99hrs in a M600

[Old Koreelah]

On 04/06/2021 at 4:05 PM, poteroo said:

 

That's almost certainly no exaggeration as all 3 of the Milne Bay airstrips align with the Bay N & S coasts for the reason that there isn't enough 'flat' land at the head of the Bay which would allow N - S direction takeoffs...

 

The runway was totally 'Marsden' matting in the 60's, but had sunken in places, and made the most frightening rattle under the aircraft. I always had visions of those steel sheets unhooking, and ripping the tyres to shreds. Happily, they stayed locked up - just as the Allied airstrip builders originally fitted them in 1942.  The weather in the Milne Bay area is usually atrocious - low ceilings, rains every day, and that hasn't changed in the interim since WW2.

Sorry about the thread drift, but I happened upon this excellent Doco on that battle. I’m impressed by the attention to detail and the narrator’s appreciation of great bravery one both sides.
Although pretty much unknown to the rest of the world, this great Australian victory was the first land defeat for the Japanese in their reach south.