WAR OVER THE PACIFIC |RAAF
76 http://www.britainatwar.comRAAF|WAR OVER THE PACIFIC
On April 24, No.2’s Hudsons flew their
first supply drop to the Sparrow Force,
a commando unit that had remained
behind to conduct guerrilla operations
on the island of Timor.Shipping Attacks
At around this time, Sqn Ldr
(later Wg Cdr) ‘Tich’ McFarlane
became CO. Despite continued air
attacks on Darwin, 2 Squadron
relocated there and RAAF
operations into the Zero-infested
skies of Timor and Ambon continued
to prevent the Japanese from
consolidating their gains.As well as shipping recces over
the Banda Sea, harbours and
airfields on Timor, Ambon and
Dili were primary targets, as was
resupply to the Sparrow Force
in Portuguese Timor. The CO
conducted a daring daylight
recce that resulted in an attack
on the shipping in Ambon
harbour by nine Hudsons. One
crew flew a recce of Soembawa
Island on a nine-hour, 30-minute
sortie, for example.
On May 11, McFarlane
conducted a hazardous daylight
reconnaissance of the Banda Seaports, noting shipping at Ambon.
Two days later he led eight Hudsons
on a dusk attack on Ambon harbour
in two sections. In the face of heavy
Japanese fire, the CO led his section
in at mast height, but as Plt Off John
Venn’s bombs struck a 3,000-ton
(1,360kg) ship, his aircraft exploded
under enemy fire. One of the crew
survived, only to be executed by the
defenders. The next section dive-
bombed, the attack sinking one ship
and damaging a second. The CO led a
repeat raid on a destroyer and several
merchant vessels on May 22, though
they were covered by five Zeros
that immediately attacked and shot
down two Hudsons. Defensive fire
prevented further loss.
Strikes against targets on islands
around the Banda Sea continuedincluding one on June 16 to Penfoei
near Kupang, during which Fg Off
Arthur Sharp’s crew had to ditch on
the return flight. Raids on Dili on the
north coast of Timor were in support
of Sparrow Force, one being a night
sortie on July 1. This was repeated
on the 9th after which the CO
reported that after bombing: “Our
aircraft returned to the target area,
diving to 200ft and machine gunned
the buildings.”
Then followed several missions to
Saumlaki, on Yamdena – one of the
Tanimbar group of islands – while, on
the afternoon of July 17, Fg Off Ian
Hay flew a recce to Kupang. As the
aircraft approached it was intercepted
by a pair of Zeros, one of which was
hit by the Hudson gunners, forcing the
pilot to bale out. The reconnaissance“Our aircraft returned to the target area,
diving to 200ft and machine gunned
the buildings”RIGHT
Fg Off Ralph
James (second left)
and his crew are
congratulated after
landing from their
first mission on
September 25, 1942
when his gunners
downed two Zeros.RIGHT
The CO of 2
Squadron through
1942 was Wg Cdr
‘Tich’ McFarlane.BELOW
A 2 Squadron
Hudson approaches
Dobo, a Japanese
floatplane base in
the Aru Islands on
the eastern side of
the Banda Sea.including one on June 16 to Penfoei
near Kupang, during which Fg Off72-78 RAAF BAW SEPT2019.indd 76 8/15/2019 9:03:59 AM