Glimpse of the RAAF Meteorological Service
Preface
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Growing Up
Chapter 2: Port Moresby Before Pearl Harbour
Chapter 3: Port Moresby After Pearl Harbour
Work in the Meteorological Office
Japanese Land in Rabaul
Catalina and Hudson Operations
First Sight of the Japanese
Japanese Plans for the Invasion of Port Moresby
RAAF Meteorologists Under Threat of Japanese Advance
More Air Raids on Port Moresby
The Story of the Hudson
A Blow to Morale
More Air Raids but No 75 Squadron Kittykawks Arrive
Japanese Attempt to Invade Port Moresby by Sea
Japanese Submarines Attack Sydney
Attack on MV MacDhui
Return to Australia
The Meteorologists' Contribution
Chapter 4: Allied Air Force HQ and RAAF Command, Brisbane
Chapter 5: Japan Surrenders and We Are Demobilised
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Appendix 1: References
Appendix 2: Milestones
Appendix 3: Papers Published in Tropical Weather Research Bulletins
Appendix 4: Radiosonde Observations 1941–46
Index
Search
Help
Contact us
Work in the Meteorological Office (continued)
No 24 Squadron had four Hudsons and 12 Wirraways in Rabaul. In January 1942 the Hudsons and the Catalinas were engaged in long-range reconnaissance of Kapingamarangi and Truk. I clearly recall that my first forecast for the RAAF following the news of Pearl Harbour was for a Hudson flying from Rabaul for reconnaissance of the Japanese island of Kapingamarangi some two degrees north of the equator. About this time Sqn Ldr Dick Cohen made a 20 hour reconnaissance over Japanese-held islands to the east and north-east of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. These reconnaissances revealed warships and flying boats in the harbour of Truk and bombers on the airstrip. The Hudsons and Catalinas mounted bombing missions against Truk but bad weather made it difficult to find targets. One Catalina was lost on take-off after refuelling at Kavieng and two more disappeared while on reconnaissance north of New Britain, presumably shot down by aircraft from two Japanese aircraft carriers.Japanese aircraft had been bombing Rabaul since early January, first at night using flying boats and later with carrier-based aircraft. On 14 January 1942 a fleet of Japanese troop transports left Guam, being joined by naval vessels from Truk on 17 January. As Mellor (1958) points out, the Japanese exhibited a marked ability to use cloud cover to mask movements of the fleet. On 20 January 1942 Japanese carriers launched 100 bombers and fighters to attack Rabaul. Wing Cmdr J. Lerew, CO of No 24 Squadron, had four Hudsons and 11 Wirraways to oppose the Japanese. The Wirraways were much inferior in performance to the extent that Japanese bombers had a greater maximum airspeed. It had been widely acknowledged that they were pilot-training rather than fighter aircraft.
Japanese Land in Rabaul
After the initial Japanese attack on Rabaul, Sqn Ldr Johnny Lerew was left with one Hudson and one damaged Wirraway comprising No 24 Squadron at Rabaul. He received a signal from Air Officer Commanding RAAF HQ Melbourne urging him to continue to attack the Japanese. His reply 'nos morituri te salutamus' (we who are about to die salute you) will go down as the classic reply to what had been a string of rather fatuous orders from HQ. I understand that the text of Johnny Lerew's signal to Melbourne quoted the words customarily uttered by Roman gladiators to spectators at the Colosseum in Rome about 2000 years earlier.Japanese forces occupied Rabaul on 21 January 1942 despite a spirited defence by Australian troops, outnumbered by an enemy at least five times as numerous. In the ensuing weeks, Catalinas from Port Moresby bombed shipping and shore installations in Rabaul, mainly at night. These raids were made by pilots of No 11 and No 20 Squadrons, including Beaumont, Bolitho, Cohen, Hemsworth, Higgins, McBride, Price, Norman and Seymour. Pilots and crews of Catalinas and Short Empire 'C' Class flying boats, including Cohen, Len Grey and Mike Mather, also rescued civilians and AIF and RAAF fugitives from Papua, New Guinea and New Britain.
People in Bright Sparcs - Cohen, Dick (Kingsland); White, Arthur Charles
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© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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