In early 1942 the RNZAF was an unbalanced Air Force whose primary asset was 3 squadrons of Hudson patrol bombers. There were no first line fighters. As the Japanese steadily advanced immediate reinforcement was in order and 44 P-40’s were provided by July, sufficient for three fighter squadrons to be organized. In 1941, the RNZAF contributed a fighter squadron for the defense of Singapore and the evacuated survivors were the cadre for these squadrons. Later in 1942 a fourth fighter squadron was established in conjunction with the RNZAF taking over the air defense of Tonga from the USAAF.
From the beginning of the war the RNZAF was responsible for the air garrisons of New Zealand and Fiji. The April 1942 geographic division of command responsibilities placed New Zealand in the U.S. Navy’s South Pacific Theatre and over time the RNZAF recieved American naval equipment. Catalinas and Dakotas began to be provided in 1943. The Hudsons gave way to Venturas in 1943 and the P-40’s gave way to Corsairs in 1944. At the end of the war the RNZAF was a well balanced air force of 20 squadrons. Squadrons rotated through periods of forward deployment and periods of rest in New Zealand. About half of RNZAF squadrons were deployed at any given time. The number of first line aircraft grew from 36 in 1941 to over 500 in 1945.
In mid1942, the RNZAF assigned a Hudson squadron to New Caledonia for the purpose of performing reconnaissance duties. By 1943 RNZAF squadrons were an integral part of AIRSOLS, the polyglot air force that battled for control of the Solomons and ultimately gained air superiority over Rabaul. That battle was won by March 1944 and from then until the end of the war the RNZAF’s mission was to maintain air control over bypassed Japanese garrisons and to support (mainly) Australian Army efforts to reduce them. At the end of the war three distinct RNZAF missions were in view.
· The New Zealand Air Task Force to take over responsibility for the NORSOLS area under RAAF Command. In addition, the RNZAF retained some garrison responsibilities in the South Pacific Area under U.S. Naval command.
· No. 4 Squadron (Ventura) and No. 14 Squadron (Corsair) had been alerted for service with the RAAF on Borneo.
· Just prior to the end of the war Mustangs were being delivered to New Zealand, likely in preparation for a New Zealand component of the Commonwealth Air Force to be deployed for the invasion of Japan.