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
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More Air Raids on Port Moresby
The third Japanese air-raid on Port Moresby (the first daylight raid) occurred on 24 February 1942. I remember it vividly. As in the case of most subsequent raids we received an effective early warning by air-raid siren. A flight of nine bombers, escorted by Zeros, was seen approaching at high altitude from the north in a line directed precisely at our situation on the reclamation area, on the southern shore of the harbour. I remember the beauty of the sight of the small white crosses against the blue of the sky as the neat formation of bombers approached. Noting that we were the obvious target we wasted no time in moving from our office to the concrete air-raid shelter, which was bare except for some long forms. The reaction of our meteorological staff was orderly if somewhat strained. I remember my instinctive conviction that we would come to no harm, a feeling no doubt encouraged by the obvious strength of the air-raid shelters.The stick of bombs exploded with a deafening roar on the reclamation area on which our offices, workshops and air-raid shelters were located. When the dust cleared we emerged from the shelter to assess the damage to our office. There was remarkably little, except that a flying splinter had severed the pendulum of the office clock which hung on the wall. I can clearly recall the sight of the hands of the clock rotating rapidly. I cannot remember seeing any Japanese Zeros before or after the bombing. They probably remained above the bombers to guard against our non-existent fighters.
As in the case of other raids by high-flying Japanese formations I witnessed in Port Moresby, the bombing was extremely accurate.
Four days later, on 28 February, we had an equally dramatic fourth air-raid (also in daylight). For some time we had heard rumours that a RAAF squadron equipped with P-40 Curtiss Kittyhawk fighters would soon arrive. It was interesting that these USAF fighter aircraft were given the name of the district where the Wright brothers first flew a powered aircraft an 17 December 1903 in Kittyhawk, North Carolina. The RAAF had been extremely lucky that some crates containing Kittyhawk fighters, originally intended for USAF operations in the Netherlands East Indies, had arrived in Australia on a US merchant ship early in 1942. The Australian War Cabinet was able to persuade the USA to make these available for equipping a number of RAAF fighter squadrons. RAAF No 75 Squadron had not yet been formed in Townsville but the news that the Kittyhawks were on the way raised hopes that, with their arrival, Japanese bombers would not be able to bomb us undeterred.
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© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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