Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Two-seat dive-bomber

Power Plant:

One 1,268 kw (1,700 hp) Wright GR-2600-A5B fourteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

Six forward firing 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns in the wings; provision to carry a maximum bomb load of 907 kg (2,000 lb)

History:

The Vultee V-72 Vengeance was designed specifically for use as a dive-bomber in close support of army operations, and was purchased in large numbers for the RAF.  Production, which ceased in September 1944, totalled 1,528 aircraft, of which 1,205 were delivered to the RAF. The type was not often flown in the combat role with the American services, being found to be wanting in this regard, and it was mainly used for target-towing duties.

In August 1940 the Department of Air in Australia notified the Aircraft Production Commission that 243 aircraft of this type were required in the general-purpose role.  At this time 700 Vengeances were on order for the RAF and representations were made to the British Air Mission to divert some of these aircraft to Australia.  The type was built at both the Vultee and Northrop plants.  Although not used as a dive-bomber in the European Theatre due to their vulnerability to fighter opposition, they were very effective in this role in India and Burma in the hands of the RAF, and those that reached the United Kingdom were used as target tugs.

Approval was granted to transfer part of the British production order, and initial deliveries to Australia were made on 30 May 1942.  As aircraft arrived they were assembled at Bankstown, NSW, and Laverton, VIC, with a conversion flight being formed at Mildura, VIC. In December 1942 the type was allotted to No 12 Squadron, followed by Nos 21, 23, 24 and 25 Squadrons, and No 4 Operational Training Unit at Williamtown, NSW.  The last aircraft was received by the RAAF on 25 May 1944.  In addition Nos 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Communications units operated the type.

First dive-bombing raid by the type in RAAF service occurred on 18 June 1943. The Vengeance saw service in New Guinea with the RAAF, the type having up to that stage been engaged in anti-submarine patrol and escort duties. No 24 Squadron was the first to fly operationally on 17 January 1944, two more unts joining oeratoions on 18 February 1944.

On 26 February 1944 36 Vengeances, 12 each from Nos 21, 23 and 24 Squadrons atttacked Japanese forces at Alexishafen and Madang, the same operations being repeated by a total of 33 aircraft on 28 February 1944. Further operations were carried out on enemy forces in the Alexishafen area following landings at Hollandia.  Reports were Japanese forces suffered considerable casualties, including large numbers of Japanese aircraft being destroyed on the ground.

After 15 days of operations General MacArthur of the Amerian Army on 8 March 1944 ordered the Vengeance units be returned to Australia as he considered the airfields from which they were operating could be better used by Squadrons operating Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, Bristol Beaufighters, Douglas Bostons and Bristol Beauforts, these aircrft having a greater bomb load and greater range

Subsquently the type was used for coastal partrol in Australia, and a number were converted for the target-towing role.  At least one was attached to No 1 Aircraft Performance Unit (APU) for some testing.  A number were taken to ‘HMAS Albatross’, the RAN base at Nowra, NSW, where they were used for pilot taxiing trials and eventually used for fire fighting training.

A total of 342 Vengeances was taken on charge by the RAAF.  The first two variants received, the Mk IA and the MK II, differed in the type of fuel tanks and bomb carriers fitted.  Also, the Mk IA had an R-2600-19 engine, whereas the Mk II had the GR-2600-A5B engine.  Hamilton Hydromatic propellers of 3.7 m (12 ft) diameter were used in both models. The next variant received, the Mk IV with the Wright R-2600-13 engine, had the wing incidence changed to +4 degrees compared with the previous models 0 degrees.

Vengeances supplied to the RAAF were: Mk IA A27-1 to A27-99 (USAF designation A-31-NO);  Mk II A27-200 to A27-257;  Mk IIA A27-258 to A27-321;  Mk IVA A27-400 to A27-422 (A-35A-VN);  Mk IV A27-500 to A27-549 (A35B-5-VN);  Mk IVA A27-560 to A27-566 (A-35B-10-VN);  and Mk IV A27-600 to A27-640 (A-35B-15-VN).

No 12 Squadron RAAF equipped with the Vengeance was tasked in July 1943 to proceed to Merauke in the Dutch East Indies, the support staff and equipment having already departed by ship with the aircraft to follow later.  The 16 aircraft with two Douglas C-47s as escort flew to Cooktown from Batchelor via Cloncurry and Townsville, QLD.  However, at that stage facilities at Merauke had not been completed and the fleet was tasked to carry out anti-submarine patrols and convoy protection for ships proceeding with equipment to New Guinea.  The crews managed to extend endurance up to four hours by leaning the fuel mixture.  The unit was also involved in training, transporting supplies and formation flying training.  During patrols over the sea the aircraft were equipped with four bombs or depth charges.  Two were lost on operations, one south of Port Douglas and another on Ruby Reef, both in Queensland.

After the war the type was withdrawn from service and most survivors were broken up, but others were used for fire-fighting practice at airports, such as Nowra, NSW.  As mentioned, a number of Vengeances were allotted to the RAN, records indicating 16 were supplied between April 1948 and April 1951.  It seems 12 RAAF aircraft were supplied to the Royal Navy in Australia in 1945-1946, these being allocated from aircraft at 3 AD at Amberley, QLD but not all were issued as they were not required after VJ Day.

One Vengeance A27-612 was modified in 1945 by No 1 APU for the Royal Navy for spraying DDT insecticide.  This involved the installation of two underwing drop tanks and a bomb-bay auxiliary tank (totalling 1,364 litres – 300 Imp gals) of Malariol (DDT in oil solution).

In 1944 six Vengeance Is of No 21 Squadron, RAAF, operating from Camden, NSW were painted in Luftwaffe markings, being used to represent Junkers JU-87 ‘Stuka” dive-bombers in the film “Rats of Tobruk”, the film being directed by Charles Chauvel and starring actors Chips Rafferty and Peter Finch.  Also used in the film were a number of Australian-designed-and-built Sentinel tanks which were painted in the markings of the German Vermacht. These aircraft remained in their military markings of No 21 Squadron and were never issued with civil aircraft registrations.

Two Vengeance aircraft have survived in this region and the major components of another were recovered in the United States in 2003. These are the only examples of the type known to exist.  EZ999, which was allotted the RAAF serial A27-99, a Vengeance IA, was the last Mk I built by Northrop Aircraft Inc.  For some years after retirement from RAAF service it was used by the Sydney Technical College School of Aircraft Engineering for apprentice training.  Eventually it was removed to the Camden Museum of Aviation at Camden, later Narellan, NSW, where it is on display, the engine being run occasionally.

The other Vengeance is a Mk IV (serial AF529).  Allotted the RAAF serial A27-247 this machine was in storage in Western Australia for many years.  At one stage it was thought it would be restored for static display at the Bull Creek Air Force Association Museum, WA but in later years it was stored at the Whaleworld Museum at Albany, WA, along with the fuselage of A27-41.  However, in 2004 it was offered for sale.

In mid 2004 the Vengeance was obtained by Precision Aerospace of Wangaratta, VIC, for eventual restoration to airworthiness, to be operated by its subsidiary, the Pacific Fighter Collection, and work commenced on its restoration at Wangaratta.  However, the facility at Wangaratta closed down for a period and the aircraft in the hangar, along with a number of other types, were moved to other facilities in 2015, a couple being shipped to Ardmore in New Zealand for completion.

In early 2017 a magazine advertisement sought expressions of interest to be involved in an initiative to restore the only two viable Vengeance projects to flying condition, one of the projects being made available for sale and restoration, work on the project to commence in mid-2017.