TOHE TONU
HISTORY
Formed, July 1943
Disbanded, 17 May 1944
Reformed, October 1944
Disbanded, September 1945
COs
S/L, T. J. McLean De Lange. RNZAF, Jul 1943 to 17 May 1944
DFC,
S/L, G. M.
BASES
Seagrove, Auckland, NZ, July 1943 to January 1944
Palikulo Bay, Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides, 12 January 1944 to March 1944
Piva U Field, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 23 March 1944 to 17 May 1944
NZ October 1944 to December 1944
Palikulo Bay, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, December 1944
Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, December 1944 to January 1945
Momote Field, Los Negros, Admiralty Islands, January 1945 to February 1945
NZ February 1945 to May 1945
North & South Island Fields, Emirau Island, St Mathis Group, May 1945 to July 1945
NZ July 1945 to September 1945
AIRCRAFT TYPES
Harvard July 1943 to January1944
Dauntless SDB3 January 1943 to January 1944
Dauntless being serviced at Espiritu Santo in 1944
Dauntless SDB 4 January 1944 to May 1944
Corsairs October 1944 to September 1945
ROLES
Dive Bomber July 1943 to May 1944
Fighter / Ground Attack October 1944 to September 1945
Dauntless SDB - 3’s were ex-US Marine Group 14
The Squadron was formed at Seagrove, Auckland, in July 1943, using North American Harvards and Douglas Dauntless SDB - 3 Dive Bombers taken over after the US Marine Group No 14 left them behind when they were moved to the Pacific Area.
On 12th January 1944, the Squadron was moved to Palikulo Bay, Espiritu Santo, and continued training with US dive bomber units based there.
Once they had gone the Station at Seagrove was closed.
In March 1944, they were moved to Piva U Field, Bougainville, replacing a US Marine Squadron that has been stationed there.
With No 30 [DB] Squadron, during the Japanese offensive against the US bridgehead, they both began their operations on 25th March 1944, with No 25 [DB] Squadron flying 14 sorties on the first day, against targets within a few minutes flight from the airfield.
For the next two weeks, both Squadrons operated every day, dive-bombing and strafing Japanese targets during the day and carrying out patrols over the defensive perimeter at night.
Om the 26th March the Squadron was intended to take part in an attack on the Japanese base at Kavieng, they failed to join up with the rest of the attacking force so were forced to return to base.
Once the immediate crisis on Bougainville was over, the two Squadrons focused on Rabaul, sending 6 to 12 aircraft on every day that flying was possible, with the airfields at Vunakanau and Tobera were their most frequent targets.
On 17th May 1944, the Squadron was withdrawn and returned to NZ, where it was disbanded because it was felt that the dive bombers were no longer necessary.
In October 1944, the Squadron was re-formed, equipped with Chance Vought Corsairs, and moved to Palikulo Bay, Espiritu Santo, in December 1944, where they continued training before moving to Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, where they flew interception sorties against unidentified aircraft.
In January 1945, the Squadron relieved No 23 [F] Squadron on Momote Field on Los Negros, the most Westerly Base that the NZ Squadrons flew from. While there the main tasks were the dusk and dawn patrols and intercepting unidentified aircraft the Radar units found.
The remained there until they were relieved by No 19 [F] Squadron in February 1945, when they returned to NZ for rest and recuperation.
In May 1945, the relieved No 23 [F] Squadron on North & South Fields, Emirau, where the main role was maintaining a standing patrol over the Japanese base at Kavieng, and the occasional bombing raid as required.
In July 1945, the Squadron was replaced by No 14 [F] Squadron and it returned to NZ for rest and recuperation, and while it was in NZ the war was ended so they were disbanded in September 1945.
with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner
