Nz's Pacific Wartime
p. 67 · Read in the full issue
Air Fleet Is Now Scrap
AFTER lying exposed to the weather for two years a total of 442 fighters and bombers, with which the Royal New Zealand Air Force helped to win the war against Japan, are being sold for scrap metal. They cost £13,000,000.
Most are Corsair fighters, which were the very latest when New Zealanders commenced flying them in 1944. The RNZAF is now equipped with two-en gined Mosquitos.
In April, 1943, an RNZAF fighter squadron arrived at Guadalcanal. In October, 1943, NZ fighters were based on New Georgia; and in March, 1944, a squadron arrived at Bougainville in time to experience the Jap shelling of the Torokina strip.
With the formation of a NZ Air Task Force, fighter squadrons were established at Green Island (Nissan), Emirau and Los Negros all in the New Guinea area. Altogether 13 fighter squadrons of the RNZAF saw service in the Pacific, and they accounted for 99 Jap aircraft.
NZ bomber planes were at Espiritu Santo (New Hebrides) as early as October, 1942. They bombed Munda and Rendova early in 1943. Later in 1943 they operated from Munda against Jap bases on Bougainville. They also operated from Torokina and Green Island against Jap nositions on New Britain and New Ire land.
Two NZ torpedo bomber squadrons and one dive bomber squadron operated dur ing March-July, 1944 against Rabaul.—