No. 71 Wing RAAF

No. 71 Wing RAAF
Tactical reconnaissance crews of No. 71 Wing being briefed at Tadji Airstrip in New Guinea, June 1945
Active	1943–46
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Attack
Size	Four–five flying squadrons
Part of	No. 9 Group (1943–44) No. 10 Group (1944) Northern Command (1944–45)
Engagements	World War II New Guinea campaign Battle of the Bismarck Sea Bombing of Rabaul Western New Guinea campaign Battle of Aitape Aitape–Wewak campaign
Commanders
Notable commanders	Ian McLachlan (1943) Blake Pelly (1943–44) Colin Hannah (1944) Val Hancock (1945)
Aircraft flown
Attack	Beaufort; Beaufighter
Fighter	P-40 Kittyhawk

No. 71 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wing of World War II. It was formed in February 1943 at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, as part of No. 9 Operational Group. The wing initially comprised two squadrons of P-40 Kittyhawks, one of Lockheed Hudsons, and one of Bristol Beauforts. The wing's mainstay soon became the Beaufort, which eventually equipped five squadrons attached to the formation. No. 71 Wing took part in the New Guinea campaign under the auspices of No. 9 Group, before transferring to No. 10 Operational Group for the Western New Guinea campaign during 1944. It then returned to the control of Northern Command (formerly No. 9 Group) to support Australian ground forces in the Aitape–Wewak campaign, and completed its final combat mission only hours before the Japanese surrender in August 1945. No. 71 Wing remained in New Guinea following the war and was disbanded in January 1946.