No . 73 Wing RAAF No . 73 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) wing of World War II . It was formed in February 1943 at Port Moresby , Papua New Guinea , as part of No . 9 Operational Group . The wing initially comprised three attack squadrons flying CAC Wirraway s , Douglas Bostons , and Bristol Beaufighter s , with which it took part in the New Guinea campaign until mid - year . It was then reorganised with three fighter squadrons operating P - 40 Kittyhawks and Supermarine Spitfire s ; in this form it saw action in the New Britain and Admiralty Islands campaign s through 1943 – 44 . The wing was disbanded at Los Negros in August 1944 , and by the beginning of 1945 its squadrons had been absorbed into other RAAF wings under No . 10 Operational Group ( later the Australian First Tactical Air Force ) . History . New Guinea campaign . No . 73 Wing was formed in February 1943 , consisting of No . 4 Squadron ( flying CAC Wirraway s ) , No . 22 Squadron ( Douglas Bostons ) and No . 30 Squadron ( Bristol Beaufighter s ) . Based at Port Moresby , Papua New Guinea , the wing was under the control of No . 9 Operational Group , the RAAF ' s " premier fighting unit " in the South West Pacific Area ( SWPA ) , whose purpose was to act as a mobile strike force in support of advancing Allied troops . In March , the wing ' s units participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea , " the decisive aerial engagement " in the SWPA according to General Douglas MacArthur , that resulted in twelve ships from a Japanese convoy being sunk . During this engagement , some of No . 22 Squadron ' s Bostons struck Lae airfield to prevent Japanese fighters taking off to intercept Allied bombers , while others took part in the actual assault on the convoy ; No . 30 Squadron ' s Beaufighters launched " withering " low - level cannon and machine - gun attacks on the Japanese ships to suppress anti - aircraft fire prior to bombing runs by USAAF B - 25 Mitchells . Flight Lieutenant Bill Newton , one of the Boston pilots who attacked Lae , was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for pressing home bombing missions against Salamaua later that month , in spite of severe damage to his aircraft . Having earlier been led by Wing Commander Blake Pelly , by June 1943 No . 73 Wing was under the command of Group Captain Ian McLachlan . That month , McLachlan established his headquarters at Goodenough Island , where the wing was reorganised as a fighter formation consisting of No . 76 Squadron ( flying P - 40 Kittyhawks ) , No . 77 Squadron ( Kittyhawks ) and No . 79 Squadron ( Spitfires ) . As well as providing local air defence , and fighter escort for Australian bombers , the Kittyhawks were themselves armed with incendiary and general - purpose bombs so that they could engage in ground attack missions , a practice that had already been employed by Commonwealth forces in the Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre . In August , the wing transferred to Kiriwina , while No . 9 Group ' s other combat formation , No . 71 Wing , took over responsibility for Goodenough . Transport delays meant that No . 77 Squadron remained at Goodenough , however , and its place in No . 73 Wing at Kiriwina was taken by No . 78 Squadron , which arrived from Australia in November , also equipped with Kittyhawks . New Britain and Admiralty Islands campaigns . Wing Commander Gordon Steege assumed command of No . 73 Wing in October 1943 . Minimal offensive air activity by the Japanese meant that No . 79 Squadron ' s Spitfires saw relatively little action , while in contrast the wing ' s P - 40s with their ground attack capability were " fully engaged " . As part of the build - up to the Battle of Arawe in December , the Kittyhawks launched a series of attacks on the Gasmata airfield and fuel dumps ; on the day of the Allied landings , as No . 76 Squadron Kittyhawks patrolled above the beaches , the Spitfires remained at Kiriwina in case of strikes by Japanese raiders , though none came . In January 1944 , the wing ' s Spitfires and Kittyhawks accompanied Beauforts on the two largest raids mounted by the RAAF to that time , each involving over 70 aircraft attacking enemy camps and depots at Lindenhafen , New Britain . As part of No . 9 Group ' s contribution to the Admiralty Islands campaign , No . 73 Wing took up garrison duties at Los Negros commencing in March 1944 . Its complement of combat squadrons was again Nos . 76 , 77 and 79 Squadrons , supported by No . 49 Operational Base Unit , No . 114 Mobile Fighter Sector , No . 27 Air Stores Park and No . 26 Medical Clearing Station , among other ancillaries , with total ground staff numbering approximately 900 . The fighters ' primary duty was providing air cover for Allied shipping ; they also carried out bomber escort , ground attack and anti - shipping missions in the region . In mid - April , the wing escorted the largest Allied convoy in the South - West Pacific to that date , 80 ships carrying 30 , 000 personnel , from Finschhafen to Aitape . Completing its garrison work in the Admiralties that June , No . 73 Wing was disbanded at Los Negros on 29 August 1944 . Its combat units were all eventually transferred to other formations under No . 10 Operational Group ( later renamed the Australian First Tactical Air Force ) . Nos . 76 and 77 Squadrons joined another Kittyhawk unit , No . 82 Squadron , at No . 81 Wing on Noemfoor under Steege ' s command , while No . 79 Squadron was withdrawn to Darwin in November to re - equip with new Spitfires before joining No . 80 Wing and returning to the Pacific at Morotai in March 1945 .