RAAF Vengeances

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:50 am

Thanks Mark, lots I wasn't aware of there. I'll have to take up fishing!

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:43 am

JDK wrote:

AFAIK, the USN were the only allied organisation to use dive-bombers effectively.

I think the members of No. 25 Squadron, RNZAF, who flew Dauntless dive bombers very effectively in the Bougainville campaign, may dispute that statement.

Some interesting photos though James. Not a very pretty aeroplane, but an interesting one.

The forward visibility must have been appaulling.

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:49 am

Dave Homewood wrote:

JDK wrote:

AFAIK, the USN were the only allied organisation to use dive-bombers effectively.

I think the members of No. 25 Squadron, RNZAF, who flew Dauntless dive bombers very effectively in the Bougainville campaign, may dispute that statement.

Fair cop! Perhaps 'decisively' would be a better term.

The Blitzkrieg was built around the Stuka's precision - and the SBDs changed the course of the war at sea in the early part of the Pacific campaign. The Germans and Italians crippled the RN in the Med with Stukas, but where they a decisive factor elsewhere?

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:28 am

You may not be aware that when the Allies landed on Bougainville they managed to get a tiny foothold on the coast where they established an airstrip so they could operate from there to continue the attack. The dive bombers based there, including No. 25 Squadron RNZAF, were taking off, turning around and diving and attacking Japanese targets all around the airstrip in the jungle as close as only a few hundred metres away. It was the first time RNZAF groundcrews got to see their aircrews actually doing their job. The dive bombers effectively and decisively picked off the Japanese that surrounded them to the point where ground forces were able to pentrate further into the jungle and expand their foothold on the island. They also flew ops to further afield targets and wuped out things like radar stations etc. So yes, they were very decisive in this land campaign, (both US and NZ Dauntlesses) as well as at sea. There's a very good book called Jungle Dive Bombers at Warby Peter C. Smith which details the work of this NZ squadrons and several US dive bomber squadrons.

Nathan · **Posted:** Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:48 am

another aircraft I plan to get when im rich.

JDK · **Posted:** Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:44 am

Thanks Dave, good points. However, my point stands, if you bear with me. As a weapon of war, the dive bomber was only decisive (in changing the course of the war) by the use of USN SBDs at Midway, for the Allies. Both Japanese and German dive bombers were decisive specific factors in their early war periods.

That's not, of course to detract from the achievements of anyone; but we are often sucked into interest in particular types not recognising that it is in fact very rare that only one type could have achieved a battle-changing result.

Anyway, here's a couple more of Dianne!

Note how much the camouflage and markings appear to change depending on lighting and repro. Also the W/Op air gunner doing either job in two of the pics.

rmcf · **Posted:** Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:13 am

Stukas performed very well against the Russian armor through to the end of the war.

By the way the RAAF Vengeances performed quite well in New Guinea contrary to 'popular' myths. The biggest issue became range as the bombing efforts moved on up the coast of New Guinea. The Vengeance was used in the Burma theatre successfully by RAF and Indian squadrons.

merlin101 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:34 am

Any more photo's of the 'assembly/build area'?
Dave

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