| No. 30 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1943-1944 |
| Country |  New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Branch |  Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Role | bomber |
| Motto | Kai-Takitaki |
| Equipment | Grumman TBF Avenger |
| Battle honours | |
No. 30 Squadron RNZAF was aNew Zealand lightbomber squadron which saw service against theJapanese in thePacific Theatre during the last two years of theSecond World War.
No.30 Squadron formed on 28 May 1943, being stood up at RNZAF StationGisborne as an amalgamation of airmen fromNo. 7 Squadron RNZAF andNo. 8 Squadron RNZAF, which had been disbanded following the withdrawal of theVickers Vildebeest aircraft from service.Flight lieutenant Fred Adams temporarily held command of the Squadron until the following month whenSquadron leader Richard Hartshorn took command of the unit.[1] For the first few months the squadron operatedNorth American T-6 Texans andVickers Vincent aircraft inherited from No.8 Squadron, although would later equip withGrumman TBF AvengerTorpedo bombers.
In 1944 the Squadron, equipped with Avengers, deployed toLuganville Airfield onEspiritu Santo island in thePacific for operational training withUS Navy andUSMC units. At this point in the war the need for dedicated torpedo bombers had died down and the 30 Squadron aircrews mainly focused on other forms ofanti-ship warfare includingdive bombing.
By March 1944 the Squadron had deployed further up North toBougainville,Papua New Guinea in order to take part in operations againstJapanese forces in thePacific Theater. 30 Squadron ground crews arrived at their base on Bougainville,Empress Augusta Bay by 15 March and spent the first week unloading their equipment and improving the base. The Avenger aircraft arrived at the base shortly after, at the base they were also joined byNo. 25 Squadron RNZAF flyingSBD Dauntless dive bombers.
Shortly after the Squadron started flying operational sorties against Japanese forces from the Island. On 26 March 30 Squadron Avenger's took part in the attack on the Japanese ownedKavieng Airport,New Ireland, alongside American forces.[2]
Until May 1944 the Squadron flew 573 combat sorties against the Japanese forces, losing three aircrews over the course of their deployment. The Squadron was relieved by Avengers and crew fromNo. 31 Squadron RNZAF and returned toNew Zealand before disbanding in July 1944.[3]
A 30 Squadron Grumman Avenger is preserved by the Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society.