dinomartino1
Well-Known Member
RAAF 78th fighter wing Vampires Malta deployment
Ground staff with 78 Fighter Wing RAAF in Malta admire the Red Devil emblem on the tailfin of an Italian Vampire aircraft while two Italian pilots look on. Identified left to right: Lieutenant (Lt) Paul Frantanoni of Italy; Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Reg Young of Macleay River, NSW; LAC Bill Hart of Kempsey, NSW; LAC Kev Coleman of Macleay River, NSW; Lt Catullo Nardi of Italy. The Italians worked with the RAAF in the NATO exercise Operation Drago.
View attachment 13745
The armament instructor with 78 Fighter Wing RAAF in Malta demonstrates how to hold a Bren gun. The airmen watching him are learning how to use the machine gun in preparation for promotion exams
The RAAF’s Malta Deployment 1952-1954
In February 1951, the British had suggested that Australia may wish to contribute to the West’s military presence in the Middle East. As Australia had a national security interest to defend the sea lines of communication which ran through the Middle East, to maintain international order and to protect trade routes, such a deployment was seen to be in the nation’s strategic interests. Indeed, at that time, British imperial global strategy identified the Middle East as a higher priority for Australian forces than the Far East.
Discussion centred upon sending an RAAF wing of two squadrons with half their wartime establishment. It was decided not to send Australian aircraft, rather sixteen Vampire FB.9 fighters were leased from Britain. the RAAF despatched No 78 (Fighter) Wing RAAF, that included 75 and 76 Fighter Squadrons in 1952.
Exercise CORONET
NATO’s response to probable Soviet expansion was a show of force during the European summer of 1953—Exercise CORONET. As a physical demonstration of Western air power, CORONET brought together about 2000 aircraft and 40 000 personnel from nine NATO countries and one non-NATO country (Australia). Air units were deployed to West Germany from bases across Western Europe, Britain and the Mediterranean in defence of Central Europe. Commencing on 23 July and lasting for nine days,
CORONET itself was based upon a complex scenario involving an initial conflict between two hypothetical regional powers Westonia (2nd Allied Tactical Air Force (ATAF) area including Belgium, the Netherlands and the British Zone of Germany) and Fantasia (4th ATAF area including the American and French Zones of Germany and part of Eastern France).
CORONET brought together almost every type of military aircraft flown by the West at that time—Sabres, Meteors, Vampires and Venoms from 2nd ATAF; Sabres, Thunderjets, Shooting Stars, Vampires and Invaders from 4th ATAF; Greek and Italian Thunderjets and Portuguese Thunderbolts. The United Kingdom bases provided common raider forces of Washingtons, Lincolns, Canberras, Valettas, Varsities, Meteors and
Sabres..All the ground units supporting the aircraft were essentially expeditionary with as little use as possible being made of normal static facilities. The land battle was fictional and intended to provide practice for air- land support missions. In the end, CORONET achieved its desired outcome, it demonstrated the West’s ability to use air power offensively to defeat a Soviet thrust in Central Europe.
The Australians based at Malta were delighted, if a little surprised, to be included in the NATO exercise. Group Captain Eaton described CORONET as ‘so realistic that they were pretty near the real thing.’ The only difference between it and actual war was that in this exercise gun cameras were used to film attacks instead of guns loaded with bullets and shells. Squadron Leader Ken Andrews, who was one of the most experienced fighter pilot instructors in the RAAF, stated that: ‘This exercise placed a tremendous strain on everyone who took part in it, because of the many moments of tension and grimness. The normal hazards of jet flying were increased by so many aircraft milling about the sky over small areas at one time. The faces of men took on that hard look as their eyes scanned the sky when a plane failed to return to base, and there was that same nerve-wracking tenseness in the operation room as the men there waited for the phone to ring to tell them what had happened.’
The ground crew, despite having to improvise in the ‘wartime’ field conditions, performed extremely well.
After eight days the Australian wing had the highest rate of aircraft serviceability among all the forces in the Exercise. At the conclusion of CORONET, on 31 July, senior Royal Air Force officers and official observers from the United States Air Force and Western European air forces praised the Australians highly for their pilot’s flying abilities and the achievements of the RAAF ground staff.
The 78 Wing aircraft had olive green paint daubed irregularly over their normal silver finish
No 78 Wing remained in Malta until December 1954, when higher priority defence commitments in Southeast Asia necessitated the wing’s return to Australia. By that time, 78 Wing had also participated in other NATO exercises, including Exercise SHIELD I which involved the air defence of Southern Italy and the central Mediterranean. On different occasions 78 Wing pilots had flown alongside, or on exchange with, squadrons from France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey, Greece, Italy and New Zealand. Interestingly, New Zealand deployed a Vampire squadron to Cyprus around the same time, and at times they operated as a third squadron of the Australian wing at Malta.
Wearing tin helmets, ground staff of the detachment from 78 Fighter Wing RAAF wait in a forest near Cologne, West Germany to be taken to the airstrip during the NATO exercise Operation Coronet. This exercise, the largest in Western Europe since the Second World War, involved real battle conditions
Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Thornton of Mildura, Vic (on the left, reading) and Flying Officer Les Reading of Cunderdin, WA (sleeping) rest in the open air at an airfield near Cologne, West Germany. They were with a detachment from 78 Fighter Wing RAAF that was involved in the NATO exercise Operation Coronet.
Leading Aircraftman Keith Seymour (left) of Sydney, NSW and Flying Officer Reg Jones of North Sydney, NSW (in the cockpit of his Vampire fighter aircraft) on the tarmac at an airfield near Cologne, West Germany. Both members of 78 Fighter Wing RAAF, the two are working together in the NATO air exercise Operation Coronet.
Ground staff with 78 Fighter Wing RAAF in Malta admire the Red Devil emblem on the tailfin of an Italian Vampire aircraft while two Italian pilots look on. Identified left to right: Lieutenant (Lt) Paul Frantanoni of Italy; Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Reg Young of Macleay River, NSW; LAC Bill Hart of Kempsey, NSW; LAC Kev Coleman of Macleay River, NSW; Lt Catullo Nardi of Italy. The Italians worked with the RAAF in the NATO exercise Operation Drago.
View attachment 13745
The armament instructor with 78 Fighter Wing RAAF in Malta demonstrates how to hold a Bren gun. The airmen watching him are learning how to use the machine gun in preparation for promotion exams
The RAAF’s Malta Deployment 1952-1954
In February 1951, the British had suggested that Australia may wish to contribute to the West’s military presence in the Middle East. As Australia had a national security interest to defend the sea lines of communication which ran through the Middle East, to maintain international order and to protect trade routes, such a deployment was seen to be in the nation’s strategic interests. Indeed, at that time, British imperial global strategy identified the Middle East as a higher priority for Australian forces than the Far East.
Discussion centred upon sending an RAAF wing of two squadrons with half their wartime establishment. It was decided not to send Australian aircraft, rather sixteen Vampire FB.9 fighters were leased from Britain. the RAAF despatched No 78 (Fighter) Wing RAAF, that included 75 and 76 Fighter Squadrons in 1952.
Exercise CORONET
NATO’s response to probable Soviet expansion was a show of force during the European summer of 1953—Exercise CORONET. As a physical demonstration of Western air power, CORONET brought together about 2000 aircraft and 40 000 personnel from nine NATO countries and one non-NATO country (Australia). Air units were deployed to West Germany from bases across Western Europe, Britain and the Mediterranean in defence of Central Europe. Commencing on 23 July and lasting for nine days,
CORONET itself was based upon a complex scenario involving an initial conflict between two hypothetical regional powers Westonia (2nd Allied Tactical Air Force (ATAF) area including Belgium, the Netherlands and the British Zone of Germany) and Fantasia (4th ATAF area including the American and French Zones of Germany and part of Eastern France).
CORONET brought together almost every type of military aircraft flown by the West at that time—Sabres, Meteors, Vampires and Venoms from 2nd ATAF; Sabres, Thunderjets, Shooting Stars, Vampires and Invaders from 4th ATAF; Greek and Italian Thunderjets and Portuguese Thunderbolts. The United Kingdom bases provided common raider forces of Washingtons, Lincolns, Canberras, Valettas, Varsities, Meteors and
Sabres..All the ground units supporting the aircraft were essentially expeditionary with as little use as possible being made of normal static facilities. The land battle was fictional and intended to provide practice for air- land support missions. In the end, CORONET achieved its desired outcome, it demonstrated the West’s ability to use air power offensively to defeat a Soviet thrust in Central Europe.
The Australians based at Malta were delighted, if a little surprised, to be included in the NATO exercise. Group Captain Eaton described CORONET as ‘so realistic that they were pretty near the real thing.’ The only difference between it and actual war was that in this exercise gun cameras were used to film attacks instead of guns loaded with bullets and shells. Squadron Leader Ken Andrews, who was one of the most experienced fighter pilot instructors in the RAAF, stated that: ‘This exercise placed a tremendous strain on everyone who took part in it, because of the many moments of tension and grimness. The normal hazards of jet flying were increased by so many aircraft milling about the sky over small areas at one time. The faces of men took on that hard look as their eyes scanned the sky when a plane failed to return to base, and there was that same nerve-wracking tenseness in the operation room as the men there waited for the phone to ring to tell them what had happened.’
The ground crew, despite having to improvise in the ‘wartime’ field conditions, performed extremely well.
After eight days the Australian wing had the highest rate of aircraft serviceability among all the forces in the Exercise. At the conclusion of CORONET, on 31 July, senior Royal Air Force officers and official observers from the United States Air Force and Western European air forces praised the Australians highly for their pilot’s flying abilities and the achievements of the RAAF ground staff.
The 78 Wing aircraft had olive green paint daubed irregularly over their normal silver finish
No 78 Wing remained in Malta until December 1954, when higher priority defence commitments in Southeast Asia necessitated the wing’s return to Australia. By that time, 78 Wing had also participated in other NATO exercises, including Exercise SHIELD I which involved the air defence of Southern Italy and the central Mediterranean. On different occasions 78 Wing pilots had flown alongside, or on exchange with, squadrons from France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey, Greece, Italy and New Zealand. Interestingly, New Zealand deployed a Vampire squadron to Cyprus around the same time, and at times they operated as a third squadron of the Australian wing at Malta.
Wearing tin helmets, ground staff of the detachment from 78 Fighter Wing RAAF wait in a forest near Cologne, West Germany to be taken to the airstrip during the NATO exercise Operation Coronet. This exercise, the largest in Western Europe since the Second World War, involved real battle conditions
Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Thornton of Mildura, Vic (on the left, reading) and Flying Officer Les Reading of Cunderdin, WA (sleeping) rest in the open air at an airfield near Cologne, West Germany. They were with a detachment from 78 Fighter Wing RAAF that was involved in the NATO exercise Operation Coronet.
Leading Aircraftman Keith Seymour (left) of Sydney, NSW and Flying Officer Reg Jones of North Sydney, NSW (in the cockpit of his Vampire fighter aircraft) on the tarmac at an airfield near Cologne, West Germany. Both members of 78 Fighter Wing RAAF, the two are working together in the NATO air exercise Operation Coronet.
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