Air raids on Darwin, February 1942
Part of World War II, Pacific War
The explosion of an oil storage tank, hit during the first Japanese air raid on Darwin, February 19, 1942. In the foreground is HMAS Deloraine, which escaped damage.
Date: February 19, 1942 Location: Darwin, Australia Result: Japanese victory
Combatants
Australia; United States	Japan
Commanders
David V. J. Blake	Chuichi Nagumo
Strength
30 planes	242 planes
Casualties
At least 243 killed; (possibly 1,100 dead in total) 23 planes destroyed 10 ships sunk	1 killed  ? missing; 6 POW Four planes destroyed in Australian airspace; ? failed to return.

The two Japanese air raids on Darwin, Australia, on February 19, 1942 were by far the biggest ever attack by a foreign power against the Australian mainland. They were also a significant action in the Pacific campaign of World War II and represented a major psychological blow to the Australian population, several weeks after hostilities with Japan had begun. The raids were the first of about 100 air raids against Australia during 1942-43. Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... Image File history File links The explosion of an oil storage tank and clouds of smoke from other tanks, hit during the first Japanese air raid on Australias mainland, at Darwin on February 19, 1942. ... HMAS Deloraine (J-232/M-232), named for the town of Deloraine, Tasmania, was a Bathurst class corvette built by Morts Dock and Engineering at Balmain in New South Wales, launched on 26 July 1941 by Dame Mary Hughes, wife of the Minister for the Navy, and commissioned on 27... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Central Darwin, circa 1986 Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory, and is a city of 109,419 people (2001 census) on Australias far north-western coastline. ... David Valentine Jardine Blake, born in Parramatta on November 10, 1887, (date of death unknown) was a notable Australian military figure. ... Chuichi Nagumo Chuichi Nagumo (南雲 忠一, Nagumo ChÅ«ichi March 25, 1887 - July 6, 1944) was an admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Combatants United States of America Imperial Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN) Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 9 destroyers, 8 tankers, 23 fleet submarines, 5 midget submarines, 441 planes... During the early morning hours of December 7th/8th, 1941, before the first bombs started falling on the United States Pacific base at Pearl Harbor (time zone differences), World War Two widened in the Pacific with the Battle for Malaya - the Japanase invasion of the British Malaya. ... The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on December 23, 1941. ... Combatants British Army, Canadian Army, British Indian Army Imperial Japanese Army Strength 15,000 troops 50,000 troops Casualties 4,500 killed; 8,500 POWs 2,750 killed; 1,500 wounded For the movie, see The Battle of Hong Kong (film). ... The Battle of Rabaul, around the main town of Rabaul on the island of New Britain, in early February 1942, represented a strategically-significant defeat of Allied forces by Japan, in the Pacific campaign of World War II. Following the capture of Rabaul, Japanese forces turned it into a major... The Battle of Ambon occurred on the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies, on January 30-February 3, 1942 during the Pacific campaign of World War II. During 1941, as the western Allies perceived the possibility of war with Japan, Ambon was seen to be a strategic location... The Battle of Makassar Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. A fleet of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, under the command of Admiral Karel Doorman, was on its way to intercept a Japanese invasion convoy when it was attacked by 37 Japanese... Battle of Badung Strait Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 18 February 1942 – 19 February 1942 Place Badung Strait off Bali in the Dutch East Indies Result Japanese victory The Battle of Badung Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the... The Battle of Timor (1942–43) occurred on the island of Timor, in the Pacific theatre of World War II. It involved forces from the Empire of Japan, which invaded on February 20, 1942, on one side and Allied personnel, predominantly from Australia and the Netherlands, on the other. ... The Battle of the Java Sea was a major naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Allied ships suffered a disastrous defeat at the hand of the Imperial Japanese Navy, in action over several days in February-March 1942. ... The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. ... Combatants Philippines United States Japan Commanders George M. Parker (II Philippine Corps) Edward P. King (Bataan Forces) Masaharu Homma (Philippine invasion forces) Strength 120,000 Filipino troops; 30,000 U.S. troops 75,000 Japanese troops Casualties 10,000 killed, 20,000 wounded, 75,000 prisoners 7,000 killed, 12... Combatants United States Japan Commanders James H. Doolittle N/A Strength 16 B-25 Mitchells N/A Casualties 3 dead, 8 POWs (4 would die in captivity) about 50 dead, 400 injured The Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike... Combatants United States, Australia Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz Frank Jack Fletcher Shigeyoshi Inoue Takeo Takagi Aritomo Goto Strength 2 large carriers, 3 cruisers 2 large carriers, 1 small carrier, 4 cruisers Casualties 1 large carrier, 1 destroyer, 1 oil tanker, 543 personnel 1 small carrier, 1 destroyer, 1,074 personnel... The Battle for Corregidor was the culmination of the Japanese campaign for the conquest of the Philippines. ... Combatants Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, about 50 support ships 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, about 150 support ships 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier, 1 destroyer sunk... Central Darwin, circa 1986 Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory, and is a city of 109,419 people (2001 census) on Australias far north-western coastline. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Motto: none (formerly Advance Australia) Anthem: Advance Australia Fair Capital Canberra Largest city Sydney Official language(s) English (de facto)1 Government  â€¢ Queen  â€¢ Governor-General  â€¢ Prime Minister Const. ... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... From February 1942 to November 1943, during the Pacific War, the Australian mainland and offshore islands were attacked at least 97 times by aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. ...

This event is often called the "Pearl Harbor of Australia." Although it was a relatively less significant target, a greater number of bombs were dropped on Darwin than were used in the attack on Pearl Harbor. As was the case at Pearl Harbor, the Australian town was unprepared, and although it came under attack from the air another 63 times in 1942 and 1943, the raids on February 19 were massive and devastating by comparison. Combatants United States of America Imperial Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN) Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 9 destroyers, 8 tankers, 23 fleet submarines, 5 midget submarines, 441 planes...

At the time, Darwin had a population of about 2,000 — the normal civilian population of about 5,000 had been reduced by evacuation. It was a strategically-placed naval port and airbase, and there were about 15,000 Allied soldiers in the area.

The forces

Most of the attacking planes came from the four aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Carrier Division 1 (Akagi and Kaga) and Carrier Division 2 (Hiryu and Soryu), commanded by Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Land-based heavy bombers were also involved. The Japanese launched two waves of planes, comprising 242 bombers and fighters. An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Akagi (Japanese: 赤城, meaning red castle, a volcano in the Kanto region of Japan) was an aircraft carrier serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. // Description Akagi was laid down as an Amagi class battlecruiser at Kure, Japan. ... Kaga (Japanese: 加賀, the ancient Kaga Province, in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Hiryu (Japanese: 飛龍, meaning flying dragon) was a Soryu-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Soryu (Japanese: 蒼龍 sōryū, meaning blue (or green) dragon) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Chuichi Nagumo Chuichi Nagumo (南雲 忠一, Nagumo ChÅ«ichi March 25, 1887 - July 6, 1944) was an admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The B-52 Stratofortress, a heavy bomber. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ...

Darwin was relatively well covered by anti-aircraft fire. However, the only operational Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter squadrons were in Europe, North Africa or the Middle East; the only modern fighters based in Darwin were 11 P-40s from the US Army Air Force's 33rd Pursuit Squadron, in addition to lightly armed and/or obsolescent training and patrol aircraft belonging to the RAAF. An experimental radar station was not yet operational. American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Curtiss P-40 was an American fighter aircraft which first flew in 1938 and played a vital role in the crucial middle stages of World War II. Developed from the pre-war radial-engined P-36 Hawk, the P-40 became known as the Tomahawk, the Kittyhawk, and finally... The United States Army Air Forces, or USAAF, was a part of the U.S. military during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. ... This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. Radar is a system that uses radio waves to detect, determine the distance of, and map, objects such...

The attacks

The first wave of 188 Japanese planes, led by naval Commander Mitsuo Fuchida took off at 8.45am. At about 9.15am, it was spotted by civilians on Bathurst and Melville Islands, and Darwin was warned at least twice by radio, no later than 9.35. However, the warnings were not taken seriously, and the attackers arrived at their target just before 10.00am. Mitsuo Fuchida (December 3, 1902 - May 30, 1976) was a Japanese Imperial Japanese Navy pilot. ... Melville Island lies off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. ... Melville Island can refer to: Melville Island, Canada shared between Northwest Territories and Nunavut Melville Island, Northern Territory in Australia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Fuchida later wrote of the raid:

[T]he job to be done seemed hardly worthy of the Nagumo Force. The harbour, it is true, was crowded with all kinds of ships, but a single pier and a few waterfront buildings appeared to be the only port installations. The airfield on the outskirts of the town, though fairly large, had no more than two or three small hangars, and in all there were only twenty-odd planes of various types scattered about the field. No planes were in the air. A few attempted to take off as we came over but were quickly shot down, and the rest were destroyed where they stood. Anti-aircraft fire was intense but largely ineffectual, and we quickly accomplished our objectives.

In fact, the Japanese encountered five of the USAAF P-40s, which had recently returned from an aborted mission over Timor and were still carrying drop tanks — with both numbers and surprise on their side, Japanese fighters shot down all of the US planes, except one piloted by Lt Robert Ostreicher. Map of Timor Timor Island from space, November 1989 (North is to the bottom of the image). ... Drop tanks on a F-16 Fighting Falcon. ...

A total of 81 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers then attacked shipping — at least 45 vessels — in the harbour, while 71 Aichi D3A "Val" dive-bombers, escorted by 36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter planes attacked Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bases, civil airfields, and a hospital. Ostreicher shot down two Vals, and managed to survive the attack, but no Allied planes successfully took off, and all were destroyed or rendered unable to fly after the first attack. By about 10.40 the first wave of Japanese planes had left the area. The Nakajima B5N (Japanese: 中島 B5N, Allied reporting name: Kate) was the Imperial Japanese Navys standard torpedo bomber for the first years of World War II. Although, like its Allied counterparts the TBD Devastator and Fairey Swordfish, the type was obsolescent by 1939, B5Ns were flown nearly throughout the... The Aichi D3A (99式艦上爆撃機, Allied code name Val) was a World War II dive bomber produced by the Aichi company in Japan. ... Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 (cowling removed) The Mitsubishi A6M was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ...

Just before midday, there was a high altitude attack by land-based bombers, concentrated on the Darwin RAAF Airfield: 27 Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" bombers flew from Ambon and 27 Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" from Kendari, Sulawesi. This second raid lasted for 20-25 minutes. RAAF Base Darwin shares it runway with Darwin International Airport. ... Mitsubishi G3M -- An Japanese bomber aircraft used by the Japanese during World War Two mostly against the Chinese. ... Ambon may refer to two geographical places. ... Mitsubishi G4M The Mitsubishi G4M (一式陸上攻撃機:Type 1 land-based attack aircraft; Allied reporting name Betty) was a twin-engined, land-based bomber aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The bomber is nicknamed the Betty by the American military. ... Kendari is the capital of the Indonesian province of South East Sulawesi. ... Sulawesi (formerly Celebes ) is a large island in Indonesia. ...

In spite of Fuchida's assessment of the anti-aircaft fire as "largely ineffectual", the lack of armour and self-sealing fuel tanks in many Japanese planes, as well as the prolonged low-level strafing runs carried out, made pilots and planes exceptionally vulnerable to ground fire. Most Australian sources say that four Japanese planes were destroyed in Australian airspace; it has been suggested that several more failed to return to their carriers or bases. Warfare Strafing (adaptation of German strafen - to punish) is the practice of shooting a machine gun, from an airplane in flight, at objects or people on the ground. ...

Casualties, damage and consequences

At least 243 civilians and military personnel were killed, most of them on the sunken ships — it has been argued that the real toll was much higher: for instance, anecdotal accounts report 300 bodies being buried in a mass grave at a beach.[1] Authorities probably did not take stock of the impact on the numerically significant indigenous Australian population of the area. A secret military intelligence report estimated the casualties at 1,100, equal to about half the number killed at Pearl Harbor. At least 330 people were wounded and 200 of these were seriously injured. The total number of these people who died from their wounds was not recorded. Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ...

The air raids caused chaos in Darwin. Most of the essential services were destroyed. Fear of an imminent invasion spread and there was a wave of refugees, as half of the town's civilian population fled. There were reports of looting and in some cases — it was alleged — the culprits were Provost Marshals. Many civilian refugees never returned, or did not return for many years, and in the post-war years some claimed that land they owned in Darwin had been usurped by government bodies in their absence. The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police (often called the provost). ...

According to official figures, 278 servicemen were considered to have deserted as a result of the raids, although it has been argued that the "desertions" mostly resulted from ambiguous orders given to RAAF ground staff during the attack. Desertion is the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from an entity to which one has given. ...

Eight ships were sunk in Darwin Harbour: the United States Navy destroyer USS Peary, the large US Army transport ship USAT Meigs, the Australian patrol boat HMAS Mavie and the merchant ships British Motorist, Kelat, Mauna Loa, Neptuna, and Zealandia. The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer (French: contre-torpilleur, German: Zerstörer, Spanish: destructor) is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo... USS Peary (DD-226) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Robert Edwin Peary. ... The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The USAT Meigs, a United States Army transport vessel (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the USS Meigs), was sunk in Darwin Harbour during the first Japanese air raid against the Australia mainland on February 19, 1942. ... Categories: Ship types ... HMAS Mavie was a 19-ton Royal Australian Navy Patrol Boat during World War II. The lugger (wooden schooner) Mavis, built at Fremantle in Western Australia in 1903, was 38 feet 6 inches long with a beam of 11 feet 11 inches. ... Cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ... Neptuna was a steel vessel of 5952 tons, built in Kiel in 1924 measuring 393. ...

The USAAF lost 10 P-40s, one B-24 bomber, and three C-45 transport planes. The US Navy lost three PBY Catalina flying boats. The RAAF lost six Lockheed Hudsons. Royal Canadian Air Force B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft, and was used by most of the Allied air forces in World War II. Designed as a heavy bomber, it served with distinction not only in that... Beechcraft 18/C-45 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force Beechcraft 18 on floats The Beechcraft Model 18 was a small six- to 11-place, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Witchita, Kansas. ... PBY Catalina was the US Navy designation for an American and Canadian-built flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s. ... Lockheed Hudson Mk V The Lockheed Hudson was a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The Hudson was the first significant aircraft construction contract for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation—the initial RAF order for 200...

The success of the Darwin raid led to calls within the Japanese Navy for an invasion of Australia. Admiral Osami Nagano, the Chief of the Navy General Staff, was in favour. But the Imperial Japanese Army lacked the troops for such an undertaking and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's plan for an attack on Midway Island was preferred. Osami Nagano Osami Nagano (永野修身 Nagano Osami, June 15, 1880 – January 5, 1947) was a prominent leader of the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during World War II. Nagano was born in Kochi in 1880. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, about 50 support ships 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, about 150 support ships 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier, 1 destroyer sunk...

The Allied navies largely abandoned the naval base at Darwin after the attack, dispersing most of their forces to Brisbane, Fremantle and smaller ports. Conversely, Allied air commanders launched a major build-up in the Darwin area, building more airfields and deploying many squadrons. In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the state of Queensland, Australia. ... Location of Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle (32°03′15″S, 115°44′53″E) is a city located within the Perth metropolitan area on Australias western coast, at the mouth of the Swan River, 19 kilometres southwest of Perths Central Business District. ...

A memorial ceremony is held every year on 19th February at the Cenotaph in Darwin. It starts at 9:58am, the precise time of the first attack.

See also

• Japanese air attacks on Australia, 1942-43
• Christmas Island Invasion
• Planned invasion of Australia during World War II
• Military history of Australia during World War II
• Military history of Japan during World War II

From February 1942 to November 1943, during the Pacific War, the Australian mainland and offshore islands were attacked at least 97 times by aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. ... The Pacific War conquest plan set out by the Empire of Japan for the South Sea lands concluded on March 31, 1942 with the attack on and occupation of Christmas Island. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Military history of Australia refers to the long history of Australias involvement in war. ... The military history of Japan is characterized by a long period of feudal wars, followed by domestic stability, and then foreign conquest. ...

References

• Mitsuo Fuchida and M. Okumiya, Midway: the Battle that doomed Japan, Hutchinson, 1957.

External links

• Peter Dunn's AUSTRALIA @ WAR, 2004, "Two Japanese Air Raids at Darwin, NT on 19 February 1942"
• Tom Womack, 2005, "Australia's Pearl Harbor: the Japanese air raid on Darwin"
• National Archives of Australia, 2000, "Fact Sheet 195 The bombing of Darwin"
• "A Darwin Eyewitness Account – Stoker 2nd Class Charlie Unmack"
• "A Darwin Eyewitness Account – Leading Aircraftman Stanley Hawker, No 2 RAAF Squadron."
• Taminmin High School, "Defending the Darwin Fortress"

edit	World War II city bombing
Area bombardment • Terror bombing Augsburg • Berlin • Belfast • Belgrade • Birmingham • Braunschweig • Chongqing • Cologne Coventry • Darwin • Dresden • Frampol • Greenock • Hamburg • Kassel • Kobe • London • Liverpool Manchester • Minsk • Pforzheim • Prague • Rotterdam • Sheffield • Tokyo • Warsaw • Wieluń • Würzburg Strategic Bombing during World War II was unlike anything the world had previously witnessed. ... Survivor of German aerial bombardment of Warsaw This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Aerial area bombardment is the policy of indiscriminate bombing of an enemys cities, for the purpose of destroying the enemys means of producing military materiel, communications, government centres and civilian morale. ... Terror bombing is a strategy of deliberately bombing civilian targets and strafing civilians in order to break the morale of the enemy and make the civilian population of the enemy panic. ... The Bavarian city of Augsburg, Germany, was bombed twice by the RAF during World War II 1942 The Augsburg air raid on 17 April 1942 was one of the most daring of World War II. The first squadron to take delivery of the 4-engined Avro Lancaster was No. ... The term Battle of Berlin is sometimes restricted to the Royal Air Force for a bombing campaign on Berlin and other cities between the night of November 18 1943 and March 1944. ... The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on Easter Tuesday, April 15, 1941, when 200 German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... he bombing of Belgrade occurred in the initial phases of World War II when German forces bombed the city in preperation for the invasion of Yugoslavia. ... The Birmingham Blitz was the heavy bombing of the city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The Bombing of Braunschweig (or Brunswick) in World War II on 15 October 1944 by the Royal Air Forces No. ... The Bombing of Chongqing (February 18, 1938 - August 23, 1943) was a Japanese strategic bombing campaign against the Chinese provisional capital of Chongqing that lasted 5 1/2 years. ... Cologne in 1945 The City of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies during World War II. During the war the Royal Air Force (RAF) bombed Cologne more than thirty one times. ... Two of Coventrys three spires This article is about the history of Coventry, England. ... The bombing of Dresden by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) between February 13 and February 15, 1945 remains one of the more controversial events of World War II. Historian Frederick Taylor says: The destruction of Dresden has an epically tragic quality... The Bombing of Frampol happened during the Polish Defence War of 1939. ... The Greenock Blitz is the name given to two nights of intensive bombing of the town of Greenock by the Luftwaffe in May 1941. ... Firestorm in Hamburg Operation Gomorrah was the military codename for a series of air raids conducted by the Royal Air Force on the city of Hamburg beginning in the end of July 1943. ... The city of Kassel in Germany was severely bombed during World War II. Kassel is in the northern part of the federal state of Hesse, between Frankfurt (190 km south), and Hanover (160 km north). ... On March 17th, 1945, three hundred and thirty-one American B-29 bombers launched a firebombing attack against the city of Kobe, Japan. ... German bomber over the Surrey Docks, Southwark, London The Blitz was the bombing of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 16 May 1941, during World War II. It was carried out by the Luftwaffe across the UK, but their attack was concentrated on London. ... The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the city of Liverpool in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The Manchester Blitz was the heavy bombing of the city of Manchester in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The Minsk Blitz was the heavy bombing of the city of Minsk (population was 270 000) in the USSR during the Second World War. ... During the latter stages of World War II Pforzheim, a town in south west Germany was bombed on a number of times. ... Bombing of Prague was a controversial event during the end of World War II (On February 14, 1945) when American Air Force carried out an air raid over Prague. ... The bombing of Rotterdam occured in the initial phases of World War II when German forces invaded the Netherlands. ... The Sheffield Blitz is the name given to the worst nights of bombing in Sheffield, England during the Second World War. ... The U.S. bombing of Tokyo during World War II took place between 1942 and 1945. ... The Bombing of Warsaw in World War II refers both to the terror bombing campaign on Warsaw by Luftwaffe during the September Campaign (siege of Warsaw and to the German bombing raids during the Warsaw Uprising. ... Bombing of WieluÅ„ in World War II refers to the German bomb raid on a Polish city of WieluÅ„ at the outbreak of World War II. On September 1, 1939 at 4. ... During World War II, on March 16, 1945, 89% of the city was laid to ruins by a British Royal Air Force bombing raid. ...