raaf north western area command geographically based commands raised royal_australian_air_force raaf world war wartime sphere operations included adjacent portions queensland western australia dutch_east_indies command formed january following outbreak pacific war western covered northern australia headquartered darwin initially responsible air defence aerial reconnaissance protection sea lanes boundaries official history raaf pacific theatre described north western area campaign entirely air war raid counter raid role increasingly offensive nature allies began advance new_guinea dutch_east_indies command continued operate following end war boundaries reduced australian territory february responsibilities raaf newly established functional command control system headquarters disbanded following year history world war formation formed raaf station darwin january taking western portion established raaf geographically based command control zones covered northern new_south_wales queensland roles area commands air defence protection adjacent sea lanes aerial reconnaissance led air officer commanding responsible administration operations air bases units boundary outbreak pacific war december catalyst split nwa counter distinct japanese threats new_guinea respectively nwa inaugural senior air staff officer group captain staff numbered including officers early february soon appointed chief air staff inspected nwa found morale combat units nos squadrons lacking raids counter raids february nwa complement aircraft included seventeen light bombers nos squadrons based darwin fourteen fighters squadron based darwin fighters darwin java half crews service pilots considered inexperienced wilson absence java acting darwin suffered air raid japanese force aircraft bombed harbour town attack bombers directed mainly raaf airfield followed midday raids february destroyed civil military infrastructure aircraft ships killed approximately people raaf personnel deserted darwin exodus known adelaide river stakes words awful panic lot men simply went bush anti aircraft gunners credited shooting japanese aircraft probably destroying wake disaster nwa headquarters moved bush camp south senior leadership changed wilson posted spite praised actions attack federal government commission inquiry took march initial objectives restore morale deal perceived threat imminent invasion tasks complicated poor communications transport early warning systems proceeding intense combat training construct new satellite airfields disperse forces words air_force historian raaf outstanding area commander war australian pacific theatre decorated americans awarded gallantry personally leading raid dutch_east_indies despite northern australia obvious vulnerability attack nwa garrison arrival march april squadrons comprising soon redesignated command colonel darwin area suffer total air raids february november april operational authority raaf combat infrastructure including area commands invested newly established headquarters nwa boundaries august covering command took responsibility portion western_australia north line drawn south east border queensland adjacent flew final sorties august transferred new_guinea following month having claimed seventy japanese aircraft destroyed loss nwa hudson squadrons conducted bombing missions japanese bases shipping seas support raaf fighter squadrons nos equipped equipped arrived september october september saw formation led air vice marshal oversee majority australian flying units exercised overall control air operations area commands continued hold administrative authority australian units defend northern coast western_australia protecting flank general new_guinea coordinate operations involved area command instance fighter squadrons nwa required major attack december nwa flying units included raaf squadrons operating mainly dive bombers photographic reconnaissance unit flew mix continued operate darwin area squadron september duration war units soon augmented squadron dutch_east_indies mitchell medium bombers heavy bombers nwa able conduct heavier strikes japanese forces north australia december transport squadron formed nwa control darwin days air raid aircraft newly formed communications unit remained disbanding shortly end hostilities wing formed nwa december responsible radar stations acted early warning system japanese attacks wing coordinated air defence region fighter sector headquarters raids continued placed bombers inland fighters close coast intercept attackers works wing responsible airfield construction squadrons associated support units according historian nwa areas raaf free run world war employed judgement selecting targets offensive strikes detailed superior headquarters forthcoming february acting intercepted radio launched raid airfield near destroying damaging japanese bombers destined major raid darwin help protect northern australia ongoing air attack squadrons fighters transferred united_kingdom operational march fighter wing group captain major engagement darwin resulted loss combat forced landings owing fuel starvation engine failure destruction japanese bomber fighters immediately ordered strike led wing commander airfield assumption correct happened japanese raiders based enemy aircraft destroyed ground march number sorties flown nwa combat squadrons rose allies claimed total japanese aircraft destroyed loss thirty operations seventeen enemy action thirteen causes june command group captain wing recorded nwa successful interception date claiming fourteen japanese raiders destroyed damaged loss month consisting squadrons came nwa control enhancing strategic strike capability time nwa headquarters staff numbered including ninety officers offensive operations handed nwa air vice marshal adrian cole july cole reported command organised keen good shape considered air defence capability inadequate recommending long range fighters squadrons wing possibility calling reinforcements necessary having started primarily defensive command nwa able support allied advances new_guinea august september cole reduced regular reconnaissance missions increase bombing activity limit following request provide available support allied assaults nwa carried raids destroy japanese bases aircraft divert enemy forces allied columns wing established nwa november consisting attack squadrons flying commanded group captain december character air war northern australia changed markedly japanese longer able mount air raids darwin merely securing nwa cole keen adopt offensive strategy dutch_east_indies according sense plan conduct campaign raaf operational level commanders campaign somewhat static limited march april nwa thirteen squadrons control including wing supported amphibious operations aircraft bombed nwa direction wing took allied attack june july sorties nwa aircraft july totalled wing subsequently transfer nwa undertake operations japanese wing received fresh british squadrons july replace transferred wing formed darwin planned assault wing disbanded august radar stations units area month wing departed later came control raaf main mobile strike force september cole handed nwa stage war allies advancing north tempo operations darwin area decreased raised concerns wing warning higher command morale drop given active role war transferred southern australia rest october wing received orders depart nwa join tactical air force left nwa squadrons disposal including unit squadrons meantime nwa supported assault attacks enemy ports oil facilities shipping dutch_east_indies operations continued november december nwa headquarters staff numbered including officers month assumed command wing arrived queensland coordinate control operations nwa squadrons mined manila bay december support allied landing heavy bomber wing raaf operational nwa control january comprising squadrons wing replaced transferred philippines wing sank seven japanese ships dutch_east_indies march april available aircraft joined wing assault japanese convoy included cruiser anti aircraft fire attacks enemy fighters resulted loss allied submarines sank damaged following day squadron added wing strength late april bombers attacked targets java lead operation invasion commenced subsequent operations invasions nwa responsible mining operations convoy escort aerial reconnaissance attacks japanese bases troops wing mined far north hong_kong china july nwa offensive capability nos wings transferred wing formed month nwa control comprised squadrons operational end pacific war post war activity disbandment following end war august dissolved melbourne assumed control operational formations including area commands squadrons mainly australian prisoners war wings disbanded darwin november darwin subsequently function mainly transit centre base peacetime exercises permanent station flying squadrons continued serve nwa january group captain nwa senior administrative staff officer took officer commanding remained command october time headquarters staff numbered including officers september chief air staff air vice marshal jones proposed reducing extant mainland area commands north western eastern southern western areas covering queensland covering new_south_wales covering western_australia south_australia victoria tasmania federal government rejected plan wartime area command boundaries essentially remained place nwa longer covered dutch_east_indies october february nwa hosted largest exercise war specially modified advanced radar instrumentation flew darwin joint program royal_air_force gathering long range navigation bombing data use potential air campaigns soviet_union wing commander served nwa september december commencing october raaf reorganised geographically based command control system based function february newly constituted functional organisations home training assumed control air_force operations training maintenance nwa headquarters remained existence remote control points headquarters finally disbanded june orders battle april april nwa controlled following squadrons squadron equipped hudson general reconnaissance bombers based squadron equipped general purpose aircraft based squadron equipped based squadron equipped dragon transports based 7th squadron equipped fighters based equipped based equipped based darwin april april nwa controlled following squadrons wing squadron raf equipped fighters based darwin squadron equipped based squadron equipped based squadron equipped based hughes squadron equipped vengeance dive bombers based squadron equipped based hughes netherlands squadron equipped mitchell medium bombers based mcdonald squadron equipped long range fighters based squadron equipped heavy bombers based april april nwa controlled following squadrons wing squadron raf equipped based darwin squadron equipped based squadron equipped based squadron equipped long range based darwin harbour squadron equipped fighters based wing squadron equipped general reconnaissance bombers based squadron equipped based hughes netherlands squadron equipped based squadron equipped based squadron equipped based equipped based equipped based equipped based long
North-Western Area Command (RAAF)