Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

This section realtes to air operations over the mainland of SE Asia and continued until 15 August 1945.  Operations eastward and those of a Maritime nature are addressed in a separate section 'Air War SW Pacific'.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, the Philippines and the north coast of Malaysia on 7 Dec 1941, the Allied air forces in the region were hit by a succession of hammer blows as they Japanese quickly gained air superiority, lead by the ubiquitous Mitsubishi A6 'Zero' fighter that was faster more manouverable and at least as heavily armed as anything the Allies had at that time.

On the mainland of SE Asia, so began an aerial contest that encompassed an area from Singapore to India and into China.  After the disastrous Malayan campaign, RAAF personnel served primarily attached to RAF squadrons based in India and Burma (now Myanamar).