Tangmere Pilots British Pacific Fleet Campaign.

Details, Background and History of the British Pacific Campaign.

Introduction.

Gentlemen,

Our new campaign is the British Pacific Fleet 1945.

The BFP campaign will be in two parts, a short campaign around the Palembang operation in January 1945 and a longer campaign covering the Sakishima operations from March till May. You’ll fly Corsairs, Hellcats, Seafires and Avengers from Royal Navy aircraft carriers against Japanese fighter, Kamikazes and ground targets. First mission will be on Sunday the 13th of September and a skins pack will be released at the beginning of September.

Prangster.

Part 1 - Palembang.


Formed in January 1945 around the four fleet carriers of the East Indies fleet together with the battleship King George V, the 283 aircraft of the BPF represented the greatest concentration of air power ever assembled by the Royal Navy.

On the 13 January the BFP left Ceylon bound for it new base at Sydney, Australia. On the way it was to attack the Japanese oil refineries at Palembang in Sumatra. The two raids, Operation Meridian one and two, were a major success and dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese, cutting aviation fuel production by seventy-five percent.
Part 2 - Sakishima.




Map of the Pacific Island Campaign


While at Sydney it was agreed that the BPF would operate alongside the US Fifth Fleet for Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa in the Japanese home islands. Designated Task Force 57 the BPF would operate on the left flank of the invasion force, interdicting Japanese reinforcements moving through the Sakishima islands from Formosa and China.
Airfield Under Attack During The Campaign.

In March the fleet moves to its advanced operating base at Manus, and on the 26th commenced operations against the six Japanese airfields on the Sakishima islands. A pattern of operations developed with three days on station followed by two day refuelling and rearming at sea. The airfields were bombed continuously, with US Navy escort carriers covering while the British Pacific Fleet was away.

Pilot Aboard a Carrier.

From April 1st the fleet was subjected to sustained kamikaze attacks from Japanese aircraft operating out of Formosa. Although some damage was inflicted the armoured flight decks of the British carriers prevented the major damage sustained by the wooden flight decks of the US Navy carriers. On the April 12 and 13 the BPF shifted its attacks west to Formosa in an attempted to destroy the Kamikaze’s airfields and take some pressure off hard press US fleet. Poor weather hampered the attacks and on the 14th the fleet withdrew to Utili atoll to replenish.


Aftermath of a Kamikaze Attack.

On April 16 the BFP was back off the Sakishima islands and continued operations until it’s final withdraw on May 21. The Sakishima operations represented the RN longest sustained period of operations at sea of the war and made a major contribution to the Japanese defeat at Okinawa.
Aircraft Used In The Campaign.


Supermarine Seafire III.

The Seafire was not well liked by the Fleet Air Arm, having a very poor record when deck landing due to its narrow and fragile undercarriage and nose heavy design. It was also hampered by its short range that restricted its use to fleet defence. As a point defence interceptor however it proved more than a match for any Japanese aircraft.


Grumman Hellcat II.

The Hellcat was the preferred fighter of the FAA, however they were in short supply as the US Navy had first call on all production. The Hellcat was a superb naval fighter, reliable, easy to land and with good performance. Armed with six 50cal machineguns and capable of carrying two 500lb bombs.


Vought-Chance Corsair II.

The Corsair was the most numerous fighter serving with the BPF. Initially judged too difficult for the average pilot to land on a carrier it was relegated to shore use with US Marine Corp. The FAA originally requested Hellcats from the Americans but were offered the Corsair instead and so were forced to find a way to land it safely. This they did by softening the landing gear to prevent bouncing and using a curved approach to keep the batsman in sight over the long nose. In the air the Corsair was fast, could carry a large payload long distances and was liked by its pilots. Armament was six 50cal machine guns.

Grumman Avenger III.

The Avenger was designed as a torpedo bomber but soon proved its worth as a general-purpose strike bomber carrying bombs, depth-charges and in later versions, rockets. In FAA service it commonly carried four 500lb bombs delivered in a shallow dive. It carried a three man crew and was armed with twin forward firing 50cal machinegun, a rear turret with a single 50cal machineguns and a single 30cal in a ventral mount. It was a large and sturdy aircraft able to absorb considerable punishment combined with stable low speed flying characteristics making it a good deck lander.

Fairey Firefly.

The Firefly was the latest in a line of single engine, multi crewed naval fighters produced to Fleet Air Arm specification. The Royal Navy’s insistence on carrying an observer was sensible for navigating over open ocean but meant the Firefly lacked the performance necessary against single seater land based fighters. Powered by the RR Griffon engine and armed with four 20mm cannon, its principle role was light strike and flak suppression with eight 60lb rockets.

Supermarine Walrus.
Two Walrus flying boats were operated from HMS Victorious and used for air-sea rescue saved many downed aircrew from under the noses of the Japanese.

 

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