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. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War was the part of World War II that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, 1937 to 1945. ... 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. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... 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 Empire of 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 Casualties... 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. ... Combatants Empire of Japan United States of America Commanders Shigeyoshi Inoue Winfield S. Cunningham Strength 2,500 Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces (Rikujo Butai), Unknown number of participants from air and naval units 523 military, Small unit of civilian volunteers Casualties 700-900 killed, 1,000 wounded 52 military and... 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... 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. ... 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. ... Combatants United States Netherlands United Kingdom Australia Japan Commanders Karel Doorman† Takeo Takagi Strength 5 cruisers 12 destroyers 4 cruisers 14 destroyers 10 transports Casualties 5 cruisers sunk 5 destroyers sunk 2,300 sailors killed 4 loaded troop transports sunk The Battle of the Java Sea was a major naval... 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 Lt. ... 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... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Jonathan M. Wainwright (USFIP commander) George F. Moore (Harbor Defense Forces and Corregidor garrison) Samuel L. Howard 4th Marine Regiment Masaharu Homma (Philippine invasion forces) Strength 13,000 U.S. and Filipino troops 75,000 Japanese troops Casualties 800 killed, 1,000 wounded... Combatants Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier and 1 destroyer... South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was the name given to one of the four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatre of World War II, during 1942-45. ... 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... 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. ... 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. ... Combatants United States Netherlands United Kingdom Australia Japan Commanders Karel Doorman† Takeo Takagi Strength 5 cruisers 12 destroyers 4 cruisers 14 destroyers 10 transports Casualties 5 cruisers sunk 5 destroyers sunk 2,300 sailors killed 4 loaded troop transports sunk The Battle of the Java Sea was a major naval... Combatants Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands. ... The Borneo campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between May 1 and July 21, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. ... 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. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Motto: none (formerly Advance Australia) Anthem: Advance Australia Fair Royal anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Canberra Largest city Sydney Official language(s) English (de facto)1 Government Federal Const. ... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War was the part of World War II that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, 1937 to 1945. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ... 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 Empire of 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 Casualties...

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. ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍 or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun) or sometimes referred to as the Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan (Dai Nippon Teikoku) from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling... 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 guns. 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. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise 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 (USAAF) was a part of the U.S. Army 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. ... 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. Nakajima B5N1 Kate torpedo bomber with a dummy torpedo (exercise unit) taking off from the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi during a training mission. ... 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. ... Ceram and Ambon Islands (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Ambon City in 2001, showing heavy damage from fighting Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. ... 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-aircraft 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

A sunken ship and burnt-out wharf in Darwin Harbour following the attack (AWM 027334)

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. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

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 (also known as USN or the U.S. Navy) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer (French: contre-torpilleur, German: Zerstörer, Spanish: destructor, Italian: cacciatorpediniere) 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... 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. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 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. ... Isoroku Yamamoto ) (4 April 1884 – 18 April 1943) was an Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), the navy of Empire of Japan during the first four years of World War II. He is generally regarded to be Japans greatest naval strategist of the war, and among the greatest... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier and 1 destroyer...

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 (pronounced ) is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland. ... Fremantle Town Hall Fremantle (, ) 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
• Axis naval activity in Australian waters
• 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. ... Ships, ports and other targets in Australian waters and on shore were attacked by German and Japan raiding ships and submarines thoughout World War II. Among the best-known attacks are the sinking of HMAS Sydney, by the German raider Kormoran in November 1941, and the Japanese midget submarine attack... 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"

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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 Bucharest (the capital of Romania) in World War II comprised operations by the Allies and Axis Powers at separate intervals in 1944. ... 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. 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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 Fat Man mushroom cloud resulting from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) into the air from the hypocenter. ... The city of Kassel in Germany was severely bombed during World War II. More than 10. ... 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. ... The Fat Man mushroom cloud resulting from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) into the air from the hypocenter. ... The U.S. bombing of Osaka during World War II took place on 13th and 14th March 1945. ... During the latter stages of World War II Pforzheim, a town in south west Germany was bombed on a number of times. ... The Bombing of Prague occurred during the end of World War II (February 14, 1945) when the US Air Force carried out an air raid over Prague. ... The bombing of Rotterdam was a terror bombardment by German forces on 14 May 1940, in the initial phases of World War II, when they 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. ... now. ...