From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Australian Air Force squadron
Military unit
No. 93 Squadron
was a
Royal Australian Air Force
fighter squadron that operated during
World War II
. It was formed in January 1945 and disbanded in August 1946. Due to delays in bringing operational airfields into service, the squadron saw little combat before the end of the war.
Squadron history
[
edit
]
No. 93 Squadron was formed at
Kingaroy
, Queensland, on 22 January 1945. It was equipped with
Bristol Beaufighters
, and received its first aircraft in January. The squadron conducted training throughout February, March and April with a focus on gunnery and rocket practice. On 5 March three No. 93 Squadron Beaufighters departed from
Oakey
to escort
No. 79 Squadron
Spitfires
to
Morotai
.
[3]
The squadron left Australia in May to take part in the
Borneo Campaign
. The advance echelon embarked on ships bound for Morotai on 11 May and arrived there on the 22nd of that month. A further echelon embarked for
Labuan
on 5 June. While No. 93 Squadron's ground party was established at Labuan shortly after 13 June, the aircraft could not be brought forward due to either the intermediate landing ground at
Tarakan
being unserviceable
[4]
or Labuan's airstrip needing to be extended.
[5]
As a result, while No. 93 Squadron was originally intended to be operational at Labuan from 25 July as part of
No. 86 Wing
, its first two aircraft did not arrive there until 23 July. The remainder of the squadron departed from Kingaroy on 31 July and arrived at Labuan on 5 August.
[4]
[5]
The crews of the first two No. 93 Squadron Beaufighters to arrive at
Bofu, Japan
after escorting P-51 Mustang fighters
No. 93 Squadron saw only limited combat before the end of the war. The first aircraft to arrive at Labuan began flying combat sorties on 26 July in conjunction with
No. 1 Squadron
. On 7 August, eight Beaufighters attacked and sank what was believed to be an 800-ton oil tanker in the Tabuan River. It was later determined that the ship was the
Rajah of Sarawak's
private yacht.
[4]
One aircraft was lost in this attack, but its crew bailed out and made contact with the
9th Division
on 20 August after being assisted by civilians.
[6]
The squadron flew its last combat missions on 13 August, when four aircraft made an armed reconnaissance of
Kuching aerodrome
and another eight attacked Tromboul Airfield.
[7]
The squadron conducted some further flying after the end of the war. It dropped leaflets announcing the Japanese surrender over Japanese-held areas until 9 September and conducted a show of force over
Kuching
on 11 September. On 15 September, a No. 93 Squadron Beaufighter flew a film of the Japanese surrender at Singapore to
RAAF Base Laverton
and on 25 September the squadron was requested to destroy United States military barges with rockets.
[7]
It also provided navigation escorts to single-engined RAAF fighters returning to Australia.
[8]
The squadron's operation room was closed on 21 October but weather reconnaissance flights continued. The squadron's commanding officer was killed in an accident on 10 December.
[7]
The
First Tactical Air Force
advised No. 93 Squadron that it was to be reduced to an air echelon and nucleus party on 20 December. Its personnel and ground equipment departed from Labuan bound for
Narromine, New South Wales
, and arrived there on 23 December. Meanwhile, No. 93 Squadron's aircraft were used to escort
No. 81 Wing's
Mustang
fighters to Japan where they were to form part of the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
. The squadron's aircraft returned to Australia when these flights were completed in mid-March 1946.
[7]
The squadron's last flight took place on 14 May and it was disbanded on 22 August 1946.
[9]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"93 Squadron RAAF"
. Australian War Memorial
. Retrieved
20 April
2015
.
- ^
"RAAF Squadron Codes"
. Australian War Memorial
. Retrieved
20 April
2015
.
- ^
RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 95
- ^
a
b
c
RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 96
- ^
a
b
Odgers (1968), p. 474
- ^
Odgers (1968), pp. 474?475
- ^
a
b
c
d
RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 97
- ^
Eather (1995), p. 100
- ^
RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 98
References
[
edit
]
- Eather, Steve (1995).
Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force
. Weston Creek: Aerospace Publications.
ISBN
1-875671-15-3
.
- Odgers, George
(1968) [1957].
Air War Against Japan 1943?1945
. Australia in the War of 1939?1945. Series 3 ? Air. Vol. 2 (reprint ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
OCLC
246580191
.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995).
Units of the Royal Australian Air Force. A Concise History. Volume 2 Fighter Units
. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
ISBN
0-644-42794-9
.
External links
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]