THE CATALINA FLYING BOAT IN AUSTRALIAN SERVICE DURING WWII

The Catalina flying boat shaped Pacific War operations, delivering strategic reach, rescue capabilities, and enduring sacrifice in Australian service. Catalinas had unique characteristics and were in the combat zone from the first day of the war to the last, serving in several key roles. From the earliest desperate weeks of the Pacific War, they served as bombers as one of the few with the range to strike the key Japanese base of Rabaul. They also monitored the enemy advance up to the Battle of the Coral Sea and paid a heavy price at the hands of Japanese fighters. Later made a major strategic contribution to the war by undertaking a successful minelaying campaign that ranged throughout the Netherlands East Indies and beyond as far as the Chinese coast. Fully illustrated.