Conference Paper

Author

Peake, Owen

Title

Black Cats - Catalina flying boats in Australian service

In

19th Australasian engineering heritage conference: putting water to work: steam power, river navigation and water supply

Editors

Engineers Australia and Engineering Heritage Australia

Imprint

Engineering Heritage Australia, Barton, Australian Capital Territory, 2017, pp. 349-372

ISBN/ISSN

9781922107923

Url

https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.385099007999940

Subject

Chronological Classification 1901- Applied Sciences Engineering and Technology

Abstract

The Catalina flying boat was considered to be somewhat of a compromise when it was selected for service by many air forces and navies at the beginning of World War II. However, in service it proved to be tough, dependable and versatile.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) made an early decision to buy the Catalina. The first batch was ordered in August 1940 and delivered between February and October 1941. The RAAF eventually acquired 168 Catalinas and formed four squadrons, several air sea rescue flights and some ancillary units. They were retired soon after the end of the War and most were disposed into civilian service.

During the War most of the Catalinas served in the Islands to the north of Australia, operating from bases in Queensland and the Northern Territory and later from forward bases as the tide turned. The Catalinas were a menace to the Japanese, as their primary role was the mining of harbours where Japanese forward bases were located. They also dropped bombs and torpedos, carried out reconnaissance, supplied troops operating behind enemy lines and performed air sea rescue services for Allied crews.

The greatest operational feature of the Catalina was its extreme range with an endurance up to 31 hours flying time, depending on the load carried.

There was always concern that the aircraft was particularly vulnerable to enemy attack as it was slow, not highly manoeuvrable and not heavily armed with defensive weapons. Most of the Australian aircraft were painted matt black which made them very difficult to see on their typical 'night raider' sortie. This is why they were called the Black Cats.

I have a strong personal connection to the Catalinas as my father served in the RAAF as a Flight Engineer in Catalinas during the latter part of World War II. His two younger brothers were also in Catalinas. The three brothers are now all dead but in their later lives they did start to talk to me about their exploits with the Black Cats.

Source

cohn 2018

Related Published resources

isPartOf

• 19th Australasian engineering heritage conference: putting water to work: steam power, river navigation and water supply edited by Engineers Australia and Engineering Heritage Australia (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Engineers Australia, 2017), 536 pp. Details