THE BURMA AIR CAMPAIGN By the same author Red Sky in the Morning: The Battle of the Barents Sea, 1942 The Ohio and Malta: The Legendary Tanker that Refused to Die THE BURMA AIR CAMPAIGN December 1941–August 1945 MICHAEL PEARSON First published in Great Britain in 2006 by Pen & Sword Military an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd 47 Church Street Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 2AS Copyright © Michael Pearson, 2006 ISBN 1-84415-398-3 The right of Michael Pearson to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. Typeset in 10/12pt Sabon by Concept, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire Printed and bound in England by Biddies Ltd For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact PEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk For Corporal Leslie Pearson RAFVR Headquarters 226 Group My father. Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Japanese Terms Used in Text Introduction Chapter 1 A Wing and a Prayer Chapter 2 Burma’s ‘Few’ Chapter 3 The End of the Beginning Chapter 4 The Flight of the Phoenix Chapter 5 Crescendo Chapter 6 ‘Play Ball’ Chapter 7 End Game Appendix I Principal Allied Air Forces as at June 1943 Appendix II Approximate list of operations carried out by 5th Hikoshidan during the 2nd Chindit/Imphal/Myitkyina campaigns Appendix III Outline particulars of principal Allied and Japanese aircraft used in the Burma Air Campaign Index Acknowledgements To the following individuals and organizations I would like to offer my grateful thanks for their invaluable cooperation during the preparation of this book: Wireless Operator Ken Armstrong, RAF. Flight Sergeant Les Brazier, 167 Wing, 224 Group RAF. Flight Sergeant Alex (Paddy) Calvert, 607 Squadron RAF. The Embassy of Japan, London. F.A. Galea, 355 Squadron RAF. Flight Lieutenant Wilfred Goold DFC, 607 Squadron RAF. Imperial War Museum Photographic Archive, London. The Library of Congress, Washington DC. Mr J.W. Loosemore, 67 Squadron RAF. The National Archive, Kew. National Archives and Records Administration, Modern Military Branch, Maryland USA. Steven Ramsey for his excellent work on the maps. Royal Air Force Museum, London. 607 (County of Durham) Squadron Association, Northumberland. Harold Staines, 34 Squadron and the RAF Regiment, and his daughter Diana. Ronald White, 152 Squadron armourer fitter. Basil Wood, 159 Squadron RAF. Michael Pearson Abbreviations Used in Text AATO Army-Air Transport Organisation. ABDACOM American, British, Dutch and Australian Command. ACM Air Chief Marshal. ACSEA Air Command South East Asia. AHQ Air Headquarters. AOA Air Officer Administration. AOC Air Officer Commanding. AOC-IN-C Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief. ATC Air Transport Command, USAAF. AVG American Volunteer Group. CAF Nationalist Chinese Air Force. CCTF Combat Cargo Task Force. CMU Command Maintenance Unit. COL Chain Overseas Low (radar). DZ Drop Zone. EAC Eastern Air Command. FAA Fleet Air Arm. FAMO Forward Airfield Maintenance Organisation. GCI Ground Controlled Interception (radar). GHQ General Headquarters. GOC General Officer Commanding. GR General Reconnaissance. IAF Indian Air Force. IOGROPS Indian Ocean General Reconnaissance Operations. JAAF Japanese Army Air Force. JNAF Japanese Navy Air Force. MT Motor Transport. MU Maintenance Unit. NCAC Northern Combat Area Command. POW Prisoner of War. POW Prisoner of War. PR (U) Photographic Reconnaissance Unit. PSP Pierced Steel Planking. RAAF Royal Australian Air Force. RAF Royal Air Force. RAMO Rear Airfield Maintenance Organisation. RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force. RDF Radio Direction Finding (later known as radar). RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force. RP Rocket Projectile. RSU Repair and Salvage Unit. SEAC South East Asia Command. 3 TAF 3rd Tactical Air Force. TCC Troop Carrier Command. USAAF United States Army Air Force. VCP Visual Control Post. VHF Very High Frequency.