Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific

On the eve of the Japanese seven-point assault against Allied forces in Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaya, the Royal Australian Air Force had on strength 536 combat aircraft distributed as follows: Malaya/Singapore 28 Buffaloes
24 Hudsons 1 Beaufort
Australia — Front-line units 101 Wirraways
53 Hudsons
11 Seagulls
12 Catalinas
Australia — Reserve units 72 Battles
108 Wirraways 126 Ansons
of which the only fighter aircraft were the twenty-eight obsolescent Buffaloes of Nos. 21 and 453 Squadrons.