Wing relocated to bases in Germany.
Andrews's personal Supermarine Spitfire
LF Mk XVI, TB520, adorned with fuselage
designation DGA and Gremlin emblem, remained
in service for nearly two more years after the
war's conclusion. It was transferred to No. 183
Squadron RAF at Wunsdorf in mid-June 1945.
A few weeks later, the Spitfire was sent to the
UK to join No. 587 Squadron of the RAF. After the
squadron disbanded in June 1946, ownership
of Andrews's former aircraft passed to
No. 691 Squadron. Unfortunately, the Spitfire
sustained irreparable damage during take-off
at Middle Wallop airfield in Hampshire on March
24, 1947.
Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
Australian Mark Sixteens
Text: Jan Bobek
INFO Eduard
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July 2024