No 18 Squadron RNZAF

HISTORY

Formed, June 1943
Disbanded, October 1945

COs

S/L, J. M. Oldfield. RNZAF, June 1943 to April 1944
DFC,

S/L, R.H. Balfour. RNZAF, May 1944 to July 1944
DFC, DFC [US],

S/L, P. R. McNab. RNZAF, August 1944 to November 1944

S/L, G.H. Corlet. RNZAF, November 1944 to April 1945
Bronze Star [US]

S/L, W.A. Hardman. RNZAF, May 1945 to September 1945

BASES
Ohakea, Palmerston North, NZ, June 1943 to July 1943
Fairhall, Blenheim NZ, July 1943 to September 1943
Palikulo Bay, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 17 September 1943 to October 1943
Ondonga, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 15 October 1943 to November 1943
NZ November 1943 to January 1944
Palikulo Bay, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, January 1944
Torokina Field Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 22 January 1944 to 11 March 1944
NZ March 1944 to May 1944
Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, May 1944 to June 1944
Torokina Field, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, June 1944 to July 1944
Palikulo Bay, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, August 1944 to September 1944
Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, September 1944 to November 1944
Nissan Island, Green Islands, Solomon Islands, 22 November 1944 to 11 December 1944
Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, January 1945 to February 1945
Piva Y Field, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, February 1945 to April 1945
NZ April 1945 to June1945
Piva Y Field, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, June 1945 to October 1945

AIRCRAFT TYPES

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Kittyhawk June 1943 to 1944

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Corsairs 1944 to October 1945

ROLES

Fighter / Ground Attack June 1943 to October 1945

CODE

Whenuapai Kittyhawk 1943 LV

EFFORTS
Sorties
Hours
Destroyed 7
Probable 1
Damaged
Boats / Barges 19
Tanks 3

The Squadron was formed in June 1943 at Whenuapai, Auckland, and was moved to Fairhall, a satellite airfield for Woodbourne, Blenheim.

While training and preparing for operations in the Pacific the Squadron used a fighter control room that had been set up at Woodbourne, while patrolling the Cook Strait area. They also provided fighter defense for the area.

On the 17th September the Squadron moved to Palikulo Bay Espiritu Santo and assumed fighter defence for the area.

On 24th October 1943, with No 15 [F] Squadron , they moved to Ondonga, on the Western Coast of New Georgia. The two Squadrons acted together to form a wing, and escorted US bombers that were attacking the Japanese bases on Bougainville, about 120 miles away.

On 27th October 1943, the two Squadrons acted as Fighter cover for the US and NZ troops invading the Treasury Islands “Operation Goodtime”.

Ten patrols were flown on the first day, with No 18 [F] Squadron flying six of them, including the first. The two Squadrons claimed 4 Japanese fighters destroyed while flying cover.

On the 30th October both Squadrons were part of the fighter escort for an US strike on Choiseul Island, carried out as part of “Operation Blissful”,

A diversionary raid that was hoped to draw Japanese attention to the wrong part of Bougainville.

On 1st November 1943, the US the Wing provided 8 aircraft out of a fighter cap of 32 aircraft over Empress Augusta Bay while the US carried out landings.

They NZ wing intercepted a Japanese formation that was flying over Bougainville, but probably not aware of the US landings, and shot down 7 aircraft for the loss of 1 aircraft, the pilot of which was rescued.

On the night after the landings the Japanese Navy attempted to intervene, but were fought off in the “Battle of Empress Augusta Bay 1-2 November 1943”.

The following day the NZ wing provided escorts for the US aircraft searching for the retreating Japanese ships.

During November the NZ wing had flown over 1,000 sorties, including dusk and dawn patrols, escorts for US bombers and Ground Fighter Attack missions.

At the end of November both Squadrons [No 15 and 18 [F] Squadrons] were relieved by No 14 and No 16 [F] Squadrons respectively.

Following a Rest and Recuperation break in NZ the Squadron returned to the Pacific Theater, replacing No 22 [F] Squadron, and took part escorting the constant attacks on Rabaul.

Also, in Mid February 1944, the two Squadrons supported the Allied Invasion of Green Island, between Bougainville and Rabaul]

On 13th February 1944, the Squadron took part in the last RNZAF victory over a Japanese fighter when they shot down two Zeros over Vunakanau, soon after, this the Japanese fighters were withdrawn from the areas that the RNZAF flew.

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Zero

The two Squadrons flew patrols over Green Island until 7th March when the US had completed building an airfield and moved the first of their fighter squadrons into the area.

On the 7th March 1944, the Squadron took part in the first RNZAF fighter/bomber raid on Rabaul, sending 8 aircraft, and shortly after was relieved by No 19 [F] Squadron, just before the start of the Japanese Offensive of March 1944.

The Squadron returned to NZ for a rest and recuperation spell.

In the Summer of 1944, the RNZAF had set three months as the future length of an operational tour in the tropics from the previous 6 week period.

On return, in May 1944, they took part in fighter/bomber sweeps against Japanese positions on Bougainville and provided air cover for the Empress Augusta Bay area and due to problems setting up their intended camp in Western Solomons and Bismark Islands, he Squadron spent the next 3 months flying from Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal.

On the 22nd November, in order that the Squadron could have some operational experience, they were moved to Nissan Island, in the Green Islands, from where they operated for the next 6 weeks, flying dusk and dawn patrols, escorting “Dumbo” Catalina air sea rescue missions, escorting transport aircraft between Green Islands to Emirau, to the West.

This last duty was introduced after Japanese aircraft re-appeared in the area after a long gap, but this duty was canceled on the 8th December after the threat was defeated.

On the 1st December 1944, one of the two US fighter squadrons was moved to Leyte, and No 18 [F] Squadron assumed their role of flying a standing patrol over Rabaul.

On the 8th December, the other US Fighter Squadron stopped operations for three days, leaving No 18 [F] Squadron as the only Allied fighter Squadron flying over Rabaul. By this time there were very few Japanese Aircraft in the area, and the only encounter that they had with a Zero came on the last day of this posting, and despite several attempts to catch it, the enemy aircraft escaped.

On the 11th December 1944 the Squadron was replaced by No 14 [F] Squadron and they returned to NZ for rest and recuperation.

When they returned in February 1945, they relieved No 21 [F] Squadron on Bougainville and were now involved with the Australian offensive on the Island.

They still had dusk and dawn patrols to fly as well as ground attack missions hitting tactical targets close to the Australian lines, troop concentrations and guns behind the lines and the main Japanese bases, flying on average over 30 sorties per day.

On 3rd March 2 aircraft from the Squadron made a rare sighting of a Japanese tank, near Ruri Bay, in Northern Bougainville.

After strafing the tank one aircraft returned to base while the other remained over the area, At 12.30 pm two more aircraft, armed with 1,000 lb bomb, were back and attacked, their attack revealed a total of 3 tanks.

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A further attack was made that afternoon leaving the tanks either destroyed of badly damaged. Two of the tanks managed to limp under cover, but one was found on 4th March and 9 aircraft from the Squadron finally destroyed it,

On the 5th March, the two Squadrons [No 18 and 20] attacked a tank depot and supply dump in the same area, destroying 2 tanks.

In April the two Squadrons returned to NZ for rest and recuperation again when they were relieved by No 14, 16, 22, and 26 [F] Squadrons.

In June 1945 the Squadron returned to Bougainville as part of a mass relief of the 4 NZ Squadrons on the Island, they replaced No 26 [F] Squadron, who returned for Rest and recuperation.

The four Squadrons were again used for targets close to the Australian Army lines flying an average, over 60 sorties per day, with peaks of over 100 sorties per day.

After the war ended, the Squadron remained on Bougainville until October 1945, when it was returned to NZ and disbanded,

with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner