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The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated x Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers between 1944 and 1948.

Qantas also operated a small number of Liberators as passenger aircraft between 1944 and ?

Acquisition

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In early 1942, following the outbreak of the Pacific War, the RAAF identified a need for heavy bombers. In May 1942 the Australian Government's war cabinet agreed to the inclusion of 143 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers in the RAAF's aircraft acquisition plan as part of efforts to expand the force to 73 squadrons.[1] It was intended that four of these squadrons would be equipped with heavy bombers.[2] These aircraft would need to be imported, as Australia's aviation industry was focused on building medium bombers and fighter aircraft. As the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) did not have any surplus B-17s, none were available.[1]

The acquisition of heavy bombers was given the highest priority by the RAAF, in the belief that it needed this type to fully participate in operations against Japanese forces.[3] A delegation of RAAF officers and members of the Department of Air travelled to the United Kingdom and United States between January and May 1943 to assess the feasibility of building heavy bombers in Australia. The delegation judged that the British Avro Lancaster and the American Consolidated B-24 Liberator best met Australia's needs, with the Lancaster judged the more suitable of the two. At this time the intended role of the heavy bombers was to protect shipping and attack enemy land bases. While the Minister for Defence was in favour of building heavy bombers in Australia, General Douglas MacArthur the commander of all Allied forces in the South-West Pacific Area (SWPA) opposed doing so. MacArthur believed that Australia should expand its production of fighter aircraft, which needed to be shipped by sea from overseas, and import larger types from the United States.[4] He also wanted to ensure that American forces were prominent in all operations against Japan, and had a dim view of the capabilities of the Australian military.[5] The USAAF's commander, General Henry H. Arnold, also strongly prioritised the allocation of aircraft to American forces in the SWPA over the RAAF.[6]

The Australian Government continued to seek heavy bombers in 1943. This process began with a bid which was lodged by Air Marshal Richard Williams, the RAAF representative to the Combined Chiefs of Staff. This made little progress: General George Kenney, the commander of the Allied Air Forces in the SWPA, supported the RAAF operating B-24s but was unable to transfer any from his American units.[4] The Australian Minister for External Affairs H. V. Evatt subsequently took the matter up directly with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who agreed to assign 475 aircraft of unspecified types to Australia by the end of 1944. Most of the aircraft which were delivered were designs the USAAF did not want, such as the Vultee Vengeance dive bomber.[4][3] Evatt also asked the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for enough heavy bombers to equip six squadrons during a visit to the UK in June 1943. Churchill instructed the head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, to not assign Australia any Lancasters. Portal took this instruction further, and decided to not offer Australia heavy bombers of any type. Portal was motivated by a desire to retain the thousands of Australian airmen who were serving with the RAF and not make any other changes which would "detract from the effort in Europe".[7]

In September or October 1943 the Australian Government approved the construction of 346 Lancasters in Australia. At around the same time, Kenney changed his stance and asked Arnold to assign B-24s to the RAAF.[8] MacArthur had also by this time agreed to the Australian Government's proposal to form seven heavy bomber squadrons within the RAAF.[9] Arnold agreed to Kenney's request, and committed to regular deliveries of the type to Australia. According to the historian Alan Stephens, while Kenney claimed that his change in position was due to the USAAF having more B-24s than it needed, he and Arnold were actually motivated by a desire to have Australian heavy bomber squadrons relieve Liberator-equipped USAAF units stationed near Darwin so that the American formations could be assigned to more important operations. This would relegate the Australian heavy bombers to a secondary theatre, and deny the RAAF the opportunity it was seeking to participate in the bombing of Japan.[8]

The number of B-24s available to Australia was decided in early 1944. Air Marshal George Jones, the Chief of the Air Staff, made the issue a focus of his visit to Washington, D.C., in January 1944. Jones requested that 300 Liberators be delivered to the RAAF during 1944, but was told that no more than 150 were possible due to the USAAF's need for the type. After further negotiations, he managed to secure a further 18 aircraft from the RAF and USAAF.[9]

At a separate conference on aircraft allocations held in Washington, D.C., in January 1944 it was decided that no new B-24s would be provided to the RAAF until July that year. After that time, it was intended to transfer enough of the type to Australia to enable a Liberator squadron to be established each month. The USAAF's Fifth Air Force offered the RAAF 15 of its B-24s in February to help the Australians rapidly establish a heavy bomber squadron, and these began to be transferred in that month.[10]

Preparations

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Operations

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Disposal

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See also

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References

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Consolidated Liberator of the Royal Australian Air Force.
  1. ^ a b Nelmes 1994, p. 34.
  2. ^ Stephens 2006, p. 153.
  3. ^ a b Stephens 2006, p. 150.
  4. ^ a b c Nelmes 1994, p. 35.
  5. ^ Stephens 2006, pp. 148–149.
  6. ^ Stephens 2006, p. 149.
  7. ^ Stephens 2006, p. 148.
  8. ^ a b Stephens 2006, p. 151.
  9. ^ a b Nelmes 1994, p. 36.
  10. ^ Wilson 1992, pp. 108–109.

Works consulted

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  • Air Power Development Centre (2014). "The RAAF'S Strike Capability Part I Developments up to the end of World War II" (PDF). Pathfinder Issue 218. Royal Australian Air Force.
  • Air Power Development Centre (2014a). "RAAF Liberators and Long Range Strikes" (PDF). Pathfinder Issue 222. Royal Australian Air Force.
  • Hasluck, Paul (1970). The Government and the People 1942–1945. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 4 – Civil. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. 6429367X.
  • Johnston, Mark (2011). Whispering Death: Australian Airmen in the Pacific War. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74175-901-3.
  • Nelmes, Michael V. (1994). Tocumwal to Tarakan: Australians and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory: Banner Books. ISBN 978-1-875593-04-0.
  • Odgers, George (1968) [1957]. Air War Against Japan, 1943–1945. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Vol. Series 3 – Air. Volume II. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 1990609.
  • Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force, 1946–1971. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42803-1.
  • Stephens, Alan (2006). The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-555541-7.
  • Wilson, Stewart (1992). Boston, Mitchell & Liberator in Australian Service. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 978-1-875671-00-7.
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