1.
New Zealand
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New Zealand /njuːˈziːlənd/ is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu—and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, the countrys varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealands capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland, sometime between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians settled in the islands that later were named New Zealand and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand, in 1840, representatives of Britain and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire, today, the majority of New Zealands population of 4.7 million is of European descent, the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealands culture is derived from Māori and early British settlers. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, New Zealand is a developed country and ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as health, education, economic freedom and quality of life. Since the 1980s, New Zealand has transformed from an agrarian, Queen Elizabeth II is the countrys head of state and is represented by a governor-general. In addition, New Zealand is organised into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government purposes, the Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau, the Cook Islands and Niue, and the Ross Dependency, which is New Zealands territorial claim in Antarctica. New Zealand is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Pacific Islands Forum, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand in 1642 and called it Staten Landt, in 1645, Dutch cartographers renamed the land Nova Zeelandia after the Dutch province of Zeeland. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand, Aotearoa is the current Māori name for New Zealand. It is unknown whether Māori had a name for the country before the arrival of Europeans. Māori had several names for the two main islands, including Te Ika-a-Māui for the North Island and Te Waipounamu or Te Waka o Aoraki for the South Island. Early European maps labelled the islands North, Middle and South, in 1830, maps began to use North and South to distinguish the two largest islands and by 1907, this was the accepted norm. The New Zealand Geographic Board discovered in 2009 that the names of the North Island and South Island had never been formalised and this set the names as North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui, and South Island or Te Waipounamu
2.
Royal New Zealand Air Force
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The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air force component of the New Zealand Defence Force. The RNZAF fought in World War II, Malaysia, Korean War, Vietnam, the RNZAFs air combat capability ended in 2001 with the disbanding of the A-4 Skyhawk squadrons. The Air Force is led by an air vice-marshal who holds the appointment of Chief of Air Force, the RNZAF motto is the same as that of the Royal Air Force, Per ardua ad astra, meaning Through adversity to the stars. New Zealands military aviation began in 1913 when the New Zealand Army was presented with two Blériot monoplanes by the United Kingdom and these machines were grounded after a young woman was given a joyride. Both aircraft were handed back after war broke out. In the Great War, New Zealand aircrew flew as part of the British Royal Flying Corps, New Zealand pilots serving with British forces saw service in all theatres. Fifteen became aces, the top scorer being Keith Caldwell with, depending on how counted, the government assisted two private schools to train pilots for the conflict. The Walsh brothers flying school at Auckland was founded by Leo, from 1915 pilots trained on the Walsh Brothers Flying Boats including Curtiss machines, aircraft of their own design and, later in the war, the first two aircraft made by Boeing. In 1916 Sir Henry Wigram established the Canterbury Aviation Company at Sockburn, Christchurch and he gave the aerodrome, later Wigram Aerodrome, to the government for defence purposes. At the end of the war many New Zealand pilots stayed with the new Royal Air Force, others returned to New Zealand and, serving part-time, provided the nucleus of the New Zealand Permanent Air Force. At the close of hostilities Great Britain offered an Imperial Gift to each of the Dominions of a hundred war-surplus combat aircraft, New Zealand was the last to respond and least enthusiastic. Several of the aircraft were heavily modified—a 504 becoming a 3-seat floatplane. The importance of aviation in war was recognised, largely thanks to the efforts of visionary parliamentarian Sir Henry Wigram. It was initially equipped with the surviving Avro 504K, the DH. 4s, DH. 9s and these operated from an airfield outside Christchurch at Sockburn. In 1926 Wigram donated £2,500 for the purchase of modern fighters, Sockburn was later renamed RNZAF Station Wigram, a name adopted by the suburb which grew up around the airfield. It is the site of the present Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum, a trickle of new-build Bristol Fighters and other new types joined the NZPAF in the late 1920s and early 1930s. A Lewis gun-equipped De Havilland Gipsy Moth floatplane took part in operations against rebels in Samoa. The NZPAFs first action came in 1930 when the Moth dropped a bomb made out of a treacle tin on to a ship suspected of gun-running
3.
Douglas SBD Dauntless
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The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD was the United States Navys main carrier-borne scout plane, the SBD was also flown by the United States Marine Corps, both from land air bases and aircraft carriers. The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. During its combat service, the SBD was an excellent naval scout plane and it possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, great diving characteristics, good defensive armament and ruggedness. One land-based variant of the SBD — in omitting the arrestor hook — was purpose-built for the U. S. Army Air Forces, design work on the Northrop BT-1 began in 1935. In 1937, the Northrop Corporation was taken over by Douglas, the Northrop BT-2 was developed from the BT-1 by modifications ordered in November 1937, and provided the basis of the SBD, which first entered service in mid-1939. Ed Heinemann led a team of designers who considered a development with a 1,000 hp Wright Cyclone engine. The plane was developed at the Douglas El Segundo, CA plant, one year earlier, both the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps had placed orders for the new dive bomber, designated the SBD-1 and SBD-2. The SBD-1 went to the Marine Corps in late 1940, the distinctive perforated split flaps or dive-brakes had been incorporated into the BT-1 to eliminate tail buffeting during diving maneuvers. The next version was the SBD-3, which began manufacture in early 1941 and it had increased armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, and four machine guns. The SBD-4 provided a 12-volt electrical system, and a few were converted into SBD-4P reconnaissance aircraft, the next version, the SBD-5, was produced mostly in the Douglas plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This version was equipped with a 1,200 hp engine, over 2,400 of these were built. A few of them were shipped to the Royal Navy for evaluation, some SBDs were also flown by the Free French Air Force against the Nazi German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe. SBDs were also sold to Mexico, the final version, the SBD-6, had more improvements, but its production ended during the summer of 1944. The U. S. Army Air Force had its own version of the SBD and it lacked the tail hook used for carrier landings, and a pneumatic tire replaced the solid tail wheel. First assigned to the 27th Bombardment Group at Hunter Field, Georgia, there were three versions of the Banshee flown by the Army to a very minor degree in the early stages of the war. The USAAF used 948 of the 5,937 Dauntlesses built. U. S. Navy and Marine Corps SBDs saw their first action at Pearl Harbor, most U. S. Navy SBDs were operating with their aircraft carriers, which did not operate in close cooperation with the rest of the fleet
4.
Vought F4U Corsair
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The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. The Corsair thus came to and retained prominence in its area of greatest deployment, the Corsair served to a lesser degree in the U. S. Navy. In addition to its use by the U. S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the French Navy Aéronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II, after the carrier landing issues had been tackled, it quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina, in February 1938 the U. S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics published two requests for proposal for twin-engined and single-engined fighters. For the single-engined fighter the Navy requested the maximum speed. A range of 1,000 miles was specified, the fighter had to carry four guns, or three with increased ammunition. Provision had to be made for anti-aircraft bombs to be carried in the wing and these small bombs would, according to thinking in the 1930s, be dropped on enemy aircraft formations. In June 1938, the U. S. Navy signed a contract with Vought for a prototype bearing the factory designation V-166B, the Corsair design team was headed up by Rex Beisel. When the prototype was completed it had the biggest and most powerful engine, largest propeller, the first flight of the XF4U-1 was made on 29 May 1940, with Lyman A. Bullard, Jr. at the controls. The maiden flight proceeded normally until a landing was made when the elevator trim tabs failed because of flutter. The USAACs twin-engine Lockheed P-38 Lightning had flown over 400 mph in January–February 1939, the XF4U-1 also had an excellent rate of climb but testing revealed that some requirements would have to be rewritten. In full-power dive tests, speeds of up to 550 miles per hour were achieved but not without damage to the surfaces and access panels and, in one case. The spin recovery standards also had to be relaxed as recovery from the required two-turn spin proved impossible without resorting to an anti-spin chute, the problems clearly meant delays in getting the design into production. Reports coming back from the war in Europe indicated that an armament of two.30 in synchronized engine cowling-mount machine guns, and two.50 in machine guns was insufficient, the U. S. Navys November 1940 production proposals specified heavier armament. The increased armament consisted of three.50 caliber machine guns mounted in each wing panel and this improvement greatly increased the ability of the Corsair to effectively shoot down enemy aircraft. Formal U. S. Navy acceptance trials for the XF4U-1 began in February 1941, the first production F4U-1 performed its initial flight a year later, on 24 June 1942. It was an achievement for Vought, compared to land-based counterparts, carrier aircraft are overbuilt and heavier
5.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
6.
Dive bomber
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A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bombs trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact throughout the bomb run and this allows attacks on point targets and ships, which were difficult to attack with conventional level bombers, even en-masse. A dive bomber dives at an angle, normally between 45 and 90 degrees, and thus requires an abrupt pull-up after dropping its bombs. This puts great strains on both pilot and aircraft and it demands an aircraft of strong construction, with some means to slow its dive. This limited the class to light bomber designs with ordnance loads in the range of 1,000 lb although there were larger examples. The SBD Dauntless helped win the Battle of Midway, was instrumental in the victory at the Battle of the Coral Sea, a second and simpler technique is to bomb from a shallow dive angle, sometimes referred to as glide bombing. This reduces the accuracy, but still allows line of sight to the target during the bomb run, the Junkers Ju 88 and Petlyakov Pe-2 were widely used in this role. The Heinkel He 177 is often mentioned as having its development upset by the demand that it be able to dive bomb, the phrase glide bombing should not be confused with the term glide bomb, where the bomb glides towards its target while the aircraft remains in level flight. Attachments for this type of bombing were fitted to the Norden bombsight, Dive bombing was most widely used before and during World War II, its use declined during the war, when its vulnerability to enemy fighters became apparent. Most tactical aircraft today allow bombing in shallow dives to keep the target visible, when released from an aircraft, a bomb carries with it the aircrafts velocity. In the case of a bomber flying horizontally, the bomb will only be travelling forward. This forward motion is opposed by the drag of the air, additionally, gravity accelerates the bomb downward. The combination of two forces, drag and gravity, results in a complex pseudo-parabolic trajectory. The distance that the bomb moves forward while it falls is known as its range, if the range for a given set of conditions is calculated, simple trigonometry can be used to find the angle between the aircraft and the target. By setting the bombsight to this angle, the aircraft can time the drop of its bombs at the instant when the target is lined up in the sight. This was only effective for area bombing, however, since the path of the bomb is only roughly estimated. Large formations could drop bombs on an area hoping to hit a target, but there was no guarantee of success. The advantage to this approach, however, was that it is easy to build such an aircraft and fly it at high altitude, the horizontal bomber was thus ill-suited for tactical bombing, particularly in close support
7.
Emirau Airport
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Emirau Airport is an airfield in Emirau Island, Papua New Guinea. Emirau was seized unopposed by two Battalions of the 4th Marine Division on 20 March 1944, naval Construction Battalions arrived shortly after the landings and began construction of two coral-surfaced 7,000 feet by 150 feet airfields on the island. Inshore Airfield had 35 double hardstands capable of parking 210 fighter or light-bomber planes, both were fully equipped with towers, lighting, and a dispensary. The aviation tank farm consisted of three 1,000 barrels tanks and nineteen 1,000 barrels together with the appropriate filling, a reserve of 40,000 barrels was stored in drums. Emirau was the point for attacks on the Japanese strongholds at Rabaul. Base roll-up commenced in December 1944 and was completed by May 1945, accident history for EMI at Aviation Safety Network
8.
Air Force Museum of New Zealand
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The Air Force Museum of New Zealands mission is to preserve and present the history of New Zealand military aviation for commemoration, learning, inspiration and enjoyment. The Museum holds the collection of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Visitors can take a guided tour through behind the scenes areas of the Museum. The Museums most recent restoration project, an Airspeed Oxford, is now on display since February 2016. The Museum also has a Mosquito Flight Simulator, which features a mission based on the Allied bombing of German battleships in the Norwegian fiords, aermacchi MB-339 Jet trainer and light attack aircraft retired 2001. Auster Mk 7c New Zealand used Austers for army co-operation work in the immediate post-war period and they were fitted with floats and, in this case, skis. This aircraft accompanied the Hillary/Fuchs Trans-Antarctic Expedition, and has restored to this configuration. Avro 626 A development of the Avro Tutor biplane trainer featuring a cockpit with scarf ring. This aircraft was restored to flying condition in the 1980s by the RNZAF, developed as a maritime patrol aircraft New Zealand acquired a small number of Ansons early in World War II for use as navigation trainers, supplementing the Airspeed Oxford. A small number of more advanced model Ansons were used for work after the war. Bell Model 47 Sioux Helicopter trainer entered service in 1965, New Zealand acquired UH1Ds in 1965, and subsequently added UH1Hs. New Zealand Iroquois pilots have served in Vietnam, the Sinai, Antarctica, Bleriot XI Britannia New Zealands first military aircraft the Bleriot arrived in 1913 and was flown in New Zealand for two years before being returned to the United Kingdom in 1915. Replica built by David Comrie of Dunedin, the Bristol Freighters of the RNZAF were a familiar sight in the New Zealand sky for nearly 26 years. The museums aircraft was added to the collection after retirement from the RNZAF in early 1978, cessna 0-2A-CE Display painted to represent aircraft flown by New Zealand pilots on attachment to United States Air Force during Vietnam War. Restored to represent an RNZAF P-40E in the Pacific theatre of operations, manufactured in Wellington at Rongotai, the Tiger Moth was the RNZAFs primary trainer throughout World War II. The aircraft is painted as NZ825. De Havilland Vampire DH100 FB5 & DH115 T11, New Zealands first jet fighter procured in numbers, the Vampire was first used by the RNZAF in Cyprus in the 1950s. It survived into the early 1970s as a trainer, De Havilland Devon DH104 Replacement for the Anson, the Devon is a militarised version of the De Havilland Dove, used as a navigation and multi engine trainer
9.
Royal Australian Air Force
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The Royal Australian Air Force, formed March 1921, is the aerial warfare branch of the Australian Defence Force. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps, formed on 22 October 1912, the RAAF provides support across a spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air mobility, and humanitarian support. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th centurys major conflicts, thousands of Australians also served with other Commonwealth air forces in Europe. By the time the war ended, a total of 216,900 men and women served in the RAAF, later the RAAF served in the Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Malayan Emergency, Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation and Vietnam War. More recently, the RAAF has participated in operations in East Timor, the Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan, and the intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq. The RAAF has 259 aircraft, of which 110 are combat aircraft, the RAAF traces its history back to the Imperial Conference held in London in 1911, where it was decided aviation should be developed within the armed forces of the British Empire. By 1914 the corps was known as the Australian Flying Corps, soon after the outbreak of war in 1914, the Australian Flying Corps sent aircraft to assist in capturing German colonies in what is now north-east New Guinea. However, these colonies surrendered quickly, before the planes were even unpacked, the first operational flights did not occur until 27 May 1915, when the Mesopotamian Half Flight was called upon to assist the Indian Army in protecting British oil interests in what is now Iraq. The corps later saw action in Egypt, Palestine and on the Western Front throughout the remainder of the First World War, by the end of the war, four squadrons—Nos. 1,2,3 and 4—had seen operational service, while another four training squadrons—Nos,5,6,7 and 8—had also been established. A total of 460 officers and 2,234 other ranks served in the AFC, casualties included 175 dead,111 wounded,6 gassed and 40 captured. The Australian Flying Corps remained part of the Australian Army until 1919, although the Central Flying School continued to operate at Point Cook, military flying virtually ceased until 1920, when the Australian Air Corps was formed. The Australian Air Force was formed on 31 March 1921, king George V approved the prefix Royal in June 1921 and became effective on 31 August 1921. The RAAF then became the second Royal air arm to be formed in the British Commonwealth, when formed the RAAF had more aircraft than personnel, with 21 officers and 128 other ranks and 153 aircraft. A total of 17 RAAF bomber, fighter, reconnaissance and other squadrons served initially in Britain and with the Desert Air Force located in North Africa, thousands of Australians also served with other Commonwealth air forces in Europe during the Second World War. About nine percent of the personnel who served under British RAF commands in Europe and this statistic is further illustrated by the fact that No.460 Squadron RAAF, mostly flying Avro Lancasters, had an official establishment of about 200 aircrew and yet had 1,018 combat deaths. The squadron was therefore effectively wiped out five times over, total RAAF casualties in Europe were 5,488 killed or missing. The beginning of the Pacific War—and the rapid advance of Japanese forces—threatened the Australian mainland for the first time in its history, the RAAF was quite unprepared for the emergency, and initially had negligible forces available for service in the Pacific
10.
CAC Boomerang
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The CAC Boomerang was a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. The type holds the distinction of being the first combat aircraft to be designed and constructed in Australia. The effectiveness of the Boomerang has been contested, the aircraft proving to be slower than contemporary fighter aircraft, during early wartime operations, the Boomerang was mainly dispatched to equip home-based squadrons, freeing up other fighters for use elsewhere overseas. In later service, the Boomerang would commonly be used for support duties, cooperating with Allied army units, in addition to secondary roles such as aerial reconnaissance. While British manufacturers were the source of RAAF aircraft, by 1942. In late 1941, Lawrence Wackett, Manager and Chief Designer of CAC, Wackett quickly made the decision to use elements of aircraft which were already being produced in Australia. Only two military aircraft were in production at the time, the CAC Wirraway, based on the North American NA-16, and the Bristol Beaufort bomber. Overseas, the NA-16 had already become the basis of the North American NA-50 fighter, crucially, CACs licence to manufacture the Wirraway already contained a clause allowing the design to be modified. However, Australian-made Beauforts used 1,200 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines, David was well-suited to the CAC project, since he had previously worked for Heinkel in pre-Nazi Germany, as well as Mitsubishi and Aichi in Japan. As a result of this past, David possessed an excellent understanding of advanced designs, including the Mitsubishi A6M. In December 1941, the management of CAC issued its authorisation to proceed with the design of the new fighter aircraft. It had a new single seat cockpit complete with a sliding hood, accordingly, on 18 February 1942, the Australian War Cabinet authorised an order for 105 CA-12 aircraft, shortly thereafter, the name Boomerang was selected for the aircraft. The ordering of production aircraft had made in advance of any prototype being produced or maiden flight performed. On 29 May 1942, the prototype Boomerang, A46-1, conducted its maiden flight from Fishermans Bend and this initial prototype had been completed within only three months of having received the order to proceed, which was a considerably rare accomplishment for the era. An issue with engine cooling was encountered, which led to a revision of the oil cooler intake, on 15 July, No.1 Aircraft Depot of the RAAF formally received A46-1 from CAC. It was found that the Boomerang was faster in flight than the Buffalo. The Boomerang was superior in armament, with two 20 mm cannon and four.303 calibre machine guns, all mounted in the short and its pilots were better protected, with generous armour plating, than Japanese fighter pilots. In June 1943, manufacturing work upon the order for 105 CA-12s was completed
11.
Bougainville Campaign
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The Bougainville Campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied grand strategy in the South Pacific, the campaign took place in the Northern Solomons in two phases. The first phase, in which American troops invaded and held the perimeter around the beachhead at Torokina, before the war, Bougainville had been administered as part of the Australian Territory of New Guinea, even though, geographically, Bougainville is part of the Solomon Islands chain. As a result, within the accounts of the campaign it is referred to as part of both the New Guinea and the Solomon Islands campaigns. During their occupation the Japanese constructed naval aircraft bases in the north, east, and south of the island and they developed a naval anchorage at Tonolei Harbor near Buin, their largest base, on the southern coastal plain of Bougainville. On the nearby Treasury and Shortland Islands they built airfields, naval bases and anchorages, to the Allies, Bougainville would later also be considered vital for neutralizing the Japanese base around Rabaul. In March–April 1942, the Japanese landed on Bougainville as part of their advance into the South Pacific, at the time, there was only a small Australian garrison on the island which consisted of about 20 soldiers from the 1st Independent Company and some coastwatchers. Shortly after the Japanese arrived, the bulk of the Australian force was evacuated by the Allies, once secured, the Japanese began constructing a number of airfields across the island. The airfield at Kahili was known by the Japanese as Buin Airfield, at the opening of the Allied offensives, their estimates of Japanese strength on Bougainville varied widely, ranging between 45,000 and 65,000 Army, Navy, and labour personnel. These forces constituted the Japanese 17th Army, commanded by General Harukichi Hyakutake, hyukatake reported to General Hitoshi Imamura, commander of the Japanese Eighth Area Army, headquartered at Rabaul on New Britain Island. Naval command at Rabaul was the responsibility of Vice Admiral Jinichi Kusaka, the level of cooperation between these two officers was greater than that usually found between the branches of the Japanese armed forces. The 17th Infantry occupied northern Bougainville, while the 6th had responsibility for the south of Tarina. Reduction of the main Japanese base at Rabaul was the goal of the Allied offensive in the Solomons. To achieve this, Allied planners formulated Operation Cartwheel, by 1943 Rabaul was already within range of Allied heavy bombers, but a closer airfield was needed for light bombers and escort fighters. Thus, the island of Bougainville did not need to be occupied. According to Morison this was the one and only reason why the JCS authorized Halsey to seize a section of Bougainville, the area around Cape Torokina was settled on since, among other things, the Japanese were not there in force and had no airfield there. Bougainville lay within the Southwest Pacific Area, so operations were nominally under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, whose headquarters were in Brisbane, Australia. Although MacArthur had to all major moves, he gave planning and operational control to Admiral William F. Halsey
12.
Shimla
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Shimla, also known as Simla, is the capital and largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla is also a district which is bounded by Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, the state of Uttarakhand in the south-east, in 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India, succeeding Murree, northeast of Rawalpindi. After independence, the city became the capital of Punjab and was named the capital of Himachal Pradesh. It is the commercial, cultural and educational centre of the hilly regions of the state. As of 2011, the city had 171,817 permanent residents, small hamlets were recorded prior to 1815 when the English forces took control of the area. The climatic conditions attracted the British to establish the city in the forests of Himalayas. As the summer capital, Shimla hosted many important political meetings including the Simla Accord of 1914, after independence, the state of Himachal Pradesh came into being in 1948 as a result of integration of 28 princely states. Even after independence, the city remained an important political centre, after the reorganisation, the Mahasu district and its major portion were merged with Shimla. Its name is derived from the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Kali, Shimla is home to a number of buildings that are styled in the Tudorbethan and neo-Gothic architectures dating from the colonial era, as well as multiple temples and churches. The colonial architecture and churches, the temples and the beauty of the city attract a large number of tourists. The major attractions include the Viceroy Lodge, the Christ Church, the Jakhoo Temple, the Mall Road and the Ridge, the Kalka–Shimla Railway line built by the British, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also a major tourist attraction. Owing to its terrain, Shimla hosts the mountain biking race MTB Himalaya. Shimla also has the largest natural ice skating rink in South Asia, apart from being a tourism centre, the city is also an educational hub with a number of colleges and research institutions. The vast majority of the occupied by the present-day Shimla city was dense forest during the 18th century. The only civilisation consisted of the Jakhoo temple and a few scattered houses, the area was called Shimla, named after a Hindu goddess, Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of Kali. The area of present-day Shimla was invaded and captured by Bhimsen Thapa of Nepal in 1806, the British East India Company took control of the territory as per the Sugauli Treaty after the Anglo-Nepalese War. The Gurkha leaders were quelled by storming the fort of Malaun under the command of David Ochterlony in May 1815. In a diary entry dated 30 August 1817, the Gerard brothers, in 1819, Lieutenant Ross, the Assistant Political Agent in the Hill States, set up a wood cottage in Shimla
13.
Rotorua
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Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealands North Island. It is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing Rotorua, the majority of the Rotorua District is in the Bay of Plenty Region, but a sizeable southern section and a small western section are in the Waikato Region. Rotorua is in the heart of the North Island,60 kilometres south of Tauranga,80 km north of Taupo,105 km east of Hamilton, and 230 km southeast of the nations most populous city, Auckland. Rotorua has a permanent population of 57,800, making it the countrys 10th largest urban area. The Rotorua District has an estimated population of 70,500. Rotorua is a destination for both domestic and international tourists, the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. It is known for its activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa –. This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera, on which the town lies, Rotorua is home to the Waiariki Institute of Technology. The Lakes of Rotorua are a collection of many lakes surrounding Rotorua, the name Rotorua comes from Māori, the full name being Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, roto means lake and rua two – Rotorua thus meaning Second lake. Kahumatamomoe was the uncle of the Māori chief Ihenga, the explorer of the Te Arawa. It was the major lake the chief discovered, and he dedicated it to his uncle. It is the largest of a multitude found to the northeast, all connected with the Rotorua Caldera, the name can also mean the equally appropriate crater lake. The area was settled by Māori of the Te Arawa iwi. The first European in the area was probably Phillip Tapsell who was trading from the Bay of Plenty coast at Maketu from 1828 and he later married into Te Arawa and became highly regarded by them. Missionaries Henry Williams and Thomas Chapman visited in 1831 and Chapman and this was abandoned within a year but Chapman returned in 1838 and established a second mission at Mokoia Island. The lakeshore was a prominent site of skirmishes during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s, a special town district was created in the 1883, to promote Rotoruas potential as a spa destination. Rotorua was established as a borough in 1922, elected its first mayor in 1923, the area of Rotorua has a relatively high altitude, measuring up to 290m or 950 ft. The Rotorua region enjoys a temperate climate
14.
Order of the British Empire
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There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. Recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire were at first made on the nomination of the United Kingdom, the self-governing Dominions of the Empire, nominations continue today from Commonwealth countries that participate in recommending British honours. Most members are citizens of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth realms that use the Imperial system of honours and awards. Honorary knighthoods are appointed to citizens of nations where the Queen is not head of state, occasionally, honorary appointees are, incorrectly, referred to as Sir or Dame – Bill Gates or Bob Geldof, for example. In particular, King George V wished to create an Order to honour many thousands of those who had served in a variety of non-combatant roles during the First World War, when first established, the Order had only one division. However, in 1918, soon after its foundation, it was divided into Military. The Orders motto is For God and the Empire, at the foundation of the Order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. In 1922, this was renamed the British Empire Medal, in addition, the BEM is awarded by the Cook Islands and by some other Commonwealth nations. The British monarch is Sovereign of the Order, and appoints all members of the Order. The next most senior member is the Grand Master, of whom there have been three, Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, Queen Mary, and the current Grand Master, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross,845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the number of members of the fourth and fifth classes. Foreign recipients, as members, do not contribute to the numbers restricted to the Order as full members do. Though men can be knighted separately from an order of chivalry, women cannot, and so the rank of Knight/Dame Commander of the Order is the lowest rank of damehood, and second-lowest of knighthood. Because of this, Dame Commander is awarded in circumstances in which a man would be created a Knight Bachelor, for example, by convention, female judges of the High Court of Justice are created Dames Commander after appointment, while male judges become Knights Bachelor. The Order has six officials, the Prelate, the Dean, the Secretary, the Registrar, the King of Arms, the Bishop of London, a senior bishop in the Church of England, serves as the Orders Prelate. The Dean of St Pauls is ex officio the Dean of the Order, the Orders King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, as are many other heraldic officers. From time to time, individuals are appointed to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of the junior post-nominal letters
15.
Marine Aircraft Group 14
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The nucleus for the new aircraft group came from Marine Aircraft Group 11 which had just arrived from Marine Corps Air Station Quantico following the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. They remained there training until they deployed for the Pacific Theater in October 1942, the Group soon arrived at Guadalcanal relieving Marine Aircraft Group 23 on 16 October 1942 to become part of the Cactus Air Force. The group would part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands just 10 days later. MAG-14 returned to the Solomon Islands in August 1943 and set up the Fighter Command at Munda, the next month part of the group was moved to Ondonga and later on more units were sent to Vella Lavella. From these locations they supported the Marines and American and Allied soldiers during the Battle of New Georgia, on 15 February 1944 New Zealand troops captured the Green Islands in Papua New Guinea. Less than two weeks later aircraft from MAG-14 were operating from the airstrip here known as Lagoon Field, from here, MAG-14 units would continue to keep pressure on the isolated Japanese garrisons of Rabaul and Kavieng. By 24 January 1945, four squadrons from MAG-14 were operating from Guiuan in the northern Philippines province of Eastern Samar. During fighting in the Philippines the Group was responsible for covering convoys and supporting Army and Filipino guerillas on the islands of Negros, Mindanao, Cebu, following the war the Group returned to Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Oak Grove in February 1946 and was deactivated. During Operation Desert Storm, MAG-14 flew night combat missions deep into Iraq and Kuwait, vMA-231 and VMA-542 provided more than 2,000 offensives in conjunction with delivering close to 4.5 million pounds of ordnance during January and February 1991
16.
Auckland
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Auckland is a city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the most populous area in the country. Auckland has a population of 1,495,000, which constitutes 32 percent of New Zealands population, a diverse and multicultural city, Auckland is home to the largest Polynesian population in the world. It has also been called Ākarana, the Māori pronunciation of Auckland, the Auckland urban area ranges to Waiwera in the north, Kumeu in the northwest, and Runciman in the south. It is not contiguous, the section from Waiwera to Whangaparāoa Peninsula is separate from its nearest neighbouring suburb of Long Bay, the surrounding hills are covered in rainforest and the landscape is dotted with dozens of dormant volcanic cones. The central part of the area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two major bodies of water. The isthmus on which Auckland resides was first settled around 1350 and was valued for its rich, Māori population in the area is estimated to have peaked at 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans. After a British colony was established in 1840, the new Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson and he named the area Auckland for George Eden, Earl of Auckland, British First Lord of the Admiralty. It was replaced as the capital in 1865, but immigration to the new city stayed strong, today, Aucklands Central Business District is the major financial centre of New Zealand. Auckland is classified as a Beta World City because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, education and tourism. Aucklands landmarks such as the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, the Harbour Bridge, the Sky Tower, the isthmus was settled by Māori around 1350, and was valued for its rich and fertile land. Many pā were created, mainly on the volcanic peaks, Māori population in the area is estimated to have been about 20,000 people before the arrival of Europeans. As a result, the region had relatively low numbers of Māori when European settlement of New Zealand began, there is, however, nothing to suggest that this was the result of a deliberate European policy. Auckland was officially declared New Zealands capital in 1841 and the transfer of the administration from Russell in the Bay of Islands was completed in 1842. However, even in 1840 Port Nicholson was seen as a choice for an administrative capital because of its proximity to the South Island. After losing its status as capital, Auckland remained the city of the Auckland Province until the provincial system was abolished in 1876. Each of the four settlements had about 800 settlers, the men being fully armed in case of emergency but spent nearly all their time breaking in the land and establishing roads
17.
Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar
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The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era. In order to improve the economics, Lockheed decided to stretch the aircrafts fuselage by 5 feet 6 inches. The modified aircraft first flew in this form on September 21,1939, a total of 625 Lodestars of all variants were built. The Lodestar received its Type certificate on March 30,1940, allowing it to service with the first customer. As hoped, the extra seats greatly improved the Model 18s economics, reducing its costs to a similar level to that of the DC-3. Despite this, sales to US domestic customers were slow as most US airlines were already committed to the DC-3. Overseas sales were a better, with 29 bought by the government of the Netherlands East Indies. South African Airways, New Zealand National Airways Corporation, Trans-Canada Air Lines, various Pratt & Whitney and Wright Cyclone powerplants were installed. When the United States started to build up its air strength in 1940–41. This was followed by the construction of many new-build Lodestars which were flown by the Army Air Force as the C-60, lend-lease aircraft were used by the RNZAF as transports. One was purchased in 1942 to serve as Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas personal aircraft and this aircraft was specially designed for that purpose and had 11 seats. A few of the latter were converted to tricycle landing gear, many of the New Zealand aircraft were later used for aerial topdressing. A single Lodestar served with the Israeli Air Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, a number of skydiving operations in the United States used Lodestars during the 1970s and 1980s. 18-07 Powered by two 875 hp Pratt & Whitney Hornet S1E2-G engines,25 built plus two prototypes, 18-08 Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3-G engines,33 built. 18-10 Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3-G engines,39 built, 18-14 Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S4C4-G engines, four built. 18-40 Powered by two 1,200 hp Wright Cyclone G-1820-G104A engines,26 built, 18-50 Powered by two 1200hp Wright Cyclone G-1820-G202A engines,13 built. C-56 Powered by 1,200 hp Wright 1820-89 engines, one Model 18-50 for evaluation, c-56A One impressed Model 18-07 with two Pratt & Whitney R-1690-54 engines. C-56B Thirteen impressed Model 18-40s with two Wright 1820-97 engines, c-56E Two Model 18-40s impressed in 1943
18.
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
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The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II, the specialized C-53 Skytrooper troop transport started production in October 1941 at Douglas Aircrafts Santa Monica, California plant. It lacked the cargo door, hoist attachment and reinforced floor of the C-47, only a total of 380 aircraft were produced in all because the C-47 was found to be more versatile. During World War II, the forces of many countries used the C-47 and modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo. The U. S. Naval designation was R4D, more than 10,000 aircraft were produced in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Between March 1943 and August 1945 the Oklahoma City plant produced 5,354 C-47s, additionally, C-47s were used to airlift supplies to the embattled American forces during the Battle of Bastogne. Possibly its most influential role in aviation, however, was flying The Hump from India into China. The expertise gained flying The Hump was later be used in the Berlin Airlift, in which the C-47 played a major role, until the aircraft were replaced by Douglas C-54 Skymasters. A C-47 flown by the China National Airways Corporation pilot Moon Chin, Moon Chin was tasked with flying from Chungking to Myitkyina, a military base in Burma. His aircraft was jumped by Japanese fighters and, after landing at a small airstrip to wait for his pursuers to give up the game. When Chins DC-3 arrived at Myitkyina, he found that the base had, indeed, been severely bombed by the Japanese, eventually, Chin would carry sixty-eight passengers and a crew of four on the final leg to India. After arriving in India, the tattered American approached Captain Chin, believe me, Chin, he began, if I had had any idea that you were going to jam that many people into this old crate I would have gone home the way I came. Chin inquired as to how that might have been and the American replied I flew in, the short, balding, bedraggled American was none other than Lt Col Jimmy Doolittle returning from the historic raid on Tokyo. In Europe, the C-47 and a specialised paratroop variant, the C-53 Skytrooper, were used in vast numbers in the stages of the war, particularly to tow gliders. During the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, C-47s dropped 4,381 Allied paratroops, more than 50,000 paratroops were dropped by C-47s during the first few days of the invasion of Normandy, France, in June 1944. In the Pacific War, with use of the island landing strips of the Pacific Ocean. About 2,000 C-47s in British and Commonwealth service took the name Dakota, the C-47 also earned the informal nickname gooney bird in the European theatre of operations. The United States Air Forces Strategic Air Command had Skytrains in service from 1946 through 1967, the US Air Forces 6th Special Operations Squadron was flying the C-47 until 2008
19.
No. 40 Squadron RNZAF
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No.40 Squadron RNZAF is a transport squadron in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The squadron was formed at Whenuapai on 1 June 1943 as No.40 Transport Squadron RNZAF and it was equipped with Dakota and Lockheed Lodestars and carried men and supplies to forward areas throughout the Pacific theatre. The squadron was disbanded on 31 October 1947 and most of its crews, No.40 Squadron reformed on 8 December 1954 with four Handley Page Hastings, one of which had competed in the October 1953 London-Christchurch air race. The Squadron was supplemented with three Douglas DC-6 acquired from the defunct Australian airline, British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines by 1961, the three current Lockheed C-130H Hercules were purchased in 1965 and two more in 1968. Three Boeing 727s were purchased second hand from Boeing in 1981, nZ727119892 entered service in July 1981 and was retired on 7 July 2003. NZ727219893 entered service in July 1981 and was retired to Woodbourne as an airframe on 25 August 2003. NZ727319895 was the first 727 delivered, on 6 May 1981 and it was retired 25 June 1981. The 727s were purchased by the administration of Sir Rob Muldoon and used by the fourth and fifth Labour governments, the Boeing 727s were replaced in 2003 by two Boeing 757s. Located at RNZAF Base Whenuapai 40 Squadron today operates five C-130H Hercules, humanitarian missions have included flying in the first Cyclone Tracy relief supplies to Darwin, assisting victims of the Bali bombing and the Boxing Day tsunami. Since the late 1960s the squadron has detached aircraft each summer to work in the Ross Dependency of Antarctica,40 Squadron aircraft worked in conjunction with C-130s from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and U. S. Air Force. In 2003 two second-hand Boeing 757s were purchased from Transavia, which 40 Squadron operate in transport, freight, cargo and they can also be converted for medical use in emergencies. Their registrations are NZ7571 and NZ7572, the RNZAF purchased three Hercules from the USA in 1965 and another two aircraft in 1968. Since the introduction of the type they have been involved extensively carrying freight, troops, the package for each aircraft was known as the Life Extension Programme. Initially two aircraft were completed in Canada however the programme ran into difficulties when the company tasked with carrying out the refurbishments went into receivership, the remaining aircraft were then completed by Safe Air in Blenheim, New Zealand. The Hercules fleet now operate with glass cockpits and had one of the most extensive upgrades ever completed on this type of aircraft anywhere in the world, the last Hercules aircraft to be upgraded NZ7002, will be completed by the end of 2016. The Hercules fleet is due to be replaced by 2020, the Boeing 757s were also upgraded with new avionics and more powerful engines. A cargo door was fitted to allow pallet loading and an aero medical facility if needed. Since 2015 the RNZAF has been looking to replace the C-130 Hercules fleet and this is due to take place over the next five years due to the C-130s and Boeing 757s reaching the end of their flying life by 2020
20.
Palikulo Bay Airfield
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Palikulo Bay Airfield or Bomber Field #1 is a former World War II airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands. The 7th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 11 August 1942, after completing a second fighter airfield at Turtle Bay they began constructing a bomber field at Palikulo Bay. The runway was 5,000 feet by 150 feet built of PSP over a coral base, the 15th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 13 October 1942 and added taxiways, revetments, and a 1,000 feet extension to the runway for air transport operation. On 13 August B-17E #41-2463 of the 394th Bombardment Squadron piloted by Gene Roddenberry crashed on takeoff due to mechanical failure, navy and USMC units based at Palikulo included, VMD-154 operating PB4Ys VMD-254 operating B-24s VMO-250 operating J2Fs. Following the sinking of the USS Wasp on 15 September 1942, on the nights of 15 and 23 October 1942 Palikulo was shelled by a Japanese submarine however no serious damage resulted. NOB Espiritu Santo disestablished on 12 June 1946, part of the airfield forms part of the main road along Palikulo Bay, while the remainder together with all taxiways and base facilities is largely overgrown with vegetation. Luganville Airfield Luganville Seaplane Base Santo-Pekoa International Airport Turtle Bay Airfield
21.
No. 3 Squadron RNZAF
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No.3 Squadron RNZAF is a unit of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. No.3 Squadron formed as a Territorial unit of the New Zealand Permanent Air Force based at Christchurch in 1930, pilots attached to the squadron used NZPAF aircraft based at Wigram until No.3 Squadron got its first aircraft Blackburn Baffin torpedo bombers, in 1938. Following the outbreak of war the unit was equipped with Vickers Vincent, the squadron received modern aircraft – Lockheed Hudsons – converted to the patrol bomber role. The squadron was deployed to Palikulo Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo on 9 October 1942, on 23 November 1942, No.3 became the first RNZAF squadron deployed to the front line at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Despite being lightly armed, a Hudson of Flying Officer Gudsell twice saw off attacks by three Japanese aircraft, Gudsell was awarded the Air Medal. The Squadron moved to Kukum Field on Guadalcanal and stayed there until October 1943 when it returned to Santo where it remained until January 1944, from February–March 1944 the Squadron returned to Guadalcanal, returned to Santo from May–July and deployed to Guadalcanal again from July–August 1944. The Squadron re-equipped with Lockheed Venturas and in August 1944 moved to Piva Airfield on Bougainville, in October 1944 the Squadron moved to Emirau where they flew interdiction patrols against Japanese shipping and ground targets. No.3 squadron was replaced by No.4 Squadron in November 1944, the Squadron returned to Guadalcanal from February–March 1945 and was then deployed to Green Island from March–June 1945. From 1948 to 1957 No.3 Squadron reverted to being a territorial squadron, based at Wigram with de Havilland Tiger Moths, North American Harvards and P-51 Mustangs. The Squadrons Naval Support Flight flew helicopters for the Royal New Zealand Navys frigates from 1966 until October 2005, the flight flew Westland Wasps, and later Kaman Seasprites of the naval air wing attached to the squadron from 1966 to 2005. Pilots from No.3 Squadron served in Vietnam and in UN peace keeping in the Sinai, the Squadron served in East Timor. For many years a detachment was based in Singapore, to support the New Zealand Army presence there, detachments have recently served in the Solomon Islands and Antarctica. No.3 Squadron UH-1s transported the participants on the first episode of Survivor, today, No.3 Squadron provides tactical air transport for the New Zealand Army. The Iroquois have been replaced by NH90s, the squadron has a total personnel strength of approximately 135, and operates the following aircraft, Five Agusta A109 LUH helicopters. A procurement to purchase a further three A-109 signalled by the Defence Force White Paper, one NH-90 purchased used as a source of spare parts and/or an attrition airframe. The first helicopters to be flown by the RNZAF, six B47G-3B-1 were delivered in 1965, seven B47G-3B-2 were purchased in 1968 and delivered during 1970. All Bell 47G-3B-2 have been retired and replaced by the Agusta A109LUH since 2011, the RNZAF has retired its fleet of 16 Iroquois helicopters as of 1 July 2015. The first delivery was five UH-1D in 1966 followed in 1970 by nine UH-1H, all of the UH-1D aircraft were upgraded to 1H specification during the 1970s
22.
Piva Airfield
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Piva Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands archipelago. The 3rd Marine Division landed on Bougainville on 1 November 1943 at the start of the Bougainville Campaign, on 26 November 1943 the 36th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Bouganville and on 29 November they started work on a 8,000 feet by 30 feet bomber strip. The first plane landed on the strip on 19 December. The 71st Battalion built three taxiways with 35 hardstands, an area, seven nose hangars, three prefabricated steel huts, and 26 frame buildings. Aviation camps consisted of a 5, 000-man camp for Marine Air Group 24, the 77th Battalion arrived on Bougainville on 10 December 1943 and began constructing a fighter airfield parallel to the bomber field. The airfield was completed on 3 January and the first plane landed on 9 January, several weeks later, the 77th Battalion was instructed to extend the strip by 2,000 feet. Both airfields were connected by taxiways and shared fuel tank farms, the construction of the airfields frequently took place under Japanese harassing fire as the US forces never sought to occupy the entire island. On 8 March 1944 Japanese artillery opened up on Piva Airfield and destroyed one B-24 Liberator, by early 1945 base roll-up and salvage operations had commenced and were completed by the end of June 1945. The bomber airfield remains usable, while the airfield is completely overgrown with vegetation. Torokina Airfield United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area
23.
Bougainville Island
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Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. Its land area is 9,300 km2, the population of the province is 175,160, which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands including the Carterets. Mount Balbi at 2,700 m is the highest point, although Bougainville Island is geographically part of the Solomon Islands archipelago, it is not a part of the state of Solomon Islands. Bougainville was first settled some 28,000 years ago, Three to four thousand years ago, Austronesian people arrived, bringing with them domesticated pigs, chickens, dogs and obsidian tools. The first European contact with Bougainville was in 1768, when the French explorer Louis de Bougainville arrived and named the island for himself. Germany laid claim to Bougainville in 1899, annexing it into German New Guinea, Christian missionaries arrived on the island in 1902. During World War I, Australia occupied German New Guinea, including Bougainville and it became part of the Australian Territory of New Guinea under a League of Nations mandate in 1920. In 1942, during World War II, Japan invaded the island, following the war, the Territory of New Guinea, including Bougainville, returned to Australian control. On 9 September 1975, the Parliament of Australia passed the Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975, the Act set 16 September 1975 as date of independence and terminated all remaining sovereign and legislative powers of Australia over the territory. Bougainville was to part of an independent Papua New Guinea, however, on 11 September 1975, in a failed bid for self-determination. The republic failed to any international recognition, and a settlement was reached in August 1976. Bougainville was then absorbed politically into Papua New Guinea with increased self-governance powers, between 1988 and 1998, civil war on the island claimed over 15,000 lives. The Peace talks brokered by New Zealand began in 1997, leading to autonomy for the island, a multinational Peace Monitoring Group under Australian leadership was deployed. In 2001, a agreement was signed including promise of a referendum on independence from PNG. Bougainville is the largest island in the Solomon Islands archipelago and it is part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion. Bougainville and the island of Buka are a single landmass separated by a deep 300-metre-wide strait. The island is 9000 square kilometres, and there are several active, mount Bagana in the north central part of Bougainville is conspicuously active, spewing out smoke that is visible many kilometres distant
New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Air Force
