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Allied Air Forces
Royal Air Force
After the fall of the Dutch East Indies, the British RAF contributed six squadrons to the Pacific Air War.
During the period of greatest threat to Australia in 1942, Winston Churchill agreed to release three squadrons of Spitfires from service in England. This included No. 54 squadron plus two RAAF expeditionary squadrons serving in Britain, Nos. 452 and 457. The Spitfire was at the time the premier Allied air defense fighter.
The squadrons arrived in Australia in October 1942 and were grouped as No. 1 Wing. They were assigned the defense of the Darwin area in January of 1943. The Wing remained in that role for the remainder of the war. In late 1943 two additional RAF Squadrons were formed in Australia, Nos. 548 and 549. These relieved the RAAF Sptifire squadrons for eventual duty with the 1st RAAF Tactical Air Force.
No. 618 Squadron, a Mosquito squadron armed with the Wallis bomb for anti-shipping missions was sent to the Pacific in late 1944 but never saw active service and was disbanded in June 1945.
In 1945 two Dakota squadrons, Nos. 238 and 243, were sent to the Pacific to provide support for the British Pacific Fleet.
The RAF’s No. 205 squadron, which was stationed in Ceylon, was responsible for air services between Ceylon and Australia during the war.
Should the war have continued beyond VJ day, the RAF planned to send the “Tiger Force” to Okinawa to support operations against the Japanese home islands. As of 10 July 1945, the “Tiger Force” was planned to be composed of No. 5 (RAF) Group and No. 6 (RCAF) Group with 9 British, 8 Canadian, 2 Australian, and 1 New Zealand heavy bomber squadrons. The Force was to be supported by Pathfinder Squadron and a Photo/Weather Reccon squadron from the RAF and 3 Transport and one air/sea rescue Squadrons from the RCAF.
The Headquarters was to be established on Okinawa on 1 September 1945. No. 5 (RAF) Group, consisting of 4 Lancaster squadrons and 1 Mosquito pathfinder squadron was to be operational by 1 December. Four more Lancaster squadrons and the photo/weather Reccon squadron were to be in place by 1 January 1946. Lincoln equipped squadrons were to follow at the rate of four per month. The air/sea rescue squadron was to be assigned by 1 February. The RCAF transport squadrons were to be stationed at Cawnpore, India and equipped initially with Liberators and later with York aircraft. In July 1946 the Lancasters were to be replaced by Lincolns.
Beginning in September 1945 and likely continuing into the latter portions of 1945, Commonwealth forces would have executed Operation Zipper, liberating Singapore and opening the Straits of Malacca. Admiral Mountbatten would then have taken charge of the SouthWest Pacific Area, less the Philippines, from General MacArthur. Following completion of Operation Zipper a Commonwealth Air Force of 15 Mustang squadrons coming from RAF, RAAF, and RNZAF and commanded by an Australian would have been deployed for Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshu, in the spring of 1946.
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Lancaster's Of Tiger Force
CANADA’s Contribution to Tiger Force
Updated: June 2008
During the September 1944 Quebec Conference, Winston Churchill proposed that once Germany was defeated and the Allied attention turned towards the defeat of Japan. He proposed to transfer a large portion of Bomber Command or some 500 to 1000 heavy bombers to the Pacific theatre. The proposal was quickly accepted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
By late 1944, victory was more a matter of time rather than a question of being achieved and the decisions was made on 20 October 1944 to form a very large bomber force code named “Tiger Force”
Initially consisting of twenty-two squadron’s formed into three bomber groups. One Royal Air Force (RAF), one Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and one contain squadrons from the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and South African Air Force (SAAF). The force was reduced to ten bomber squadron in two groups consisting of RAF and RCAF squadron’s and was later revised to include only eight squadron’s.
Tiger Force was to the based on Okinawa and would use Avro Lancaster’s, the newly arriving Avro Lincoln’s and Consolidated Liberator’s. Fighter escort duties were to be supplied by US Far East Air Force units and the Australian First Tactical Air Force as well as other Commonwealth units.
Aircraft marking for the Avro Lancaster and Lincoln’s was to be white upper-surfaces with black undersides. All Tiger Force was to be cancelled before being deployed this colour scheme was used on many RAF post-war Lancaster’s and Lincolns.
With the American bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki using Atom Bombs, Japan’s surrender followed shortly afterwards on 2 September 1945. But 5 September 1945 the Canadian Tiger Force Units, who had yet to begin training, received disbandment orders, while the RAF units were to remained on standby until they too received disbandment orders on 31 October 1945.
Tiger Force proposed formation included nine Wings and 22 Squadron’s:
The intended Order of Battle by 15 August 1945 stood as follows:
Air-Sea Rescue Squadron – 10 x Lancaster ASR III + 10 Catalina (not yet established)
Communications Flight: 6 x Auster + 2 x Expediter CI + 1 x Expediter CI (VVIP)
Reserve Force:
No’s 49 Squadron, RAF: 20 Lancaster/Lincoln
No. 189 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Lancaster/Lincoln
No. 5 Group, RAF
Communications Flight: 3 x Auster
No. 551 Wing, RAF (forming Coningsby) to be operational 1 Jan 1946
No. 83 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BVI (FE)
No. 97 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BVI (FE)
No. 627 Squadron, RAF: 30 x Mosquito B35(PF) (detached to Woodhall Spa)
No. 552 Wing, RAF (forming Metheringham) to be operational 1 Jan 1946
No. 106 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BVI (FE)
No. 467 Squadron, RAAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BVI (FE)
No. 544 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Mosquito PR (Met) 34 (forming Benson)
No. 553 Wing, RAF (forming East Kirkby) to be deployed in build up 1946
No. 57 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
No. 460 Squadron, RAAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
No. 554 Wing, RAF (forming Spilsby) to be operational 1 Jan 1946
No. 75 Squadron, RNZAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BVI (FE)
No. 207 Squadron, RAF: 20 Lancaster BI (FE) / BVI (FE)
Special Missions Wing, RAF (forming Waddington) to be called forward late 1945
No. 9 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BI (Special)
No. 617 Squadron, RAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BI (Special
No. 6 Group, RCAF
Communications Flight: 3 x Auster
No. 661 Wing, RCAF (forming Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada) to be operational 1 Jan 1946
No. 431 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BVII (FE)
No. 434 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lancaster BI (FE) / BVII (FE)
No. 662 Wing, RCAF (Force build-up at Wing) to be operational not specified
No. 419 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
No. 428 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
No. 663 Wing, RCAF (forming Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada) for deployment early 1946
No. 420 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
No. 425 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
No. 664 Wing, RCAF (forming Scoudouc, New Brunswick, Canada) for deployment early 1946
No. 405 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
No. 408 Squadron, RCAF: 20 x Lincoln BII
It is interesting to note that this initial list for No. 6 Group, RCAF shows Lancaster’s as Mk. BI (FE) and BVII (FE) and also included Lincoln BII’s. When in fact all units forming in Canada were made up of Lancaster’s that had been flown back to Canada and were in fact Canadian made Lancaster Mk.X. (see below).
CANADA’s Lancaster’s contribution to Tiger Force
The Canadian group, contained No’s 661, 662, 663 and 663 (Heavy Bomber) Wings and was to be equipped with aircraft and personnel coming directly from squadron’s already operating in England within No. 6 Group, RCAF.
As soon as formation orders had been issued, the Canadian squadrons were re-equipped with Canadian built Lancaster Mk.X’s from the FM and KB serial number series. These aircraft, which had been built at the Victory Aircraft Production in Malton, Ontario, had been steadily arriving in England since mid 1944; and would allow all of the squadron’s to operate the same Lancaster variant.
The Wings formations were as follows:
No. 661 Wing, RCAF stationed at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
No. 419 Squadron, RCAF
FM126 (spare), FM128 (spare), FM136*, FM140*,
KB721 (spare), KB748, KB722, KB783, KB839, KB841, KB851, KB854, KB857, KB860, KB881, KB892,
* = aircraft returned to Canada too late to be assigned.
No. 428 Squadron, RCAF
Lancaster’s:
FM104,
KB739, KB744, KB747, KB757, KB771, KB794, KB820, KB838, KB843, KB867, KB878, KB889, KB891,
No. 662 Wing, RCAF stationed at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
No. 431 Squadron, RCAF
Lancaster’s:
KB733, KB774, KB796, KB801, KB802, KB811, KB812, KB819, KB823, KB827, KB837, KB847, KB847, KB856, KB861, KB868, KB872, KB888, KB895,
No. 434 Squadron, RCAF
Lancaster’s:
KB789, KB824, KB825, KB829, KB830, KB833, KB836, KB840, KB844, KB849, KB852, KB873, KB880, KB883, KB893,
No. 663 Wing, RCAF stationed at Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada
No. 420 Squadron, RCAF
Lancaster’s:
KB885, KB886, KB898, KB908, KB909, KB910, KB914, KB923, KB927, KB928, KB933, KB937, KB938, KB941, KB942, KB946,
No. 425 Squadron, RCAF
Lancaster’s:
KB875, KB876, KB899, KB912, KB916, KB917, KB924, KB926, KB930, KB931, KB932, KB934, KB944, KB954, KB962,
No. 664 Wing, RCAF stationed at Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada
No. 405 Squadron, RCAF
Lancaster’s:
FM110, FM115, FM122, FM123,
KB943, KB945, KB949, KB950, KB952, KB955, KB956, KB957, KB959, KB961, KB964, KB965, KB966, KB967, KB968, KB973, KB976, KB977, KB991, KB997, KB999
No. 408 Squadron, RCAF
Lancaster’s:
FM120, FM130,
KB877, KB905, KB907, KB913, KB919, KB925, KB929, KB939, KB947, KB948, KB951, KB960, KB963, KB972, KB979, KB994, KB995, KB996, KB998,
In total 141 Lancaster Mk.X’s were allocated to Tiger force, however with the unforeseen disbandment Tiger Force the Canadian Government was faced with an interesting problem. Since the original intention was for the RCAF units to be re-equipped with Canadian built Avro Lincolns as soon as these aircraft could be made available. The Lancaster Mk.X’s, although Canadian made, had been transferred to RAF ownership and for several months after disbandment; Canadian built aircraft were being operated in Canada, by the RCAF, but did not belong to the Canadian government. The problem was resolved by late 1945 or early 1946 when ownership of the Canadian made Lancaster’s which had been returned to Canada were returned to the Canadian Government ownership, Even so the Lancaster maintained their RAF serial numbers.
With no requirement for a heavy bomber force the Canadian Government decided to place hundreds of Lancaster aircraft into long-term storage, in various disused air based in Eastern Canada. However after several years it was realised that the damp weather environment was not best suited for long term aircraft storage.
The decision was then made to relocate the stored Lancaster’s a drier climate which would be more indicative for aircraft storage. This so called ideal location was determined to be in the Western Canada prairie Province Alberta, where several closed British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) stations were allocated for this task. By the late 1940, many of the Lancaster’s had been flown out to Alberta and were to remain there until the early 1950’s
They force would likely have remained in storage, awaiting their final date to be scrapped, if increasing international tensions between the East and West had not reached point where the Canadian Government ordered the RCAF to activate seventy Lancaster’s and modify them for a variety of roles including Maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare.
Canadian Lancaster’s were also to be modified by the Canadian Government for Aerial Reconnaissance, Air-Sea Rescue, Navigational Training, Photo-Reconnaissance and civilian transport duties the later as Avro Lancastrians.
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At the Quebec Conference of September 1944, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed to transfer a large part of Bomber Command...
robertalfredjay.blogspot.com
Bob Jay's War
by Vic Jay. The extraordinary story of a 75(NZ) Squadron Lancaster bomber crew and their families. Now turned into a book, "The Mallon Crew", available from
TheMallonCrew@gmail.com, Amazon, Kindle, most aviation museum shops and several independent bookshops and Waterstones stores.
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Appendix IX: Tiger Force
At the Quebec Conference of September 1944, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed to transfer a large part of Bomber Command to the Pacific, comprising from 500 to 1,000 heavy bombers, once Germany was defeated. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the offer, stating that a "long and costly struggle" still lay ahead of the Allies.
The proposed force was soon scaled back to 22 squadrons in three groups: one British Royal Air Force (RAF), one Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and one from various air forces. By the end of the war this had been scaled back to 10 squadrons in two composite groups, made up of RAF, RCAF, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) squadrons. Tiger Force was to have been based on Okinawa and would have used Avro Lancasters, Avro Lincolns (the latest development of the Lancaster) and Consolidated Liberators.
The bomber force would take its escorts from the fighter units of the U.S. Far East Air Force, the Australian First Tactical Air Force and/or other Commonwealth units.
The colour scheme for Tiger Force aircraft was white upper-surfaces with black undersides; this scheme, despite the cancellation of operations against Japan, was apparent on many post-war Lancasters and Lincolns. To enable the aircraft to operate at the long distances involved, flight refuelling was to have been employed, using equipment developed by Flight Refuelling Ltd.
Tiger Force was officially disbanded on October 31, 1945.
Squadrons
Bomber squadrons
• No. 7 Squadron RAF
•
No. 9 Squadron RAF
• No. 35 Squadron RAF
• No. 44 Squadron RAF (replaced by 49 Squadron)
• No. 49 Squadron RAF (replaced 44 Squadron)
•
No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF
• No. 207 Squadron RAF
• No. 405 Squadron RCAF
• No. 408 Squadron RCAF
• No. 419 Squadron RCAF
• No. 420 Squadron RCAF
• No. 425 Squadron RCAF
• No. 428 Squadron RCAF
• No. 431 Squadron RCAF
• No. 434 Squadron RCAF
• No. 460 Squadron RAAF
• No. 463 Squadron RAAF
• No. 467 Squadron RAAF
• No. 617 Squadron RAF
• No. 627 Squadron RAF
• No. 635 Squadron RAF
• No. 692 Squadron RAF
Support units
• No. 426 Squadron RCAF (Transport)
Posted by
Vic Jay at
07:08:00
