No. 32 Squadron RAAF

No. 32 Squadron RAAF
No. 32 Squadron Beechcraft King Air 350 A32-348
Active	February 1942 – November 1945 July 1989 – current
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Training and light transport
Part of	Air Training Wing
Garrison/HQ	RAAF Base East Sale
Motto(s)	Adaptable
Aircraft	King Air 350
Commanders
Notable commanders	John Lerew (1942)

No. 32 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force unit based at RAAF East Sale in Victoria. It currently flies training and transport operations.

The squadron was established as a reconnaissance and bomber unit, equipped with Lockheed Hudson aircraft, at Port Moresby on 21 February 1942. It was formed from elements of other RAAF Hudson squadrons deployed from their home bases for combat operations against Japanese forces. No. 32 Squadron played an important role during the early stages of the New Guinea campaign, conducting anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols, flying bombing sorties against enemy airfields and flying boat bases, as well as conducting reconnaissance and supply missions.

No. 32 Squadron's first mission took place the day it was formed, when aircraft were launched to search for a reported enemy submarine. A few days later, the squadron undertook the first of many bombing raids on the Japanese air base at Gasmata. After only a few weeks of operations, due to enemy raids on Port Moresby's Seven Mile airfield, the squadron was withdrawn to Horn Island, Queensland, but continued to stage out of Seven Mile on its missions, its aircraft refuelling there en route to their targets. In March 1942, one of the squadron's Hudsons was the first to spot the Japanese convoy transporting the forces for the invasion of the New Guinea mainland. Later the same month, the squadron engaged Japanese forces landing at Lae and Salamaua. In July 1942, No. 32 Squadron was active in the Gona area and during the lead-up to the Battle of Milne Bay.