Netherlands East Indies campaign Far East Air Force (United States)

a-24 dive bomber being assembled @ archerfield

the pensacola convoy philippines diverted on 13 december brisbane, disembarked air corps personnel , crated a-24 dive bombers on 23 december, continued darwin field artillery reinforcements on 29 december. pursuit , partially trained pilots began training assembly of crated aircraft went forward @ archerfield , amberley airdromes. 21 pilots of 27th bomb group , 17 24th pursuit group flown australia in last 2 weeks of december ferry assembled aircraft, no engine coolant had been sent fighters , guns of dive bombers missing key electrical , mounting components, hampering not reinforcement of feaf limiting flight training of new pilots. president garfield, 500 miles @ sea en route honolulu, reversed course after receiving word war had begun in hawaii , returned san francisco. usat president polk, cargo liner impressed service army transport, embarked 55 p-40s, equal number of pilots , ground crews gathered 4 groups based in california (including 27 pilots off president garfield), , sailed without escort on 18 december, reaching brisbane on 13 january 1942, assembly of p-40s began aircraft mechanics of ground crews. president polk embarked ground echelons of 2 squadrons of 7th bomb group (based @ jogjakarta) , continued java, escorted heavy cruiser uss houston, arriving in surabaya on 28 january.

by mid-january, japanese advances southward cut anticipated aircraft ferry routes philippines , reinforcement no longer feasible. instead, using aircraft assembly completed , assigning personnel @ hand, provisional fighter squadrons organized in brisbane assist royal netherlands indies air force (ml-knil) in defending nei. 17th pursuit squadron (provisional) established on 14 january, , 13 of 17 pilots had been 24th pg. 17 p-40s delivered pensacola convoy (assembly of 18th not completed because of lack of parts), flew across northern australia brisbane darwin, java via penfoie airdrome @ koepang , den pasar field on bali between 16 , 25 january. 12 warhawks arrived @ designated feaf fighter base @ ngoro field, others lost accidents, combat, , pilot illness. 20th pursuit squadron (provisional), incorporating pilots of 35th pg, took off darwin in 25 p-40s on 2 february, 17 reached java, remainder shot down on bali or damaged on ground air raids. likewise, 25 p-40s of 3rd pursuit squadron (provisional) departed brisbane, because of accidents involving novice pilots, 18 reached darwin on 8 february. 9 reinforced ngoro; entire flight of 8 lost when exhausted fuel after lb-30 navigation guide aircraft became lost in storm trying find koepang. survivors of both 3rd , 20th provisional squadrons integrated 17th ps. 33rd pursuit squadron (provisional) en route java @ darwin when annihilated japanese air raid on 19 february. of 83 p-40s assembled , flown brisbane, 37 arrived @ ngoro field, , 15 february less 20 mustered operations.

the 91st bombardment squadron re-manned in brisbane pilots 27th bg, , dispatched eleven a-24s java on 11 february, japanese threat timor prevented other 2 squadrons of 27th following. inadequate facilities @ new airfield near malang delayed maintenance of dive bombers , prevented operational use until 19 february. 32 assembled p-40s collected @ maylands airfield near perth, western australia, towed fremantle on night of 19–20 february, , loaded on flight deck of seaplane tender uss langley. langley sailed @ noon 23 february in convoy burma diverted java, freighter ms sea witch after, carrying 27 unassembled , crated p-40s destined 51st pursuit group in china. of aircraft aboard langley lost when sunk on 27 february. 31 of 33 pilots of 13th , 33rd pursuit squadrons (provisional) perished in attack. sea witch reached tjilatjap harbor next day destroyed cargo keep p-40s being captured japanese.

operations on java

b-17e flying fortress

on 3 february japanese opened series of air attacks on abda bases on java, , 19th bg again caught on ground, losing 5 of b-17s in raid on singosari, 4 of them on ground. on 20 february, mission bomb invasion force @ bali, 7 b-17s of 19th bg caught on ground @ pasirian field in southeastern java 0 strafers while re-arming , 5 more destroyed. although 38 of more capable b-17e flying fortresses , dozen lb-30 liberators incrementally reinforced both heavy bombardment groups of feaf, losses severe , slow rate of reinforcement unable keep pace. despite dispersal , elaborate camouflage, lack of antiaircraft artillery , poor warning/communication systems resulted in loss of 65 feaf aircraft on ground alone.

evacuations of personnel java , diversion of resources india , australia began 20 february. 24 february ten heavy bombers, 4 a-24 dive bombers, , 13 p-40 fighters remained flyable against japanese forces. abda command officially dissolved next day. ground echelons of both heavy bomb groups began evacuation sea on 25 february, while bombers, carrying 20 passengers each, made daily six-hour flights broome, western australia, intermediate evacuation point aircraft fleeing java. malang/singosari closed on 28 february , jogjakarta next night, following final bomber sorties. 260 men, including remnants of 17th pursuit squadron, evacuated 5 b-17s , 3 lb-30s. 35 passengers crammed final lb-30 took off @ 12:30 am of 2 march. on 3 march, 9 japanese fighters attacked broome, destroying 2 of evacuated b-17s.

of 61 heavy bombers based on java, 23 escaped: 17 b-17es, 3 lb-30s, , 3 of original b-17ds of 19th bg. 6 had been lost in aerial combat, @ least 20 destroyed on ground japanese attacks. every fighter (39) , dive bomber (11) arrived on java destroyed. against these losses, provisional pursuit squadrons credited destruction of 45 japanese aircraft in aerial combat. heavy bombers had flown on sixty missions , @ least 300 bomber sorties, 40% of bombers turned or otherwise failed find targets. brereton s evacuation india on 23 february 1942 ended existence of far east air force, had been re-designated 5 air force on 5 february. headquarters not re-manned until 18 september 1942 in australia, when designated fifth air force.

fifth air force along thirteenth air force in central pacific , seventh air force in hawaii subsequently assigned higher echelon on 3 august 1944, newly created united states far east air forces acronym feaf. feaf subordinate u.s. army forces far east , served headquarters of allied air forces southwest pacific area.

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