AWM 093927 (Australian War Memorial)
An F4U-D1 Corsair fighter-bomber of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) takes off from Piva airstrip on a mission, Bougainville, 12 July 1945. With the withdrawal of all surviving Japanese navy aircraft to Truk in February 1944 the New Zealanders enjoyed complete control of the skies over Bougainville by the time the Australians arrived. Taking full advantage of this the RNZAF Corsairs spent the rest of the war bombing Japanese positions and installations at will.