No. 6 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) electronic attack squadron. It was formed in 1917 as a training unit based in England during World War I. The squadron was disbanded in 1919 but re-formed at the start of 1939. It subsequently saw combat as a light bomber and maritime patrol squadron during World War II, and took part in the New Guinea Campaign and New Britain Campaign before being disbanded after the war.
The squadron was re-raised in 1948 as the RAAF's bomber operational conversion unit. It has primarily served in this capacity since that time, though it has maintained a secondary strike capability and was also tasked with reconnaissance duties between 1979 and 1993. No. 6 Squadron is based at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, and was equipped with Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft from January 2011 to December 2016. The squadron converted to Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft in 2017.
History
World War I No. 6 Squadron was formed at Parkhouse, England, on 15 June 1917 as a flying training unit of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC). The unit was initially designated No. 30 (Australian Training) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and its role was to train fighter pilots for service with No. 2 Squadron of the AFC (which was designated No. 68 (Australian) Squadron RFC at the time) on the Western Front.
The squadron moved to Shawbury the day after it was formed and then to Ternhill on 29 June. It became part of the 1st Training Wing on 1 September, when that unit was established to command the four AFC training squadrons in England (the others being No. 5, No. 7 and No. 8 Squadrons). In January 1918 the squadron was redesignated No. 6 Squadron AFC; the other AFC units were also renamed at this time. No. 6 Squadron moved to Minchinhampton on 25 February. The squadron used several types of aircraft to train pilots, including the Bristol Scout D, Sopwith 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Pup, Avro 504, Airco DH.5, Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 and Sopwith Camel.Eather 1995, p. 15 While most of these aircraft types were obsolescent and suitable only for elementary flight training, the S.E.5s, Sopwith Pups and Sopwith Camels were up to date and in service with combat units in France.Eather (2007), p. 2
Like the other units of the 1st Training Wing, No. 6 Squadron continued to train pilots after the end of the war. This was undertaken to keep personnel occupied while they awaited transport back to Australia, as well as to strengthen the AFC.Goodland and Vaughan 1992, pp. 74 and 107 No. 6 Squadron was disbanded in March 1919, and its personnel left Minchinhampton to return to Australia on 6 May that year.Goodland and Vaughan 1992, p. 115
World War II On 1 January 1939 No. 4 Squadron, which was located at RAAF Station Richmond in the outskirts of Sydney and equipped with Avro Anson patrol aircraft, was redesignated No. 6 Squadron.Eather 1995, p. 32 No. 4 Squadron had been responsible for conducting reconnaissance patrols along Australia's east coast as well as undertaking training exercises with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). These duties continued after the squadron was re-designated, and early in 1939 it gained the additional role of providing conversion training on the Anson for new pilots and air gunners.Eather (2007), p. 16 The squadron's maritime patrol activities were hindered by the limitations of its Ansons, which were obsolete and had an inadequate range and bomb load. On 28 April 1939, an Anson of No. 6 Squadron crashed near Riverstone, killing all four crew members.
Following the outbreak of World War II, No. 6 Squadron escorted convoys off the Australian east coast and undertook training exercises with the Australian Army and RAN. The squadron's Ansons were replaced by twelve Mark I Lockheed Hudson light bombers during April and May 1940. These aircraft were much more capable than the Ansons, having a longer range, higher speed and greater bomb load.Eather (2007), p. 19 No. 6 Squadron continued to be based at Richmond, though detachments moved to other airstrips along the east coast when the squadron escorted troop convoys.Eather (2007), p. 20 In August 1940 the squadron conducted long-range patrols searching for German raiders which were present in the Tasman Sea, but without success.RAAF Historical Section 1995, p. 15
No. 6 Squadron continued its maritime patrol tasks in the months after the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941. At this time the squadron comprised six aircraft based at Richmond and another four based at RAAF Station Laverton near Melbourne.Gillison 1962, pp. 237–238 In late December, eight of the squadron's Hudsons were dispatched to Malaya to make good the losses suffered by No. 1 and No. 8 Squadrons in the Malayan Campaign. No. 6 Squadron was re-equipped with longer-ranged Mark IV Hudsons by January 1942.Eather (2007), p. 22 Early that month, two of these aircraft were dispatched to undertake an urgent photo reconnaissance of the Japanese base at Truk in the Central Pacific on the orders of Air Vice Marshal William Bostock. One of the aircraft suffered mechanical problems after arriving at the forward airfield at Kavieng in New Ireland from where this operation was to be conducted, but the other successfully overflew Truk on 8 January; this was the longest photo reconnaissance flight undertaken by land-based RAAF aircraft during World War II. On 22 January a flight of four aircraft was detached from No. 6 Squadron and transferred to the newly formed No. 32 Squadron at Port Moresby in New Guinea.Gillison 1962, p. 365 The squadron's maritime patrol role increased in importance from May 1942 when Japanese submarines began operating off the Australian east coast. On 5 June the crew of a No. 6 Squadron Hudson attacked what they believed was a submerged submarine northeast of Sydney.Eather (2007), pp. 25–26 During mid-1942 the squadron gave up its Mark IV Hudsons, and was re-equipped with Mark III models.Eather (2007), p. 27
In late August 1942, No. 6 Squadron moved to Horn Island in the Torres Strait and established a detachment of four aircraft at Gurney Field, Milne Bay in New Guinea. The Milne Bay detachment had been formed to provide reconnaissance and bomber support of the Australian garrison, which was expected to be attacked. Japanese forces landed at Milne Bay on the night of 25/26 August, sparking the Battle of Milne Bay, which ended in an Allied victory in early September. No. 6 Squadron flew reconnaissance and anti-shipping patrols from the airfields at Milne Bay throughout the battle. The squadron attacked a convoy of three Japanese destroyers and three patrol boats carrying reinforcement troops to Milne Bay on 29 August. Although the squadron claimed to have damaged a destroyer in this operation, the Japanese force did not actually incur any damage.Bullard (2007), p. 147 Following the Allied victory at Milne Bay, No. 6 Squadron Hudsons continued to patrol the region near Milne Bay, and sank a Japanese transport ship near Woodlark Island on 26 September. The Horn Island-based elements of the squadron moved to Wards Strip near the town of Port Moresby in New Guinea on 11 October to conduct anti-submarine patrols alongside No. 100 Squadron. For much of November the squadron also supported the Australian Army force engaged in the Kokoda Track campaign by dropping supplies and evacuating sick soldiers. From 6 December until near the end of that month, No. 6 Squadron conducted night-bombing raids of the Japanese beachhead at Buna, Sanananda and Gona; these included an attack on a destroyer off Buna. Towards the end of December the squadron was concentrated at Turnbull Field at Milne Bay to undertake reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols.RAAF Historical Section 1995, p. 16
On the night of 17 January 1943, 24 Japanese aircraft attacked Turnbull Field, destroying one of No. 6 Squadron's Hudsons and damaging the remainder.Eather 1995, p. 33 The squadron was unable to conduct any operations for several weeks after this attack, but the damaged aircraft were repaired. In March, No. 6 Squadron participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea by searching for barges and attacking lifeboats carrying survivors from the Japanese ships which had been sunk. Due to the unit's high rate of flying activities, No. 6 Squadron's Hudsons increasingly suffered from mechanical problems, and this may have contributed to a drop in the number of hours flown by the squadron from March 1943. On 20 July No. 9 Operational Group, which commanded No. 6 Squadron and other RAAF units in New Guinea, banned the squadron's Hudsons from taking part in any further combat operations due to their poor condition. It was decided at about this time to re-equip the squadron with Australian-built Bristol Beauforts. To effect this change No. 6 Squadron's Hudson crews flew their aircraft back to Australia and were replaced by new aircrews equipped with Beauforts from September. In the meantime, the squadron's ground crew were often used as labourers as they did not have any aircraft to maintain.Eather (2007). pp. 65–66
After receiving its new aircraft, the squadron was tasked with anti-shipping attacks, and it cooperated with No. 100 Squadron in an attack on a Japanese convoy near Cape St. George on the night of 20 October during which a No. 6 Squadron pilot claimed to have damaged a cruiser. No. 6 Squadron also bombed Japanese positions in New Britain during October in conjunction with No. 100 Squadron. As well as these offensive operations, the squadron regularly flew anti-submarine patrols to protect Allied shipping.Eather (2007), p. 71 In November the squadron moved to Goodenough Island and became part of No. 71 Wing RAAF alongside No. 8 and No. 100 Squadrons. From November 1943 to March 1944, No. 6 Squadron took part in attacks on the major Japanese base at Rabaul, and also struck other targets in the region to support the naval and ground forces engaged in the New Britain Campaign.RAAF Historical Section 1995, p. 17 From March the squadron mainly undertook convoy escort and anti-submarine patrols, which proved uneventful. No. 6 Squadron's operations were hampered by mechanical problems with its Beauforts, which had been issued to the unit after being reconditioned following service with other RAAF squadrons, and this problem continued until October when it received an allocation of recently built aircraft.Odgers 1968, p. 330