Pensacola Convoy
Encyclopedia
The Pensacola Convoy is a colloquialism for a United States military shipping convoy
that took place in late 1941 as the Pacific War
began. The name was derived from that of its primary escort ship, the heavy cruiser
. It was intended that the convoy, dispatched in peacetime, would reinforce the United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE), created to defend the U.S. Commonwealth of the Philippines
and commanded by General Douglas MacArthur
, with artillery
, aircraft, munitions and fuel, as the threat of war with the Empire of Japan
loomed.
After war broke out, and Japanese forces attacked the Philippines
, the convoy was diverted to Brisbane
, Australia.
, Hawaii
, by a naval vessel.
Pensacolas convoy included the gunboat ; the U.S. Navy transports and USS Chaumont
; the U.S. Army transport ships USAT Willard A. Holbrook and USAT Meigs
; the U.S. merchant ships SS Admiral Halstead and SS Coast Farmer; and the Dutch merchant ship Bloemfontein.
The convoy was carrying a brigade
from the U.S. Field Artillery Corps
, made up of 2,000 National Guard troops:
2,600 U. S. Army Air Forces
personnel were also on board, along with aircraft shipped disassembled in crates: 52 Douglas A-24
dive bomber
s of the 27th Bombardment Group (Light)
sent on the Meigs and 18 Curtiss P-40
fighter planes of the 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor)
on the Halstead. 48 pursuit pilots of the 35th PG traveled on the Republic and 39 newly-graduated but unassigned pilots were aboard the Holbrook.
Materiel
transported included: 20 75 mm
field artillery pieces, AA ammunition, 2,000 500-lb bombs, 3,000 30-lb bombs, 340 motor vehicles, 9,000 barrels of aviation fuel, 500,000 rounds of .50 caliber
ammunition and 9,600 rounds of 37 mm anti-aircraft shells.
, Hawaii
on 27 November to form the convoy. It sailed for Manila
on 29 November by an indirect, southerly route. On 7 December, after news of the attack on Pearl Harbor
reached the convoy, the crews and soldiers on board began to cover the civilian paint schemes of the ships with gray paint. Extra lookouts were posted to watch for Japanese planes, submarines and surface ships. All personnel were ordered to wear life jackets and carry full canteens of water. Life rafts were installed on deck. Japanese forces landed in the Philippines on 8 December and the convoy was ordered to put in at Suva
, Fiji
while its destination was debated.
It became clear over the following hours that the Japanese were rapidly overcoming Allied resistance in the Philippines and many other parts of Southeast Asia. On 9 December, at a meeting of the Joint Board
, the chief planners of the respective services, Brigadier General Leonard T. Gerow
and Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner
agreed that the convoy should be recalled immediately. Turner wanted it to reinforce Pearl Harbor. Gerow agreed and added that if the convoy was not sent to Hawaii, it should be brought back to the continental United States.
However, the Pensacola convoy was discussed in a meeting at the White House
the following day, and Roosevelt suggested that the materiel should be delivered to the Southwest Pacific
. He referred the matter back to the Joint Board, which decided at a meeting that same day to send the convoy to Brisbane
, Australia.
The convoy then sailed from Fiji in a zigzag course, at a speed set by the slowest ship. To ensure that the rations on board lasted, the soldiers now received only two daily meals.
Meanwhile, the staff of the commander of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, Admiral Thomas C. Hart
, considered how the convoy could make its way from Brisbane to Manila. Japanese advances in the Philippines meant that a blockade by the Imperial Japanese Navy was highly possible. Secondary plans to support Dutch and British Commonwealth forces, in the Dutch East Indies
, Malaya
and Singapore
, faced similar difficulties. MacArthur, when advised of Hart's apprehensions, replied that the convoy could reach Manila with an appropriate naval escort and air support. The situation changed however suddenly, on 22 December, when Japanese forces began landing in Lingayen Gulf
.
That same day, the convoy reached Brisbane. It was received enthusiastically by people in Australia. This was because they were the first U.S. soldiers on Australian soil, at a time when Japanese forces were seen to threaten Australia. The strongest and only battle-hardened Australian Army
units — known as the Australian Imperial Force
— were involved in the North African
and Malayan Campaigns
. The U.S. soldiers were accommodated at Ascot Racecourse
(later known as Eagle Farm) in tents, while they awaited further instructions.
It had been decided to send the most important articles of equipment by air to Manila, and General George Brett
was on route to Australia to establish a supply system for reinforcing the Philippines. The airplanes sent with the convoy were assembled but no engine coolant had been provided for the fighters, and the dive bombers were without trigger motors, gunsight solenoids, and gun mounts. The circumstances that led to the omission of these parts were never clarified. It is unclear whether this resulted from an act of sabotage or human failure.
On 28 December, after six days of prolonged unloading because cargo had been harphazardly loaded under peacetime standards, two artillery battalions boarded the Holbrook and Chaumont, in order to sail to Manila, escorted by the Pensacola. However, the Japanese had established naval and air superiority around the Philippines and the convoy soon received orders to return to Australia.
, Java
arriving on 11 January 1942, where it joined other Allied forces. The battalion was commended for its service in the Battle of Java, during March 1942. After a general Allied surrender, most of its personnel became POWs. However, Headquarters 26th Field Artillery Brigade evacuated Java on 27 February 1942 and returned to Australia on 4 March 1942.
Seventeen of the eighteen P-40 fighter planes shipped on the Admiral Halstead were quickly assembled, then assigned to the 17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional), formed 15 January from pursuit pilots of the Far East Air Force sent from Luzon at the end of December 1941 to ferry the aircraft back to the Philippines. Japanese advances southward into the Netherlands East Indies cut the ferry route and isolated MacArthur's forces, however. From Brisbane on 16 January, the 17th PS flew its aircraft across northern Australia to Darwin, Northern Territory
, where it remained until 24 January, when it moved via Kupang
and Bali
to its base on Java. On 1 March, the squadron evacuated Java, leaving its surviving aircraft to the Dutch military.
Eleven of the A-24s reached Java on 11 February, assigned to the 27th Bombardment Group's 91st Bomb Squadron. All were lost in action. Several others were later assigned to the 3rd Bombardment Group; most of these were shot down on 26 July 1942, while attacking Japanese shipping off Buna, New Guinea
.
The battalions of the 147th and 148th Field Artillery Regiments on the convoy were sent to Darwin to reinforce northern Australia. The 147th units were later reorganized as the 147th and 260th Field Artillery Battalions. The 148th units became the 148th Field Artillery Battalion. Both battalions served in the Southwest Pacific.
USS Pensacola served in many notable actions of World War II; she was decommissioned on 26 August 1946.
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
that took place in late 1941 as the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
began. The name was derived from that of its primary escort ship, the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
. It was intended that the convoy, dispatched in peacetime, would reinforce the United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE), created to defend the U.S. Commonwealth of the Philippines
Commonwealth of the Philippines
The Commonwealth of the Philippines was a designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States. The Commonwealth was created by the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934. When Manuel L...
and commanded by General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, with artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, aircraft, munitions and fuel, as the threat of war with the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
loomed.
After war broke out, and Japanese forces attacked the Philippines
Battle of the Philippines (1941-42)
The Philippines Campaign or the Battle of the Philippines was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan in 1941–1942 and the defense of the islands by Filipino and United States forces....
, the convoy was diverted to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia.
Background
The War Department on 16 August 1941 approved large-scale reinforcement of the Philippines. General MacArthur was notified that the first units would sail in September. When Chief of Staff George C. Marshall asked MacArthur if he needed a National Guard division for USAFFE, MacArthur declined the offer, stating: "Equipment and supply of existing forces are the prime essential. I am confident if these steps are taken with sufficient speed, that no further major reinforcement will be necessary for accomplishment of the defense mission." Marshall replied: "I have directed that United States Army Forces in the Philippines be placed in highest priority for equipment ... (and) ... men." Reinforcement convoys began in September and continued through November 1941, escorted from Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, by a naval vessel.
Pensacolas convoy included the gunboat ; the U.S. Navy transports and USS Chaumont
USS Samaritan (AH-10)
USS Samaritan was a hospital ship that served with the US Navy in World War II. Prior to that, she served as a US Navy transport ship under the name USS Chaumont ....
; the U.S. Army transport ships USAT Willard A. Holbrook and USAT Meigs
USAT Meigs
The USAT Meigs, a United States Army transport vessel , was sunk in Darwin Harbour during the first Japanese air raid against the Australia mainland on 19 February 1942....
; the U.S. merchant ships SS Admiral Halstead and SS Coast Farmer; and the Dutch merchant ship Bloemfontein.
The convoy was carrying a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
from the U.S. Field Artillery Corps
United States Army Field Artillery Corps
The Field Artillery branch was founded on 17 November 1775 by the Continental Congress, which unanimously elected Henry Knox "Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery". The regiment formally entered service on 1 January 1776...
, made up of 2,000 National Guard troops:
- 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery (Texas National GuardTexas National GuardThe Texas National Guard consists of the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. The Guard is administered by the adjutant general, an appointee of the governor of Texas. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state...
) - 1st and 2nd Battalions, 147th Field Artillery (South Dakota National GuardSouth Dakota National GuardThe South Dakota National Guard is part of the South Dakota Department of Military & Veterans Affairs.It consists of the:*South Dakota Army National Guard ** Joint Forces Headquarters** 196th Maneuver Enhanced Brigade** 196th Regional Training Battalion...
) - 1st Battalion, 148th Field Artillery148th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 148th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery regiment of the Army National Guard.-World War I:The 148th Field Artillery was organized on September 29, 1917 by General Order 2, Headquarters 41st Division, trained at Camp Greene, North Carolina, Camp Mills, New York, and Camp Merritt, New...
(Idaho National GuardIdaho National GuardThe Idaho National Guard consists of the:*Idaho Army National Guard*Idaho Air National Guard-External links:*...
)
2,600 U. S. Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
personnel were also on board, along with aircraft shipped disassembled in crates: 52 Douglas A-24
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
dive bomber
Dive bomber
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 reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s of the 27th Bombardment Group (Light)
27th Special Operations Group
The 27th Special Operations Group is the flying component of the 27th Special Operations Wing, assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command...
sent on the Meigs and 18 Curtiss P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
fighter planes of the 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor)
35th Operations Group
The 35th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 35th Fighter Wing. It is stationed at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and is a part of Pacific Air Forces ....
on the Halstead. 48 pursuit pilots of the 35th PG traveled on the Republic and 39 newly-graduated but unassigned pilots were aboard the Holbrook.
Materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
transported included: 20 75 mm
75 mm Gun (US)
The US 75 mm gun tank gun M2 and the later M3 were the standard American tank guns of the Second World War.Besides use on the two main American medium tanks of the war the M3 Lee and the M4 Sherman . The lightweight M6 and M5 variants were developed to equip the Light Tank M24 and the B-25...
field artillery pieces, AA ammunition, 2,000 500-lb bombs, 3,000 30-lb bombs, 340 motor vehicles, 9,000 barrels of aviation fuel, 500,000 rounds of .50 caliber
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
ammunition and 9,600 rounds of 37 mm anti-aircraft shells.
The convoy
The ships left San Francisco individually and arrived at Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
on 27 November to form the convoy. It sailed for Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
on 29 November by an indirect, southerly route. On 7 December, after news of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
reached the convoy, the crews and soldiers on board began to cover the civilian paint schemes of the ships with gray paint. Extra lookouts were posted to watch for Japanese planes, submarines and surface ships. All personnel were ordered to wear life jackets and carry full canteens of water. Life rafts were installed on deck. Japanese forces landed in the Philippines on 8 December and the convoy was ordered to put in at Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
while its destination was debated.
It became clear over the following hours that the Japanese were rapidly overcoming Allied resistance in the Philippines and many other parts of Southeast Asia. On 9 December, at a meeting of the Joint Board
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
, the chief planners of the respective services, Brigadier General Leonard T. Gerow
Leonard T. Gerow
Leonard Townsend Gerow was a United States Army general.-Early life:Gerow was born in Petersburg, Virginia. The name Gerow is derived from the French name "Giraud". Gerow attended high school in Petersburg and then attended the Virginia Military Institute. He was three times elected class...
and Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner
Richmond K. Turner
-Footnotes:...
agreed that the convoy should be recalled immediately. Turner wanted it to reinforce Pearl Harbor. Gerow agreed and added that if the convoy was not sent to Hawaii, it should be brought back to the continental United States.
However, the Pensacola convoy was discussed in a meeting at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
the following day, and Roosevelt suggested that the materiel should be delivered to the Southwest Pacific
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
. He referred the matter back to the Joint Board, which decided at a meeting that same day to send the convoy to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia.
The convoy then sailed from Fiji in a zigzag course, at a speed set by the slowest ship. To ensure that the rations on board lasted, the soldiers now received only two daily meals.
Meanwhile, the staff of the commander of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, Admiral Thomas C. Hart
Thomas C. Hart
Thomas Charles Hart was an admiral of the United States Navy, whose service extended from the Spanish-American War through World War II. Following his retirement from the Navy, he served briefly as a United States Senator from Connecticut.-Life and career:Hart was born in Genesee County, Michigan...
, considered how the convoy could make its way from Brisbane to Manila. Japanese advances in the Philippines meant that a blockade by the Imperial Japanese Navy was highly possible. Secondary plans to support Dutch and British Commonwealth forces, in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, faced similar difficulties. MacArthur, when advised of Hart's apprehensions, replied that the convoy could reach Manila with an appropriate naval escort and air support. The situation changed however suddenly, on 22 December, when Japanese forces began landing in Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
.
That same day, the convoy reached Brisbane. It was received enthusiastically by people in Australia. This was because they were the first U.S. soldiers on Australian soil, at a time when Japanese forces were seen to threaten Australia. The strongest and only battle-hardened Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
units — known as the Australian Imperial Force
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
— were involved in the North African
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and Malayan Campaigns
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
. The U.S. soldiers were accommodated at Ascot Racecourse
Eagle Farm Racecourse
Eagle Farm Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Ascot, 7 km from the Brisbane central business district....
(later known as Eagle Farm) in tents, while they awaited further instructions.
It had been decided to send the most important articles of equipment by air to Manila, and General George Brett
George Brett (military)
George Howard Brett was a United States Army Air Forces General during World War II. An Early Bird of Aviation, Brett served as a staff officer in World War I...
was on route to Australia to establish a supply system for reinforcing the Philippines. The airplanes sent with the convoy were assembled but no engine coolant had been provided for the fighters, and the dive bombers were without trigger motors, gunsight solenoids, and gun mounts. The circumstances that led to the omission of these parts were never clarified. It is unclear whether this resulted from an act of sabotage or human failure.
On 28 December, after six days of prolonged unloading because cargo had been harphazardly loaded under peacetime standards, two artillery battalions boarded the Holbrook and Chaumont, in order to sail to Manila, escorted by the Pensacola. However, the Japanese had established naval and air superiority around the Philippines and the convoy soon received orders to return to Australia.
Aftermath
The Bloemfontein was able to transport the 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery to SurabayaSurabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
arriving on 11 January 1942, where it joined other Allied forces. The battalion was commended for its service in the Battle of Java, during March 1942. After a general Allied surrender, most of its personnel became POWs. However, Headquarters 26th Field Artillery Brigade evacuated Java on 27 February 1942 and returned to Australia on 4 March 1942.
Seventeen of the eighteen P-40 fighter planes shipped on the Admiral Halstead were quickly assembled, then assigned to the 17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional), formed 15 January from pursuit pilots of the Far East Air Force sent from Luzon at the end of December 1941 to ferry the aircraft back to the Philippines. Japanese advances southward into the Netherlands East Indies cut the ferry route and isolated MacArthur's forces, however. From Brisbane on 16 January, the 17th PS flew its aircraft across northern Australia to Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, where it remained until 24 January, when it moved via Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
and Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
to its base on Java. On 1 March, the squadron evacuated Java, leaving its surviving aircraft to the Dutch military.
Eleven of the A-24s reached Java on 11 February, assigned to the 27th Bombardment Group's 91st Bomb Squadron. All were lost in action. Several others were later assigned to the 3rd Bombardment Group; most of these were shot down on 26 July 1942, while attacking Japanese shipping off Buna, New Guinea
Buna, Papua New Guinea
Buna is a village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It was the site in part, of the Battle of Buna-Gona during World War II, when it constituted a variety of native huts and a handful of houses with a airstrip...
.
The battalions of the 147th and 148th Field Artillery Regiments on the convoy were sent to Darwin to reinforce northern Australia. The 147th units were later reorganized as the 147th and 260th Field Artillery Battalions. The 148th units became the 148th Field Artillery Battalion. Both battalions served in the Southwest Pacific.
USS Pensacola served in many notable actions of World War II; she was decommissioned on 26 August 1946.
External links
- Australian War Memorial Online Encyclopedia, 2008, "United States forces in Australia" (Australian War MemorialAustralian War MemorialThe Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
; AWM) - Gordon R. Birkett, 2003-05, "Early USAAF P40E/E-1 Operations in Australia Part 3V5" (adf-serials.com)
- A. B. Feuer, "Pawn Of Fate: The Pensacola Convoy", Sea Classics July 2004 (article; available through BNET)
- Peter Dunn, 2004, "Pensacola Convoy and Other Convoys Arriving in Australia During WW2" (Australia @ War; amateur military history)
- Carl Molesworth, 2003, P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific, Osprey Publishing (excerpts available from Google books)
- Louis Morton, 1953, United States Army in World War II: The War in the Pacific; The Fall of the Philippines (Chapter IX: "Strategy and Logistics"; "The Pensacola Convoy") (Official history)