3 Squadron RAAF - Maps

WORLD WAR l	DATES	DETAILS
	9 Sep 1917 to 12 Nov 1917	SAVY - ARRAS area - The Squadron provided army co-op support during this settling-in period ... The black pointer-tip shows where 3 Squadron's first airfield at SAVY was in relation to England (top left). Eighteen RE8s took 15 days to get to Savy from Lincoln in England; one RE8 went down on the way killing its two man crew. The red square represents the area that the Squadron reached 12 months later ... but after moving north to the Ypres area and later south .
SAVY is down here and the distance to BAILLEUL is about 30 air miles (48km) north east	12 Nov 1917 to 8 April 1918	The ARMENTIERES - YPRES Offensive (which followed the 3rd Battle of Ypres) ... From Savy, 3 Squadron moved north-east to the war-ravaged BAILLEUL and later (from 22 March 1918) to nearby ABEELE, only 8-10 miles from YPRES and 5-6 miles from ARMENTIERES ... both only a few miles from a very active front line. The Squadron's duty was to locate enemy artillery batteries and then to range-spot for army artillery; also to drop 25lb Cooper bombs on enemy front line strong points and to photograph enemy defences and trenches. During this time, BAILLEUL was shelled and bombed, several RE8s and their crews were lost but 8 or so enemy aircraft were destroyed.
ABEELE to POULAINVILLE was approx 70 air miles (112 km) south To fly from POULAINVILLE to HAMEL is about 12 + air miles (20km). In an RE8, that could be done in about 10 minutes but, by road, it could take half a day or more depending on conditions.	8 Apr 1918 to 6 Sep 1918	The Battles of HAMEL (4 Jul 1918) The Battle of AMIENS (8 Aug 1918) The SOMME Offensive (Aug 1918) The Squadron first moved south to POULAINVILLE from ABEELE and later formed a forward landing ground at GLISY. Air combats became daily affairs whilst RE8s carried out their photographic missions (over 90,000 prints taken), bombing and trench strafing, reconnaissance generally and troop and artillery spotting duties. They were at POULAINVILLE when the Red Baron went down near Corbie. On 4 May 1918, the Squadron moved 3.5 air miles (5.6km) north to VILLERS BOCAGE where they stayed for 4 months carrying out much the same duties as before. The RE8s were also used to create diversions and make noise to cover advancing troops and particularly tank forces. Dropping smoke bombs to screen advancing troops and dropping ammunition to fighting soldiers were other duties.
	3 Sep 1918 to 21 Sep 1918	The advance to the HINDENBURG LINE (5 Sep1918) The Squadron moved 16 air miles (26km) west to PROYART in preparation for the final thrust by the Allied forces to break through the enemy stronghold line.
	21 Sep 1918 to 28 Nov 1918	The Battle of THE RIVER SELLE ... Another move, approx 17 air miles (28km) west to BOUVINCOURT into an airfield evacuated by the German Air Force, allowed the Squadron to support the Allied armies in their storming of the main HINDENBURG LINE which they began to do on 29 Sep 1918. A second move, only a few miles away to BERNES on 6 Oct 1918, brought the front line even closer until, on 17 Oct 1918 they moved to PREMONT, about 13 air miles (21km) north-east. The war ended on 11 Nov 1918 whilst they were there.
WORLD WAR ll	DATES	HAPPENINGS
	Attack: 3 Nov 1940 to 2 Apr 1941 Retreat: 2 Apr 1941 to 12 Apr 1941	During the first LIBYAN Campaign, it took 5 months for the Squadron, and the 6th Division AIF forces they supported, to advance approx 400 air miles (700 km) westward as far as BENINA, from their starting point at GERAWLA. To get there, they occupied 9 airfields and their duties were to carry out bombing, reconnaissance, and air warfare in a succession of Lysanders, Gauntlets, Gladiators and Hurricanes . At the end of March and early April, the German-Italian forces forced the Allied armies into retreat. The Squadron's rapid retreat from BENINA to SIDI HANEISH was carried out in under 10 days in which they occupied 7 airstrips.
	3 May 1941 to 4 Sep 1941	This 4 month SYRIAN Campaign involved the Squadron, using Tomahawks now, supporting the 7th Division AIF against the Vichy French. Duties were air combat, bombing and strafing, often in mountainous country. After the Vichy surrendered on 12 Jul 1941, the Squadron provided air protection in the defence of Beirut. They returned to SIDI HANESH.
	4 Sep 1941 to 3 Aug 1942	Still using Tomahawks (until they were replaced by Kittyhawks in December 1941), the Squadron reached ANTELAT during the second LIBYAN Campaign. Beginning in January 1942, the enemy forced another retreat, this time to GAMBUT from where they operated for almost 4 months before again having to fall back beyond SIDI HANESH to EL DABA and later to AMARIYA (near EL ALAMEIN).
	20 Aug 1942 to 8 May 1943	The final TUNIS Campaign stage of the Squadron's war in the Middle East's North African deserts began just before the history-making, and deciding, Battle of EL ALAMEIN (23 October 1942) in which constant air support to the 8th Army was provided. From then, the enemy forces were on the run. During the next 6 months, an approx 1,300 air mile (2,200km) Allied advance , involving 20 airfield locations, ended when the Squadron finally reached KAIROUAN in TUNIS before they moved to ZUARA in anticipation of their next Campaign.
Click here to view James Oglethorp's re-creation of the circumstances surrounding 3 Squadron's P 51 Mustang action against Italian Me109Gs at Aviano in Northern Italy on 26 December 1944.	9 Jul 1943 to 31 Aug 1945	Now began the (almost) 26 month ITALIAN Campaign involving, firstly, short service stays in MALTA (10 days) and then in SICILY (approx 2 months) before the Squadron reached ITALY on 14 September 1943. Italy's cruel winter in 1944 made life difficult. The early months of this phase were fought using Kittyhawks but Mustangs began to arrive in November 1944. Duties of the fighter-bombers involved dropping 1,000 pounders and, later, attacking enemy forces as far as YUGOSLAVIA. They also participated in the famous Cassino campaign 15 landing grounds were occupied to cover the approx 250 air mile (400km) distance between GROTTAGLIE and CERVIA where the Squadron finished their war when Germany surrendered on 29 April 1945 finishing the war in Europe. In May they moved to LAVARIANO to clean up and await return to Australia.