RAAF Centenary Timeline
Battle of the Bismarck Sea – March 1943
The Allies expected the Japanese to reinforce their troops in New Guinea by sea, and so in early 1943 RAAF and United States Army Air Force (USAAF) bomber squadrons began practicing attacking ships at sea.[i] By March, the combined force had 154 fighters, 34 light bombers, 41 medium bombers and 39 heavy bombers at their disposal.[ii]
USAAF and RAAF airmen stand near a Consolidated B24 Liberator
AWM NWA0685
British intelligence collected in February confirmed that Japan were intending to sail reinforcement ships to Lae via the Bismarck Sea.[iii] On 28 February, the Japanese convoy set sail from Rabaul, and was instantly monitored by USAAF and RAAF patrol aircraft, including Catalina flying boats from No. 11 Squadron RAAF.[iv] No. 22 Squadron RAAF launched Boston light bombers against the Japanese airfield at Lae on 2 March, curbing the influence of Japanese aircover.[v]
In the early morning of 3 March, Beaufort torpedo bombers from No. 100 Squadron RAAF were unsuccessful in their low-level torpedo runs against the convoy due to bad weather.[vi] By 10am, the weather had cleared enough for No. 30 Squadron RAAF to launch a machine gun strafe attack.[vii] This fire allowed the USAAF bombers to operate effectively at lower altitudes, and together the squadrons destroy seven transport ships and eight destroyers.[viii]
Allied Air Forces attack a Japanese ship
AWM 128159
What remained of the convoy was attacked by patrol boats and aircraft on 4 March. Along with the ultimate destruction of 8 destroyers and 8 troop transport ships, at least 60 Japanese fighters had been shot down. The work of the RAAF meant that as little as 850 Japanese troops reached Lae,[ix] a fraction of the near 7,000 men Japan had intended to land.[x] The Japanese lost upwards of 2,890 men,[xi] while only 13 Allied airmen were killed, 3 of those in a flying accident.[xii] Flight Lieutenant William Ellis Newton of No. 22 Squadron was awarded a Victoria Cross for his “conspicuous bravery” during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, only too be captured and executed two weeks later.[xiii] He was the only Australian airman to be honoured with a VC in the Pacific theatre of war.[xiv]
Portrait of Flight Lieutenant William Ellis Newton
AWM 100644
General McArthur called the Battle of the Bismarck Sea “the decisive aerial engagement of the war in the South West Pacific Area”.[xv] It was an incredibly well executed and critical victory for the Allies.
[i] Manera, B 2011, ‘Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 2-4 March 1943, Australian War Memorial, [online] Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/battle-of-bismarck-sea>.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Air Force, ‘Commemorating 75th anniversary of the battle of the Bismarck Sea’, [online] Available at: <https://www.airforce.gov.au/news-and-events/news/commemorating-75th-anniversary-battle-bismarck-sea>.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Ibid.
[ix] Manera, B 2011, ‘Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 2-4 March 1943, Australian War Memorial, [online] Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/battle-of-bismarck-sea>.
[x] Air Force, ‘Commemorating 75th anniversary of the battle of the Bismarck Sea’, [online] Available at: <https://www.airforce.gov.au/news-and-events/news/commemorating-75th-anniversary-battle-bismarck-sea>.
[xi] Gillison, D 1962, Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, p. 696.
[xii] Air Force, Commemorating 75th anniversary of the battle of the Bismarck Sea, [online] Available at: <https://www.airforce.gov.au/news-and-events/news/commemorating-75th-anniversary-battle-bismarck-sea>.
[xiii] Manera, B 2011, ‘Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 2-4 March 1943, Australian War Memorial, [online] Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/battle-of-bismarck-sea>.
[xiv] Australian War Memorial, Flight Lieutenant William Ellis Newton, [online] Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10676739>.
[xv] Air Force, ‘Commemorating 75th anniversary of the battle of the Bismarck Sea’, [online] Available at: <https://www.airforce.gov.au/news-and-events/news/commemorating-75th-anniversary-battle-bismarck-sea>.