Glimpse of the RAAF Meteorological Service
Preface
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Growing Up
Chapter 2: Port Moresby Before Pearl Harbour
Chapter 3: Port Moresby After Pearl Harbour
Chapter 4: Allied Air Force HQ and RAAF Command, Brisbane
General Douglas MacArthur
We Join Allied Air Headquarters, Brisbane
Ralph Holmes
Forecasting Procedure
WAAAFs and Other Staff
Briefing MacArthur & Co
Domestic Affairs
The Yanks Are Coming
Japanese Advance Across Owen Stanley Range
General George C. Kenney
Additional Staff
Staff Arrangements
Long Range Forecast
Investigations into Tropical Meteorology
Radiosondes
Analysis Statements
MacArthur's Remarkable Strategy
A New Direction
Tropical Weather Research Bulletin
RAAF Command, Pat Squires and Henry Phillpot
Chapter 5: Japan Surrenders and We Are Demobilised
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Appendix 1: References
Appendix 2: Milestones
Appendix 3: Papers Published in Tropical Weather Research Bulletins
Appendix 4: Radiosonde Observations 1941–46
Index
Search
Help
Contact us
MacArthur's Remarkable Strategy (continued)
He assembled a considerable armada of troop transports and naval vessels in the Admiralty Islands, and having neutralised Japanese forces in Rabaul, was present with the invasion fleet aboard the cruiser USS Nashville when Allied forces landed in Hollandia on 22 April 1944, taking the Japanese completely by surprise.MacArthur had a large, elaborate headquarters building erected near Hollandia with living quarters for himself and senior staff officers. He moved his centre of operations to this site in mid-1944 and our association with Allied Air Headquarters terminated. We had had a stimulating and exciting experience in providing meteorological advice to General MacArthur, General Kenney and other members of MacArthur's headquarters staff. We felt that we had provided meteorological information which had been useful for the determination of strategy for the war in the South-west Pacific Area.
A New Direction
With the transfer of MacArthur's headquarters to Hollandia in mid-1944 it was clear that the further advance to the Philippines and beyond would be mainly an American operation. There was a major involvement of the Royal Australian Navy, particularly in waters around the Philippines, and there were other Australian involvements, such as RAAF Catalina mine-laying operations, but from that time the emphasis of RAAF and AIF activities was on the engagement of the Japanese forces in the islands immediately to the north and north-east of Australia.The role of our office changed with the departure of MacArthur's headquarters. After about two years involvement with Allied Air Headquarters and General Kenney we now concentrated on the preparation of analysis statements for transmission to field stations and the investigation of problems in tropical meteorology.
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© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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