Armament:

Six 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Colt-Browning machine-guns in nose with 350 rounds per gun; two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-guns with 400 rounds per gun in Martin power-operated dorsal turret; one 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-gun with 400 rounds in ventral tunnel; max internal bomb load 907 kg (2,000 lb); max external bomb load 907 kg (2,000 lb)

History:

In 1936 the Californian El Segundo Division of the Douglas Aircraft Company designed a new attack bomber known as the Model 7A. However, this design did not proceed far and Ed Heinemann, Chief Engineer, commenced re-design in 1938 as the Model 7B, powered by two Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines. In February 1939 a French Purchasing Commission ordered the type for the Armee de l’Air but it required so many modifications to meet requirements that virtually a new model, the DB-7, resulted.

The production prototype was flown for the first time on 17 August 1939 and shipments to French units in North Africa and southern France commenced, but only 64 aircraft had been delivered by May 1940.

To meet requirements for increased load-carrying ability, etc, the DB-7A appeared, this being fitted with Wright R-2600 engines. However, due to the fall of France and Belgium to German forces, aircraft being built for those countries which had not been delivered, were then delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF). In RAF service the various models became known as the Boston I, II, III, IIIA, and IV. When used as a night fighter the glass nose was made solid, machine-guns were fitted, and a radar unit was installed, the type then becoming known as the Havoc. On a number of aircraft a 2,700 million candlepower searchlight was fitted to light up enemy aircraft so an accompanying fighter could despatch the victim.

The series underwent much development during the war to meet a variety of needs, and various armaments were fitted, such as belly-packs with four 20 mm cannon. As well, experiments were carried out with armament installations including turrets and remotely controlled machine-guns at the rear of each engine nacelle, as were fitted to the Australian designed CA-4 and CA-11 Woomera. In 1943 a number aircraft were converted to become the P-70A night fighter, having six 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-guns and a radar unit in the nose. As development continued, new designations were allotted through A-20B, A-20C, A20-G, A20-H, A20-J and A20-K.

Between 1938 and October 1944, 7,478 examples of the series were built by Douglas and Boeing, of which 3,600 were supplied to the Soviet Union. Remembered as a pilot’s aeroplane, the controls were described as crisp and light, and the cockpit layout and control systems were tidy and rational. The only disadvantage was that the aircraft had to be pulled off the runway on take-off at 177 km/h (110 mph) and held firmly in the air.

During World War II 69 Bostons saw service with the RAAF. These were A28-1 to A28-22 (Model DB-7B); A28-23 to A28-31 (Model A-20C-5-DO); A28-32 to A28-40 (Model A-20A-DO); A28-50 to A28-65 (Model A20-G-40-DO); A28-66 to A28-68 (Model A20-G-45-DO); A28-69 to A28-74 (Model A-20G-10-DO); A28-75 to A28-77 (Model A20-G-45-DO); and A28-78 (Model A20-J-20-DO). Serials A28-41 to A28-49 were not allocated.

In October 1941 the Netherlands Government in exile ordered 48 modified Douglas DB-7Bs for the NEI as DB-7Cs, these having interchangeable noses for bombing or gunnery. Some were delivered to the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) but only one was removed from its transport crate – this later being made airworthy by the Japanese and flown to Japan – the others being destroyed in situ by retreating Dutch personnel.

Others Bostons which were on their way, by way of five ships with a total of 22 aircraft on board, were diverted at sea to Australia, where they were assembled. It is interesting to note the Australian Bostons fell into two distinct groups, those that arrived in the refugee ships after the fall of the NEI, and those supplied from United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) stocks. It seems these aircraft were all originally ordered by France and, on the fall of France, the order was transferred to Great Britain, and then diverted to fill other orders. This batch was built under licence by Boeing.

Four Bostons were allotted to No 18 (NEIAF])Squadron in Australia pending the arrival of North American B-25 Mitchells which had been approved to be supplied to the unit by the United States Government. The first Boston was taken on charge on 12 June 1942 and painted in Dutch Air Force markings. However, these aircraft were soon replaced by the B-25s when they arrived and the Bostons were handed over to the US 5th Air Force. It seems three aircraft were operated, being serials 45 (ex 40-077), 15 (ex 40-082) and 22 (ex 40-010). Another aircraft 40-155 does not seem to have been delivered.

Initial problems operating the type included the instruments being in Dutch writing, and No 22 (City of Sydney) Squadron, which was chosen to operate them, had been operating Hawker Demon single-engine biplanes, with few pilots having twin-engine experience. It was thus necessary for the unit to undergo extensive working-up exercises before proceeding into action. This involved formation practice, air-combat with USAAC B-25 Mitchells, gunnery and bombing trials near Amberley, QLD flights between Townsville, QLD  and Melbourne, VIC and anti-submarine patrols along the coastline. Eventually the unit flew via Cooktown, QLD and Horn Island to Wards Strip at Port Moresby, PNG on 10 November 1942 and commenced armed reconnaissance operations over Buna.

No 22 Squadron was formed at Richmond, NSW in 1936 with the Hawker Demon, and was re-equipped with the Boston in April 1942. It became part of No 9 Operational Group, which comprised seven squadrons. It commenced operations from Moratai in Indonesia, completing 137 bombing missions in the first year, and eventually ended up carrying out 574 sorties, dropping 317,520 kg (700,000 lb) of bombs. In November 1944 the unit lost most of its aircraft when its home base at Moratai was attacked by Japanese aircraft, eighty being destroyed on the ground by bombing and strafing.

There were a few problems with the Boston, three being lost on 10, 26 and 29 November, 1942 (A8-12, A8-22 and A8-20), initially put down to enemy anti-aircraft fire. However, it was found that, when carrying 9 kg (20 lb) bombs, when the bomb load was dropped the light bombs in a cluster were not dropping clear and hit the aircraft causing the bombs to detonate, thus destroying the aircraft. One aircraft (A28-9 – code DU-K – ‘She’s Apples’) survived 186 operational sorties.

Some of No 22 Squadrons operations became known as ‘Boston Tea Parties’. It was in a Boston (A28-3 – code DU-Y) on 18 March 1943 that Flight Lieutenant W E Newton and his crew crashed in the sea off Salamaua, PNG after being hit by flak. The crew survived but Newton was executed by Japanese troops. He was subsequently awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross (VC).

In May 1942 a batch of Douglas A-20s arrived in Australia and were assigned to the 3rd Attack Group of the USAAF. These were second-hand aircraft which had seen a lot of use in training exercises and were without armament. At Amberley, QLD, they were extensively overhauled, 2,046 litre (450 gal) fuel tanks were fitted to the forward bomb bay, and forward firing armament was increased from four 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine-guns by fitting a further four 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-guns.

The Douglas A-20s were initially assigned to the 89th Bomb Squadron and at Charters Towers, QLD they were modified to take 9 kg (20 lb) parachute-retarded fragmentation bombs.

On 17 August 1942 an advance part of the American unit left Townsville for Port Moresby and took up residence at 3 mile strip. On 31 August 1942 13 aircraft from the unit made a strike on Lae, PNG. On 4 September nine A-20s from this unit, escorted by 11 Bell P-39 Aircobras, bombed and strafed Japanese forces at Myola, PNG; and on 6 September nine A-20s dropped fragmentation bombs and used 20,000 rounds in strafing runs.

In the United States a few A-20s were converted to civil use after World War II, at least four being destined in 1948 for the Israel Air Force. Eight were rescued from a scrap yard by Howard Hughes Jnr for restoration to join his fleet of airliners, and two are known to have been registered. These A-20Gs were obtained from Kingman in Arizona, and Arizona (later Chino) in California, together with 60 engines. They were flown to Hughes Airport in Culver City, California for conversion, this including the addition of six small windows in the fuselage.

The first converted to fast transport was NX34920, later NL34920 (ex 43-22197), being used for many years until July 1974 when it was donated to the Antelope Valley Air Museum at Lancaster, California. It eventually ended up with the Fantasy of Flight Collection at Polk City in Florida. The second aircraft was 43-22217, which was converted to three-seat configuration as NX63148 (later NL63148), which became a chase plane for testing other aircraft and a test-bed. It was eventually lost when it ran out of fuel and crashed into the Gulf of California.

In February 1945 twelve were returned from the RAAF to the USAAF, but most of the other survivors were scrapped. One A28-39, an A-20A, survived until 1949 as an instructional airframe. Since 1984 the airframe of one Boston RAAF A28-8 (code DU-J – ‘Jessica’ ex AL907 [ntu]) was recovered from Vivigani strip on Goodenough Island where it had been abandoned after it crashed. It was shipped to Australia on board ‘HMAS Tobruk’ and was partly restored at RAAF Wagga Wagga, NSW before being completed at RAAF Amberley, QLD. After completion it was placed on display at the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, VIC.

Nine Havoc wrecks (serials 42-86786, 43-9436, 43-9628, 43-9629, 42-86772, 42-86615, 42-86616, 43-9401, 43-9491) were also recovered to be used in the restoration and perhaps to be used in other restoratons. The Boston A28-8 was ex-RAAF and the other aircraft ex-USAAF. A28-8, an A-20C, was damaged by gunfire, the undercarriage collapsed landing at Goodenough Island, and the aircraft was written off.

An A-20G Havoc (42-86786 – ‘The Hell’n Pelican 2′), which made a forced landing near the Gogol River in the Madang Province on 16 April 1944, was flown by the 388th Bombardment Squadron of the USAAC. It has been restored for the New Guinea Government but has remained in Australia at RAAF Amberley pending the completion of a suitable museum to house it.

One of the other A-20Gs (43-9436 – ‘BigNig’) was used in the restoration of the other aircraft at Amberley. It later found its way to Wangaratta, VIC where it was to be restored for the RAF Museum at Hendon in Greater London as part of an exchange agreement. This agreement fell through and in 2018 the aircraft, in its partially restored state, was shipped to the Pima Air Museum in Arizona, USA where it has been restored for display.

The remains of the other aircraft were stored for eventual exchange with other museums. In 2004 it was announced a company at Wangaratta had obtained some of the wrecks and was proposing, in the long-term, to use these in the construction of at least one airworthy Boston. It is known at one stage an A-20G (43-21627) was recovered from New Guinea and conveyed to the United States where it has been placed in storage at the Pima Air Museum.

In April 2007 an A-20J (c/n 21844 – ex 43-21709) built at Santa Monica, California was obtained by a Queensland collector, Steven Searle, who was importing it to join his collection of aircraft at Wirraway Station near Beaudesert, QLD. This aircraft was converted for civil use in 1945 as NX34920 and was one of five acquired by the Hughes Tool Company. It was said to have been flown on occasions by Howard Hughes. It later became NL34920. It resided in museums from 1957 to 1973 and in later years was restored to airworthy condition, the Wright R-2600-23 engines being replaced with R-2600-8s. Work in the United States was performed before it was to be imported, including the installation of a Martin dorsal turret and other modifications to return it to military standard. This restoration work involved it being rebuilt as an A-20G by Aero Trader at Chino Airport, California.

However, following the sudden death of the collector the aircraft was not imported and was sold in the United States, becoming N3WF. The aircraft later became N747HS and was painted in the markings of the 312th Bomb Group, USAAF. It made its first post restoration flight at Chino on 15 July 2015. By 2017 the aircraft was based in San Antonio, Texas with Lewis Air Legends and was flown to the 2017 Experimental Aircraft Association event at Oshkosh in Wisconsin where it received an award for the Grand Champion World War II aircraft.