party of soldiers he became the first
Japanese airman captured in New
Guinea.
He spent months recuperating in
a military hospital in Melbourne
before being sent to the prisoner
of war camp at Cowra, New South
Wales. Nagatomo was killed there on
August 5, 1944 during the ‘Cowra
Breakout’, along with hundreds of
other Japanese prisoners.
The Zeke attack on Port Moresby
on February 28 marked the nadir
of morale there. The one weapon
being used to make regular night-
time attacks on Rabaul – the RAAF
Catalinas – were now all but wiped
out and their base at Moresby was
vulnerable to further attacks. The
Hudson force had been reorganisedinto a new unit, 32 Squadron, but
the few aircraft were dispersed 400
miles away to Horn Island, greatly
reducing their availability.
The army garrison at Port Moresby
believed the mistakes of Rabaul
were being repeated, with soldiers
left to defend airfields for use by a
non-existent air force. It was known
that Curtiss P-40E Warhawks were
then being assembled and flown
in Queensland, but there was no
confidence that they would arrive,
and daily jokes were made about
‘Tomorrowhawks’ and ‘Neverhawks’.
For the fighter pilots of 4 Ku,
March promised further deliveries of
Zekes to finally replace their Claudes
and bring the unit to full strength.
The struggle for Port Moresby
had begun, setting the scene for a
pattern of fighting that continued for
months.This feature is
based on new
Japanese source
information
provided in South
Pacific Air War
Volume 1 The
Fall of Rabaul
December 1941- March 1942 (Avonmore Books)
by Michael Claringbould and Peter
Ingman. https://avonmorebooks.
com.au/
into a new unit, 32 Squadron, but
the few aircraft were dispersed 400 the few aircraft were dispersed 400“The one weapon being used to make
regular night-time attacks on Rabaul – the
RAAF Catalinas – were now all but wiped out
and their base at Moresby was vulnerable to
further attacks”Above
B-17E 41-2416 ‘San
Antonio Rose’ at
Garbutt, Townsville,
on February 18, 1942.
It was scrapped after
sustaining damage
in a taxying collision
prior to the fi rst
US mission against
Rabaul on February
23, 1942.Left
The crew of a 14th BS
B-17E pose with new
Australian friends
at Cloncurry in late
February 1942.Left
G3M2 ‘Nell’ bombers
are serviced prior to
deployment. After the
destruction of the 4
Ku ‘Bettys’ by VF-3
on February 20, 1942
they were quickly
replaced by 1 Ku
‘Nells’ which struck
Port Moresby on the
24th. ALL VIA AUTHOR
UNLESS NOTEDMay 2018 FLYPAST 47