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#Post#: 12473--------------------------------------------------
Plane of the Week: CAC Boomerang
By: vonofterdingen Date: September 14, 2020, 3:32 pm
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HTML https://i.postimg.cc/BbGk9gst/Screen-Hunter-418.png
The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Boomerang was
more of a novelty in WW2 aircraft history, but it was a very
interesting novelty indeed. As war broke out in the Pacific,
both England and the US were hard pressed initially to supply
Australia with the aircraft it needed for its own defense. As a
result, the Australian government encouraged the development of
a self-sufficient aircraft industry. Eventually US and English
aircraft supplied to Australia superseded the Boomerang in the
fighter capacity, but its versatility made it useful as a ground
attack aircraft, and in other support roles.
From Wikipedia
The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and
manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft
Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for production
shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second
World War, the Boomerang was rapidly designed as to meet the
urgent demands for fighter aircraft to equip the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF). It was the first combat aircraft
designed and constructed in Australia.
Different variants of the Boomerang were manufactured under a
series of corresponding production contract numbers CA-12,
CA-13, CA-14 and CA-19, the aircraft supplied under each
subsequent contract would incorporate various modifications,
typically aimed at improving the aircraft's performance. The
Boomerang was handicapped by the available engine variant, which
gave low power at altitude and resulted in the aircraft proving
to be slower than contemporary fighter aircraft. The Boomerang
rarely engaged in aerial combat. During early wartime
operations, the Boomerang was mainly dispatched to equip
home-based squadrons, freeing up other fighters for use
overseas. In later service, the Boomerang would commonly be used
for ground support duties, cooperating with Allied army units,
in addition to secondary roles such as aerial reconnaissance and
air sea rescue.
On 19 October 1942, CA-12 A46-6 (bu. no. 829) became the
first Boomerang to reach a training/conversion unit, it was
immediately put to use training pilots when it was transferred
to No. 2 OTU, from 1 AD. In the training role, while generally
being considered to be a success according to Rene, pilots
without previous operational experience had difficulty
transitioning from the Wirraway to the Boomerang due to its poor
forward visibility, the reflector gun sight was subsequently
relocated to improve pilot vision.
No. 83 Squadron became the first fighter unit to receive
Boomerangs, when several were delivered to it replacing
Airacobras at Strathpine Airfield, in Strathpine, Queensland,
on 10 April 1943. A few weeks afterward, CA-12s were also
received by a frontline air defence unit, No. 84 Squadron which
was stationed on Horn Island Airfield, in Torres Strait. The
third Boomerang fighter unit, No. 85 Squadron like No. 83
Squadron was performing home defence duties, at RAAF Guildford
(known later as Perth Airport); the Boomerangs replaced the
squadron's Buffaloes.
On 16 May 1943, the first encounter between the Boomerang
while on aerial patrol duties and Japanese aircraft occurred; a
pair of Boomerangs, flown by Flying Officer Johnstone and
Sergeant Stammer, spotted three Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' bombers
and opened fire upon them at 250 yards, resulting in little
apparent damage and the enemy's withdrawal.[18] On the evening
of 20 May 1943, Flight Lieutenant Roy Goon became the first
Boomerang pilot to scramble on the Australian mainland against
Japanese bombers. Goon, part of a No. 85 Squadron detachment at
RAAF Learmonth, near Exmouth, Western Australia, undertaking air
defence of the Allied naval base at Exmouth Gulf (codenamed
"Potshot"), took off to intercept Japanese bombers. After Goon
had sighted them, the bombers dropped their payloads wide of
their target and left the area. The majority of standing patrols
were uneventful.
No. 84 Squadron had been deployed to a US Army Air Forces
bomber base on Horn Island off the coast of Northern Australia
in a measure to address Japanese air raids and the continuing
shortage of fighters in this area, which were required for an
intended small scale offensive in New Guinea. The squadron was
only modestly successful in this role however. The Boomerang's
low top speed and poor high altitude performance meant that No.
84 could drive off enemy attacks but rarely could get close
enough to Japanese aircraft to bring their guns to bear. There
were not many air raids in this area, and after using Boomerangs
for eight months, No. 84 Squadron upgraded to the Kittyhawk. In
addition to its air defence operations, No. 84 also provided
cover for all shipping in the area during this time, including
within 20 miles of Merauke, Papua Province.
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/BbgYWfMw/Screen-Hunter-419.png
While RAAF records show that the Boomerang was never recorded
as having destroyed any enemy aircraft, the type proved to be
more useful in its capacity as a light ground attack aircraft
used by Army co-operation squadrons, often replacing the lightly
armed Wirraway in this role. In this vital mission, the
Boomerang directly contributed to the extensive ground war in
the jungles of the South West Pacific theatre was often
characterised by widely dispersed, small unit actions, which
typically fought at close quarters and with uncertain front
lines. In addition to strafing Japanese ground forces with
cannon and machine gun fire, Boomerangs would often deploy smoke
bombs to mark valuable targets for other units to attack. The
aircraft was also used for artillery spotting, aerial supply
drops, tactical reconnaissance, and anti-malarial spraying.
The aircraft proved to be ideal in this ground attack role
due to a number of qualities that it possessed. The Boomerang
had the range to go wherever it was needed when it was based
close to ground operations; had heavy armament; was agile and
easy to fly, meaning that pilots could get close to ground
targets, avoid ground fire and rough terrain; and featured
extensive armour plating along with a wood and aluminium
airframe that could withstand significant battle damage. Some of
the aircraft were shot down, including two accidental "kills" by
US forces, and many were damaged during accidents while landing,
often because the Boomerang was prone to ground looping.
No. 4 Squadron and No. 5 Squadron flew Boomerangs in New
Guinea, the Solomon Islands Campaign and Borneo Campaign, also
in the close support role, with marked success. Flying in pairs
(one to observe the ground, the other to observe the air around
them), their tasks included bombing, strafing, close infantry
support and artillery spotting. When attacking larger enemy
formations, Boomerangs often operated in conjunction with larger
aircraft. In this role, the Boomerang would get in close to
confirm the identity of the target and mark it with a 20 lb (9
kg) smoke bomb with the "cooperating" aircraft delivering the
major ordnance from a safer distance. A partnership between No.
5 Squadron Boomerangs and Royal New Zealand Air Force Corsair
fighter bombers during the Bougainville Campaign was said to be
particularly effective.
[img width=1024
height=572]
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/wvpfYV9t/Boomerang.jpg[/img]
In game
The Boomerang is a bit of a plodding plane. It is slow, has a
low service ceiling, and is not particularly well armed. Even
early Japanese bombers can escape the Boomerang in most
scenarios. On the other hand, however, it is rugged and serves
well as a stable gun platform. As such, it is a good choice in a
ground attack role, where it excelled historically. If you like
ground attack (I do) this is a fun plane to take island hopping
against Japanese ground forces. Just take some P-40s along for
fighter cover.
If you do not already have the Boomerang you can get one here
HTML https://il2freemodding.createaforum.com/ww2-allied-(single-engine)/boomerangs-with-new-pits!-4-094-104-12etc/.
#Post#: 12476--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: CAC Boomerang
By: ben_wh Date: September 14, 2020, 6:32 pm
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von,
Good write-up on the Boomerang.
In-game: this aircraft as well as the Wirraway can really
benefit from mods that more closely integrate close air support
in the game better: e.g. marking target for another aircraft to
attack, artillery spotting among others. There are already maps
that provides the right battlefields for these planes -
Solomons, NGNB, Hollandia and Borneo.
Cheers,
#Post#: 12496--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: CAC Boomerang
By: Beowolff Date: September 15, 2020, 2:59 pm
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Super job on (to me) a super plane. Always loved this bird!
Few her in the old Microsoft flight game too as an add-on!
Thanks! Great work, Von!
S!
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