... during the Battle of Ngakyedauk Pass ...two Vengeance squadrons flew no less that 269 sorties in just over a week in tactical support of ground forces holding this position. Up to 50 sorties were mounted a day, with a maximum of two dozen aircraft on some targets. But most attacks were made by boxes of six diving from 8000 ft at 320 mph and pulling out around 2000 ft.
... 19 March 1944 ... enemy artillery batteries on Hill 1301, which were holding up the advance of Allied troops who were within 200 yards of the target, 'hence precision bombing was required to destroy this strong gun position'. The mission was led by Squadron Leader Prasad with six aircraft. They attacked at 1130 in a steep dive from 9000 ft down to 2000 ft with 6000 lb of GPTI bombs. Direct hits on the guns were scored by Prasad himself and Warrant Officer Lamb. The remaining bombs burst in a close concentration within 30 yards all round.
... the third mission this day saw all 12 aircraft, led by Squadron Leader Prasad and Curtis in two boxes, attacking PT162 once more. Prasad again made a perfect approach and dived from 8000 ft ...
'We went on operations immediately,' said Hugh Seton with 8 Squadron ... 'Dives were usually commenced at 10,000 ft to 12,000 ft above the target, with release of the bombs and immediate pull-out usually made at about 3500 ft. ...'
... the mission was to cut Japanese lines of communications at Apakuwa ... at 1535 they tipped over into the steep attack dive from 9000 ft down to 2000 ft at 300 mph.
... next day another six-plane attack was mounted against buildings thought to be a Japanese HQ on the northern side at the foot of a hill at Point PN3030. Twelve 500 lb bombs were dropped in steep dives from 11,000 ft down to 2000 ft ...
The target was a Japanese forward position at Point 124. The weather was good, slightly hazy, and the leader and his vic attacked at 1710, as specified by the Army, in a north to south run and was then followed by the second vic on south to north-west steep dives from 10,000 ft down to 2500 ft at 310 mph ...
... on the last day of the year a similar attack was mounted against buildings at Kanwa and Linfu with dives from 11,000 ft down to 3000 ft.
'... we usually went into our dive at about 10,000 to 12,000 ft at an angle of 75 degrees plus, reaching a speed of about 350 mph with our dive brakes out and then retracting our brakes after dropping bombs and pulling out at about 3000 ft. ...'
' ... I can remember greying out. You went from 10,000 ft to 2,000 ft; it seemed like a long time. Four or five seconds hanging on the brakes, but it seemed like a long time and you wondered if you were going to come out of it.'
'The high dive-bombing phase from 12,000 ft was, however, not without incidents. The only hands usually approached the target, rolled over and down on the target and selected dive brakes out in a well coordinated operation. The difficult part was to judge the release of the bomb and the pull-out from the dive. Here the old hands counted to themselves on the way down at 300 knots, released the bomb, broke the dive at about 2000 ft, and, at an angle of about 60 degrees to the ground, selected dive brakes in, and escaped at high speed at ground level.'
'I commenced each dive from about 12,000 ft, releasing my bombs between 2000 and 3000 ft.'
