About Me
My name is Frank Harder. Welcome to my home page.
I am a management consultant by vocation, working in the world of surface freight transportation.
Military history in general is my hobby and avocation with the Air War in the Pacific as my primary interest.
Allied Air Forces Genesis
I am fascinated by the Pacific Air War. Some years ago I began to assemble information sources that cataloged the locations and primary aircraft of the various air squadrons the fought the Pacific Air War. That effort brought home the fact that many different nations and air forces contributed squadrons to the effort to defeat the Japanese. Amazingly, a substantially complete data base was able to be developed albeit from several different sources. After several years of research and data entry the data base now contains information regarding more than 1190 allied squadrons and significant detachments. In addition, the data base fits these squadrons and their higher headquarters together according to their operational command structure. The Order of Battle information in this website has been developed from that data base.
Disclaimer
The information in this website has been developed mostly from secondary sources. Many of the underlying primary sources are incomplete or contain errors. The authors of secondary sources typically contribute additional errors. I have undoubtedly contributed my own set of mistakes. As such I believe the information provided herein is substantially correct but may contain errors.
Where specific information is lacking, I have made educated guesses placing units within the command structure in a manner that is consistent with the doctrine of the time. Please note that I am committed to continuous improvement of the quality of the data base and so I welcome additions and corrections that readers might be able to offer. Opinions are welcome but corrections with references are preferred.
Allied Air Forces References
U.S.
Army Air Forces
Craven, Wesley F.,
and James L. Cate. Army Air Forces in World War I, Vol V, The
Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki, June 1944-August 1945. Chicago:
University of Chicago P, 1953.
Maurer, Maurer.
United States. Historical Research Center. U.S. Air Force. Combat
Sqiadrons of the Air Force, World War II. Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office, 1982.
Maurer, Maurer.
United States. Office of Air Force History. U.S. Air Force. Air
Force Combat Units of World War II. 1983. 15 Mar. 2008
<http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf>.
United States.
Historical Research Agency. U.S. Air Force. Army Air Forces
Statistical Digest. Dec. 1945. 15 Mar. 2008 <http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/aafsd/aafsd_index_table.html>.
U.S. Naval Air
Forces
Bates, Richard W.
The Battle for Leyte Gulf October 1944. Strategical and Tactical
Analysis. U. S. Naval War College. Newport, RI, 1953. 15 Mar.
2008 <http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Leyte/NWC-1.pdf>.
The Order of Battle in this source is a primary benchmark for
this order of battle. It
is the most complete single source air order of battle for the last
half of World War II in the Pacific.
Carey, Alan C.
Above an Angry Sea, United States Navy B-24 Liberator and PB4Y-2
Privateer Operations in the Pacific, October 1944-August 1945.
Atgelen, PA: Schiffer Miliatary History.
Grossnick, Roy A.
United States. Naval Historical Center, Aviation History Branch.
U.S. Navy. Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons,
Volume 1, the History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons.
1995. 15 Mar. 2008
<http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/dictvol1.htm>.
Location of Aircraft.
Ms. National Naval Aviation Museum - Emil Buehler Library,
Pensacola, FL. This is
an unpublished source of location and strength for USN and USMC
units.
Morrison, Samuel E.
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume
XII, Leyte, June 1944-January 1945. Boston: Little Brown &
Company, 1958.
Reynolds, Clark G.
The Fast Carriers. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute P, 1968.
Roberts, Michael D.
United States. Naval Historical Center, Aviation History Branch.
U.S. Navy. Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume
2 the History of VP, VPB, VP(H) and VP(AM) Squadrons. 2000. 15
Mar. 2008 <http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/Prelim.pdf>.
Skeldon, Walter E.
Escort Carriers in the Pacific. Victoria, BC: Trafford, 2002.
Toppan, Andrew C.
"Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Online." Haze Grey &
Underway. 15 Mar. 2008 <http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/>.
Willmott, H P.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana
UP, 2005.
Y'blood, William T.
The Little Giants, U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan.
Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute P, 1987.
U.S. Marine Corps
Carey, Alan C.
Leatherneck Bombers, Marine Corps B-25/PBJ Squadrons in World War II.
Atgelen, PA: Schiffer Miliatary History, 2002.
Garand, George W.,
and Truman R. Strobridge. History of Marine Corps Operations in
World War II, Volume IV, Western Pacific Operations. Washington,
DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1971.
Sherrod, Robert.
Histroy of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II. 2nd ed. San
Rafael, CA: Presidio P, 1980.
Royal Australian Air Force
Australia. RAAF
Historical Service. Royal Australian Air Force. Units of the
Royal Australian Air Force, Volume 2, Fighter Units. Canberra:
Australian Government Service, 1995.
Australia. RAAF
Historical Service. Royal Australian Air Force. Units of the
Royal Australian Air Force, Volume 3, Bomber Units. Canberra:
Australian Government Service, 1995.
Australia. RAAF
Historical Service. Royal Australian Air Force. Units of the
Royal Australian Air Force, Volume 4, Maritme and Transport Units.
Canberra: Australian Government Service, 1995.
Australian War
Memorial.
15 Mar. 2008 <http://www.awm.gov.au/>.
Among other things this is a source for all the official
Australian histories.
Crick, Darren,
Gordon Clarke, and
Gordon Birkett. Australian Military Aircraft Serials and Aircraft
History. 15 Mar. 2008 <http://www.adf-serials.com>.
Dunn, Peter.
"Australia At War." 15 Mar. 2008 <http://www.ozatwar.com/>.
This is source for all air units stationed in the South West
Pacific Area.
Odgers, George.
Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series Three, Air, Volume II, Air
War Against Japan 1943-1945. Canberra: Australian War Memorial,
1957.
RAAF Museum: Royal
Australian Air Force.
15 Mar. 2008 <http://www.defence.gov.au/RAAF/raafmuseum/>.
RNZAF
Ross, J. M. S. icial History of New Zealand in the Second World War, Royal New
Zealand Air Force/u>. 2nd ed. Nashville: The Battery P, 1993.&n
RCAF
Kostenuk, Samuel,
and John Griffin. RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft, 1924-1968u>.
Toronto & Sarasota: Samuel Stevens Hakkert & Co., 1977.
RAF
"Royal Air Force
Squadron Histories." Royal Air Force. 15 Mar. 2008 <http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/sqn_hist.html>.
NEIAF
"Dutch East Indies
Air Force and Navy." Air War Portal. 15 Mar. 2008 <http://www.airwarweb.net/dutcheastindies.php>.
Combination
Clancey, Patrick W.
Hyperwar, a HYPERTEXT History of the Second World War. 15
Mar. 2008 <http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/>.
Baugher, Joseph F.
"American Military Aircraft." Joe Baugher's Home Page. 15
Mar. 2008 <http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/uscombataircraft.html>.
Baugher, Joseph F.
"USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF Aircraft Serials." Joe Baugher's Home
Page. 15 Mar. 2008 <http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html>.
Kenney, George C.
General Kenny Reports, a Personal History of the Pacific War.
New York: Duell, Soan and Pearce, 1949.
Other Sources
380th Bomb Group
Association.
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"42nd Bomb Group
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Alcorn, John S.
The Jolly Rogers, History of the 90th Bomb Group During World War II.
Temple City, CA: Historical Aviation Album, 1981.
Aleutian's Home Page.
17 Mar. 2008 <http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/>.
"Appendices from
United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995." 15 Mar. 2008
<http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org4-24.htm>.
Arnold, H.H.
Global Mission. New York: Historical Harper & Brothers,
Publishers, 1949.
Baugher, Joseph F.
"US Navy/US Marine Corps Aircraft Bureau Numbers." Joe Baugher's
Home Page. 15 Mar. 2008 <http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/navyserials.html>.
Bergerund, Eric M.
Fire in the Sky, the Air War in the South Pacific. Boulder,
Co: Westview P, 2000.
Blackburn, Tom. >
The Jolly Rogers, the Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting
Squadron, VF-17. Zenith P, 1998.
Broshot, James A.
"Dutch Air Force Order of Battle in the Dutch East Indies, 30
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Bowman, Martin.
B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War. Oxford: Osprey,
Ltd, 2003.
"Canada's Air Force
History." RCAF.COM. 17 Mar. 2008 <http://www.rcaf.com/>.
Carey, Alan C. PV
Ventura/Harpoon Units of World War 2. Oxford: Osprey, Ltd, 2002.
"Chronology of
Significant Events in Naval Aviation." 15 Mar. 2008
<http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org4-5.htm>.
Cloe, John H. The
Aleutian Warriors, a History of the 11th Air Force and Fleet Air
Wing 4, Part I. Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Co, Inc.,
1991.
Craven, Wesley F.,
and James L. Cate. Army Air Forces in World War I, Vol. I, Plans
and Early Operations, January 1939-August 1942. Chicago:
University of Chicago P, 1948.
Craven, Wesley F.,
and James L. Cate. Army Air Forces in World War I, Vol. IV, The
Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan, August 1942-July 1944. Chicago:
University of Chicago P, 1950.
Cull, Brian.
Buffalos Over Singapore: RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and Dutch Brewster
Fighters in Action Over Malaya and the East Indies, 1941-1942.
London: Grub Street, 2003.
Darby, Charles.
RNZAF, the First Decade. Melbourne: Kookaburra Technical
Publications, Pty Ltd, 1978.
Davis, Larry.
B-24 Liberator in Action. Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc,
1987.
Dorney, Louis B.
US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Pacific War. Oxford: Osprey,
Ltd, 2007.
Dorr, Robert F.
B-24 Units of the Pacific War. Oxford: Osprey, Ltd, 1999.
Dorr, Robert F.
B-29 Units of the Pacific War. Oxford: Osprey, Ltd, 2002.
Evans, Don L.,
Walter Gaylor, Harry A. Nelson,
and Lawrence J. Hickey. Revenge of the Red Raiders, the
Illustrated History of the 22nd Bombardment Group in World War II.
Boulder, CO: International Research and Corporation, 2006.
Fleet Air Arm
Archive, 1939-1945.
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Francillon, Rene.
U.S. Navy Carrier Groups Pacific, 1941-1945. Oxford: Osprey,
Ltd, 1978.
Gillison, Douglas.
Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series Three, Air, Volume I,
Royal Australian Air Force, 1939-1942. Canberra: Australian War
Memorial, 1962.
Hammel, Eric.
Carrier Strike: the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands: October 1942.
St. Paul, MN: Zenith P, 1999.
Henebry, John P.
The Grim Reapers At Work in the Pacific Theater, the Third Attack
Group of the U.S. Fifth Air Force. Missoula, MT: Pictoral
Histories Co, Inc., 2002.
Holmes, Tony.
'Twelve to One' V Fighter Command Aces of the Pacific. Oxford:
Osprey, Ltd, 2004.
Isby, David.
C-47/R4D Skytrain Units of the Pacific and CBI. Oxford: Osprey,
Ltd, 2007.
Jackson, Robert.
Royal Navy in World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute P,
1997.
"Ken's Men | 5th AAF
43rd BG." 17 Mar. 2008 <http://www.kensmen.com/>.
Lambert, John W.
The Pineapple Air Force, Pearl Harbot Tgo Tokyo. St. Paul, MN:
Phalanx Co., Ltd, 1990.
Lemay, Curtis E.,
and Bill Yenne. SuperFortress. New York: Berkley Books, 1988.
Livingstone, Bob. >
Under the Southern Cross. Paducah, KY: Turner Co, 1998.
Long, Larry E.
The Jungle Air Force Home Page. 17 Mar. 2008
<http://www.enter.net/~rocketeer/13thaaf/13thmain.html>.
Lundstrom, John B.
Black Shoe Carrier Admiral. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute P,
2006.
Lundstrom, John B.
The First South Pacific Campaign: Pacific Fleet Strategy December
1941-June 1942. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute P, 1976.
Lundstrom, John B.
The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign. Annapolis, MD:
Naval Institute P, 1994.
Lundstrom, John B.
The First Team, Pacific Naval Air Combat From Pearl Harbor to
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McAulay, Lex.
Into the Dragon's Jaws, the Fifth Air Force Over Rabaul, 1943.
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McAulay, Lex.
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Mellinger, George,
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Molesworth, Carl.
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Morrison, Samuel E.
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Morrison, Samuel E.
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Morrison, Samuel E.
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Morrison, Samuel E.
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume
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