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Cap Mandrake -> Historical Perspective (11/25/2005 11:22:08 PM)
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For Historical perspective, here is what the US 5th AAF (formerly the Far East Air Force was doing during the 2nd half of March '42 and the first week of April (notice how long it takes rookie Heavy Bomber Groups from the US to get into the fight):
March, 1942
Saturday, 14 March, 1942
13th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Melbourne to Laverton, Australia with B-17's. The 13th will be redesignated 403d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April, its first mission is October, 1942.
Sunday, 15 March, 1942
64th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Sydney, Australia from the US with B-17's; first mission is 13 August.
Tuesday, 24 March, 1942
Air echelon of 91st Bombardment Squadron (Light), 27th Bombardment Group (Light), ceases operating from Brisbane, Australia and begins moving to Charters Towers, Australia with A-24's. Ground echelon is on Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
Wednesday, 25 March, 1942
16th and 17th Bombardment Squadrons (Light), 27th Bombardment Group (Light), cease operating from Brisbane, Australia with A-24's and begin moving to Charters Towers, Australia
Thursday, 26 March 1942
3 B-17's of the 40th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), evacuate Philippine President Manual L Quezon and his family to Australia.
Friday, 27 March, 1942
30th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Melbourne to Cloncurry, Australia with B-17's; ground echelon is on Bataan and Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
Saturday, 28 March, 1942
HQ 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 63d and 65th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Sydney, Australia from the US with B-17's. First mission for the 63rd is on 14 August; first mission for the 65th is on 12 November. 28th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Melbourne to Cloncurry, Australia with B-17's; a detachment begins operating from Perth, Australia; ground echelon is on Bataan on Mindanao, Philippine Islands. 80th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 8th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Brisbane to Lowood, Australia with P-39's; first mission is 22 July.
Sunday, 29 March, 1942
19th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), transfers from Ipswich to Townsville, Australia with B-26's; first mission is 6 April. 93d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Melbourne to Cloncurry, Australia with B-17's; ground echelon is on Bataan and Mindanao, Philippine Islands; first mission is 23 July.
Tuesday, 31 March, 1942
8th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 3d Bombardment Group (Light), transfers from Charters Towers, Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea with A-20's; first mission is 1 April.
Friday, 3 April, 1042
21st and 22d Transport Squadrons, Air Transport Command, US Army Forces in Australia, are activated at Archerfield and Essendon Airdrome, Australia respectively with various transport aircraft. 39th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Mount Gambier to Williamstown, Australia with P-39's; first mission is 2 June.
Saturday, 4 April, 1942
36th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 8th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Lowood to Townsville, Australia with P-39's and P-400's; first mission is 30 April.
Monday, 6 April, 1942
11th and 22d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begin a transfer without personnel and equipment to the US. They will be established at Columbia, AAB, South Carolina on 26 April, be re-equipped with B-25's and transfer to India in July 1942.
Tuesday, 7 April, 1942
During the night of 6/7 April, the Japanese break the Philippine II Corps front on Bataan, thus necessitating immediate removal or an remaining fighters to Mindanao, where for the next 3 days they will fly reconnaissance, cover heavy bombers (sent to Mindanao from Australia) operating against concentrations at Legaspi, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao, and carry out a strafing attack aircraft at Davao. After the heavy bombers return to Australia on 12 Apr, the fighters will continue to fly reconnaissance until Japanese forces envelop the troops on Mindanao on 1 May. HQ 22d Bombardment Group (Medium) and 2d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) transfer from Ipswich to Townsville, Australia with B-26's; first mission is 8 April. 8th Photographic Squadron, Fifth Air Force (attached to Allied Air Forces) arrives at Melbourne, Australia from the US with F-4's; 2 flights remain at March Field, Riverside, California until 16 June. 18th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), transfers from Brisbane to Townsville, Australia with B-26's; first mission is 21 April. 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), transfers from Ipswich to Antil Plains, Australia with B-26's; first mission was 6 April.
http://www.kensmen.com/chronology.html
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