No. 6 Squadron
Role
Based at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley, No. 6 Squadron's mission is to deliver combat air power. Its primary role has been the training of aircrew in their basic conversion and upgrade to Combat Ready status and the Fighter Combat Instructor course.
Aircraft
No. 6 Squadron operates the F/A-18F Super Hornet.
Recent Operations
Based at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley, No. 6 Squadron's mission is to deliver combat air power. Its primary role has been the training of aircrew in their basic conversion and upgrade to Combat Ready status and the Fighter Combat Instructor course.
History
No. 6 Squadron was formed at Parkhouse, England, on 15 June 1917 as a part of the Australian Flying Corps. It was established as a training squadron for the four operational squadrons on the Western Front, which had outstripped the ability of the Army's Central Flying School at Point Cook to supply trained airmen. It was originally identified as No. 30 (Australian Training) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, but was renamed, along with all of the Australian squadrons, in January 1918.
The squadron's principal role during World War I was to prepare personnel for service with what was at first No. 68 (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, and subsequently No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, which was operating with British forces over the Western Front. The squadron relocated several times within the United Kingdom until it was disbanded in March 1919.
No. 6 Squadron was reformed on 1 January 1939. With the outbreak of World War II, No. 6 Squadron began flying anti-submarine and general reconnaissance patrols off the east coast of Australia with Avro Anson aircraft and then, from April 1940, Hudson aircraft based at RAAF Base Richmond.
In August 1942, No. 6 Squadron deployed to Milne Bay to provide reconnaissance and bomber support in defence of the Australian garrison. During the Japanese invasion of Milne Bay, No. 6 Squadron crews flew constant bombing and strafing missions against troop positions, landing barges and ships. These attacks, which complemented those of two RAAF Kittyhawk squadrons, were particularly damaging and resulted in considerable losses to the enemy.
Based at Port Moresby, No. 1 Squadron also began to drop vital supplies to Australian troops fighting their way along the infamous Kokoda Trail. Although not an ideal aircraft for this task, tonnes of supplies were delivered under extremely hazardous conditions. By November 1942, the entire unit was based at Milne Bay, from where reconnaissance and attack missions continued.
In August 1943, the Australian-built Beaufort replaced the Hudsons and three months later No. 6 Squadron moved to Goodenough Island, off Papua New Guinea, to conduct many night strikes against the Japanese citadel at Rabaul.
In December 1944, the squadron moved to Dobodura on the New Guinea mainland to fly strikes and supply-dropping missions in support of Australian troops throughout New Guinea. After returning to Australia at the end of the war, in late 1945, No. 6 Squadron disbanded after over six years of continuous operational service, including nearly 4000 operational sorties.
On 23 February 1948, No. 6 Squadron was reformed at RAAF Base Amberley equipped with Lincoln bombers and provided training for Nos 1 and 2 Squadron's aircrews throughout the 1950s. During this period, the Lincolns participated in the British atomic bomb tests at Maralinga, before being replaced with Canberra jet bombers in 1955.
From 1970, No. 6 Squadron operated F-4 Phantoms on lease from the United States Air Force, while awaiting for the F-111 to become operational in 1973.
From 1982 until 1987, No. 6 Squadron also operated Learjets in the photo survey role.
No. 6 Squadron's Battle Honours
- Pacific 1941–45
- New Guinea 1942–44
- Moresby 1942
- Milne Bay
- Bismark Sea
- New Britain 1943
