Clive Caldwell, Air Ace by Kristen Alexander

Author:Kristen Alexander [Alexander, Kristen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Historical, Reference, General
ISBN: 9781458763358
Google: 5iQ00r2733YC
Amazon: 1458763358
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant
Published: 2010-01-14T13:00:00+00:00

EIGHT

The Day the Planes ‘All Fell into the Sea’

Any mention of Spitfires at Darwin usually brings the sort of stupid response, ‘Oh yes, didn’t they get the hell beaten out of them by the Japs’ or ‘they all fell into the sea out of petrol or something’.

Sunday 2 May 1943 dawned clear and bright with only a breath of wind. The perfect early morning flying conditions were enjoyed by Flying Officer Tim Goldsmith of 452 Squadron, who carried out some shadow shooting practice, and 457 Squadron, which carried out an early morning squadron formation exercise. But the peace of the day was soon interrupted by the sound of sirens heralding the arrival of Japanese bombers and their escort of fighters on their 54th raid over the Darwin area.

The Japanese formation had taken off from Penfui airfield near Koepang in Dutch Timor. The first plots were detected by 38 Radar Station at Cape Fourcroy on Bathurst Island at 9.26 a.m. They were very weak and it was initially thought that a single aircraft was on its way. The plots soon became clearer and it became obvious that a heavy formation was approaching. The formation was led by Lieutenant-Commander Suzuki Minoru and comprised twenty-five bombers from the 753rd Kokkutai and twenty-seven Hap and Zero fighters from the 202nd Kokkutai of the 23rd Kokusentai. The Hap closely resembled the Zero, but had square wingtips. The Allied code-named it after General ‘Hap’ Arnold, who, funnily enough, did not appreciate having a Japanese aircraft as a namesake. The Hap was therefore renamed the Hamp, but this never really caught on. It finally became known as the Zeke 32 when the Allies realised that the Hap was not a new type of aircraft.

Caldwell received the message at 9.40 a.m. that the Wing was to scramble and rendezvous at 10 000 feet above Hughes strip. As well as Wing Leader, Caldwell was acting as 452’s leader. Thirty-three Spitfires scrambled: ten from 54 Squadron, eleven from 457 Squadron and twelve from 452 Squadron. Rendezvous was effected after about twenty minutes.

5 Fighter Sector Control advised Caldwell that a formation of twenty or more bombers, escorted by a large number of fighters, was approaching from west-north-west at approximately 20 000 feet, and that the target was believed to be Darwin. The Wing turned starboard and climbed rapidly into the sun towards Darwin. When the Wing reached 22 000 feet, the Controller informed Caldwell that enemy bombers were near Point Charles, but at about 25 000 feet. The Japanese fighters were above the bombers, but the Controller was unable to determine their height. Caldwell turned the Wing to port and continued to climb rapidly with the sun to starboard, with Darwin below on the port beam.

When the Wing was about 10 miles north-east of Darwin, at 26 000 feet, the enemy bomber formation was sighted above West Point at 10.00 a.m. The bombers crossed the harbour, and when Caldwell saw the escorting fighters above the bombers at 27 000 feet, he knew the Wing was not in a position to attack advantageously and advised the controller accordingly.

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