Vultee Vengeance in Australian service

Unveiling the RAAF’s Vultee Vengeance: A Dive into History

Imagine a time when the skies over Australia were filled with dive bombers, their purpose to strike fear and destruction in enemy ranks. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated these formidable aircraft during World War II, but how much do you really know about them? Let’s delve into the story of the Vultee Vengeance, a plane that played a crucial yet controversial role in Australia’s wartime efforts.

Order and Deployment

The Australian Government ordered 297 Vultee Vengeance dive bombers in late 1941. But why such a large order? Could it be that the RAAF was preparing for an imminent conflict, or were they simply overestimating their needs? The first combat missions began in June 1943, but the main deployment took place between January and March 1944 when squadrons operated in support of Australian and US Army forces in New Guinea. However, a question arises: why did it take so long for these aircraft to reach operational readiness?

Models and Models

The Vengeance came in three models: Mark I (99), Mark II (122), and Mark IV (121). Each model was armed with different machine guns and powered by various engines. The RAAF entered service with five frontline units equipped with Vengeance dive bombers, replacing older aircraft like the CAC Wirraway. But were these new planes really an improvement? Or did they simply offer a temporary solution until better options became available?

Operational Challenges

No. 25 Squadron, located at RAAF Station Pearce in Western Australia, received some Vengeances in late 1942, mainly operated Wirraways until being re-equipped with dive bombers in August 1943. The squadron was the only RAAF unit equipped with Mark IV aircraft, which provided superior performance. But what about the other squadrons? Were they equally well-prepared for combat?

Despite rapid expansion of the Vengeance force, by late 1942, the RAAF was aware that the type was obsolete due to inefficiency in dive bombing tactics. The USAAF had withdrawn a squadron equipped with Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bombers from combat in New Guinea after only a few sorties. The RAAF preferred to use fighter-bombers and light bombers to support ground troops instead. This decision raises the question: was the Vengeance truly obsolete, or were there other factors at play?

Combat Operations

Vengeance aircraft were used to counter attacks on shipping off the Australian coast, including a pair of squadrons being held at readiness on 18 June 1943. Two Vengeances were destroyed in flying accidents during August and September 1943, resulting in crew fatalities. The first combat mission was flown by No. 12 Squadron, which attacked two villages on Selaru island in occupied Netherlands East Indies. But how effective were these missions? Were the Vengeances truly making a difference?

No. 24 Squadron’s operations were complicated by equipment shortages and inadequate aircrew training, causing it to not be fully ready for combat until December. Some aircrew were unfamiliar with flying in tropical conditions due to training locations in southern Australia. These challenges highlight the difficulties faced by the RAAF during this period.

Final Days

No. 77 Wing’s main tasks were to attack Japanese forces and strike airfields at Alexishafen and Madang. On 22-24 February, all three squadrons attacked camouflaged Japanese barge harbours near Madang, and on 24 February, they struck Japanese anti-aircraft gun positions at Hansa Bay. The wing’s squadrons conducted operations to prevent the use of airfields by the Japanese forces from 26-28 February, with a total of 33 Vengeances dispatched.

On 5 March, US Army units landed at Mindiri without opposition. On 8 March, 36 Vengeances were dispatched to strike Rempi village near Alexishafen. This attack was the final combat operation involving Australian Vengeances. General MacArthur directed No. 77 Wing’s squadrons to return to Australia and No. 78 Wing to move to the Cape Gloucester area of New Britain.

Withdrawal and Legacy

The decision to withdraw the Vengeance from service was made due to poor performance compared to other aircraft, USAAF units’ arrival, limited space at forward airfields, mechanical unreliability, and superior Kittyhawk fighters in strafing targets. A 2008 paper disputed these views on the reliability of the Vengeance aircraft, stating that No. 77 Wing had a good serviceability rate, and difficulties in supplying the wing may have been a more important factor.

No. 77 Wing’s three dive bomber squadrons returned to Australia in March 1944 to be re-equipped with Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. All of the squadrons’ dive bombers departed Nadzab on 13 March, and their ground crews followed soon afterwards. No. 21 Squadron was transferred to Camden, New South Wales, No. 23 Squadron to Higgins Field in Cape York, and No. 24 Squadron to Lowood. All three units ceased flying Vengeances shortly after.

Aftermath

No. 4 OTU was disbanded on 30 April 1944. No. 12 Squadron remained at Merauke until July 1944, when it was withdrawn to Strathpine, Queensland. No. 25 Squadron was the final RAAF combat unit to operate Vengeances, conducting anti-submarine patrols and army-cooperation tasks from Pearce. The squadron began converting to Liberator in January 1945.

The RAAF used Vengeance aircraft for light transport and training tasks by Nos. 3-8 Communication Units, as well as target tugs and trials purposes by No. 1 Air Performance Unit and No. 7 Operational Training Unit. Vengeances were used in trials of poison gas by the 1st Australian Field Experimental Station in 1944. The aircraft were also used for a movie production in May 1944.

The Vengeance was withdrawn from service in 1946, with most being sold for scrap. Twelve airframes were transferred to the Royal Australian Navy between 1948 and 1951. Only one complete RAAF Vengeance, A27-99, is preserved today.

The RAAF’s acquisition and use of the Vultee Vengeance remains controversial. The Air Power Development Centre judged that the service was not ‘conspicuously good or bad.’ Historians have debated the decision to withdraw the Vengeances from combat, with some arguing it was a mistake and others that it was necessary.

The Australian Government and RAAF were embarrassed by the rapid withdrawal from service of aircraft acquired at high cost. Crews generally acknowledged the Vengeance’s shortcomings but accepted the decision. The Air Power Development Centre concluded that the type had been unsuited to the service’s requirements, demonstrating the need for alignment in force structure, doctrine, and equipment.

The only remaining complete RAAF Vengeance is held by the Camden Museum of Aviation, which has not been open to the public since 2008. Most parts of another airframe were held by the Aviation Heritage Museum in Perth as of 1986.