Australian Air Transportation

* * *

8. DIRECTORATE FOR AIR TRANSPORT As the new year of 1942 began, the Japanese forces were moving fast down across the south Pacific. The old, battle weary B-17C remained unserviceable at Batchelor Field. But Australia was soon to become the focal point for the combined Allied military operations in the Southwest Pacific.

Each of Australia's five mainland states had developed its own transportation system, but with no regard to its compatibility with those of its neighbors. Without uniform standard gauge tracks, their railways were built with different sizes, sometimes even within the same state. Highway systems were equally inadequate for military needs. Slow and hazardous water transport along Australia's eastern seacoast was not a viable alternative. Japanese submarines patrolled the north south shipping lanes and sank many merchant vessels plying these waters. The problems of land and sea transportation made air delivery of critical supplies the only reliable method of moving military cargo to the beleaguered forces in the island battle zones to the north, in Java, New Guinea and the Philippines. However, the US Army Air Forces in Australia (USAFIA) had not been authorized to have an air transport organization, by the War Department, and within the Australian

The airplane probably was repaired temporarily with patches made over the holes in its wings, horizontal stabilizer and the rudder. Repair to the hydraulic system was limited to replacing a small section of metal tubing to make the brake system operational. The damaged control cables most likely were replaced as well. In this condition, and with its four engines operational, the airplane was flown 800 miles to Archerfield (in Brisbane) for more extensive repairs and removal of all of its heavy armament, for her conversion to transport