No. 14 Squadron RNZAF - Action Against Japan

Action Against Japan

The allied plan was for the Americans to defeat the Japanese by island hopping north across the Pacific. This plan involved bypassing major Japanese bases, which would continue to operate in the allied rear. The RNZAF was given the job of operating against these bypassed Japanese units. At first, maritime patrol and bomber units moved into the Pacific, followed by 15 Squadron with Kittyhawks. In April 1943, a year after forming, 14 Squadron moved to the rear base at Santo to resume action against the Japanese.

For the remainder of the war, 14 Squadron rotated between forward and rear bases in the Pacific and 6-week periods of home leave in New Zealand. On 11 June 1943, 14 Squadron moved to the forward base of Guadalcanal—on its first contact with the enemy, the following day, six Japanese aircraft were destroyed. The five RNZAF P-40 squadrons went on to claim 99 Japanese aircraft, (subsequent, possibly partisan, research raised the figure to a round 100). No.14 Squadron claimed more than its share of the total, and one of its pilots, Geoff Fisken, became the top scoring Commonwealth ace in the Pacific (although half his victories were acquired with 243 Squadron). The squadron deployed to different bases in the South Pacific as demanded.

In November 1943, 14 Squadron moved for the first time to New Georgia, followed by Bougainville in February 1944, Green Island in December, and Emirau in July 1945. In 1944 14 Squadron became one of 13 RNZAF squadrons re-equipped with Vought F4U Corsairs, but by this time the Japanese fighters had been all but eliminated and the unit increasingly attacked ground targets. It was about to re-equip with P-51 Mustangs when Japan surrendered, and the P-51s were re-allocated to territorial units.

In March 1946, 14 Squadron went to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Concerns about breaching the terms under which the Vought F4U Corsairs were supplied resulted in plans to re-equip the unit with Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIVs, but the United States waived these conditions, allowing 14 Squadron to take the Corsairs to Japan, where the Squadron remained until November 1948.

A P-40 flown in action by Fisken and two other New Zealand aces has been restored to flying condition and is privately owned in New Zealand.