AIR FIGHTS OVER RABAUL

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24150, 8 January 1944, Page 4

AIR FIGHTS OVER RABAUL

New Zealanders In Action

24 WARHAWKS IN MAIN BATTLE (R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service.) NEW GEORGIA, January 3. New Zealand Warhawks have fought their biggest action in the Pacific over grimly-defended Rabaul in a battle royal as pilots described it on their return. They shot down 12 Zeros for certain with six others probably destroyed or badly damaged. 'New Zealand losses were light. Rabaul was the climax of the Royal New Zealand Air Force fighter wing’s activities in the Pacific. Starting with combats over Guadalcanar in April, they fought the enemy all the way up the Solomons from Guadalcanar to the Russells, New Georgia, Vella Lavella, Kahili, and Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville, and now they are over Rabaul itself.

In this battle they had more aircraft in action than on any previous occasion and their score of enemy aircraft shot out of the sky was the highest for any single engagement. Twenty-four Royal New Zealand Air Force Warhawks and 20 American Hellcats took part in the sweep. The New Zealanders were led by Squadron Leaders J. D. Arkwright and H. R. Newton, and every pilot made contact with the enemy. From 1800 Feet to Sea Level

As the fighters came in over Rabaul the pilots saw dust rising from the airfield as Zeros came up to challenge them. The action took place over Rabaul harbour, where the Japanese have a large concentration of shipping, starting at about 18,000 feet and finishing at sea level. Fierce dogfights raged right down to the sea. Squadron Leader Arkwright with his men led off the attack and Squadron Leader Newton followed down. They attacked 20 to 30 climbing Zeros and shot down at least half a dozen in that first dive. A general dogfight developed with everybody working round the same piece of sky. Following their adversaries down the Warhawks ran into another batch of 20 to 30 Zeros and went straight through them. When they reached sealevel the New Zealanders found themselves boxed in by Zeros. Both squadrons had to fight their way out, heavily outnumbered and chased continually. They worked together and shook themselves clear of the enemy about 40 miles from Rabaul. Then they turned for their base. The whole fight lasted half an hour and in the words of one of the pilots “it was pretty wild and woolly.” First New Zealand Raid on Rabaul New Zealarld fighter pilots were recently over Rabaul for the first time. They shot down six Japanese aircraft during a big Allied fighter sweep, and two days later another Zero fell a victim to a New Zealander who was a member of the fighter cover for a bombing raid on the same target. In their first attack on Rabaul, the Warhawks were part of the force of 80 Allied fighters. Wing Commander T. C. Freeman, D.5.0., D.F.C. and Bar, led‘ the New Zealand formation as a spearhead and it was this section which ran into the hottest combat and accounted for five of the New Zealanders’ score of six enemy victims for the day. Sweeping in over the coast of New Britain at Kubanga Bay in the middle of the morning, the New Zealanders made a circuit of the Rabaul area, skirting airfields to the south, then turned on a second circuit. Four Zeros came out of wispy cloud and, when they attempted to attack the rear of the Warhawk formation, a general melee developed. Other enemy aircraft were encountered and the fight raged spasmodically for three-quarters of an hour, high and low over Rabaul town and harbour, over inland valleys and jungle, and out over St. George’s channel, dividing New Britain from New Ireland, New Zealander’s Escape Shortly after sending down his second Japanese in a running fight over Rabaul township, a flight-lieutenant was chased by seven or eight Zeros, including three of the enemy’s latest type, and was forced right down on to the bush at the foot of Mount Towanumbatir. He tried to make for St. George’s Channel, but was hemmed in and could not get through, A Zero passed him and went ahead. The New Zealander fired a long burst at the enemy, with only three guns firing, until those stopped also. He was then between Rabaul town and the shipping and was under heavy anti-aircraft fire. Still hemmed in and seeing no way out, he headed back for Mount Towanumbatir with the enemy aircraft still chasing him-and a lot of tracer going past. He flew up and down gullies at treetop height, taking violent evasive action, but, as that was getting him nowhere, he headed straight for Rabaul, skimmed over the town, still under enemy fire. After passing the town he flew through a low saddle into St. George’s Channel and went down to the water, where, at high speed, he eventually succeeded in shaking off his pursuers. In this action his aircraft received only three hits, none of them serious.

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