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, 19 February 1942. In the foreground is HMAS Deloraine, which escaped damage. Date 19 February 1942 Location Darwin, Australia Result Decisive Japanese victory Belligerents  Australia  United States Empire of Japan Commanders David V. J. Blake Chuichi Nagumo Strength 30 planes 242 planes Casualties and losses 251 killed 23 planes destroyed 10 ships sunk one aircrew confirmed killed, several missing in action, six airmen taken prisoner; six Japanese aircraft confirmed destroyed, four probably destroyed.[1]

v • d • e Battle for Australia Air raids – Darwin – Broome – Coral Sea – Naval attacks – Sydney & Newcastle – Kokoda – Milne Bay

South West Pacific theatre Philippines 1941–42 – Dutch East Indies 1941–42 – Portuguese Timor – Australia – New Guinea – Philippines 1944–45 – Borneo 1945

The Japanese air raids on Darwin, Australia, on 19 February 1942 were the largest attacks mounted by a foreign power against Australia. 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 Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... 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. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Port Darwin redirects here. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1868–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1926 Emperor Taishō  - 1926–1989 Emperor Shōwa Prime Minister  - 1885-1888, 1892-1896, 1898, 1900-1901 Itō Hirobumi  - 1888-1889 Kuroda Kiyotaka  - 1889-1891 Yamagata Aritomo  - 1906-1908, 1911-1912 Saionji Kinmochi... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... David Valentine Jardine Blake, born in Parramatta on November 10, 1887, (date of death unknown) was a notable Australian military figure. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Japan. ... This is a Japanese name; the family name is Nagumo Admiral Chuichi Nagumo , 25 March 1887 - 6 July 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. // Nagumo was born in Yonezawa city, Yamagata prefecture in northern Japan in 1887. ... An Australian propaganda poster released in 1942. ... An Australian gun camera photograph of a Japanese Betty bomber during a raid on Darwin in June 1943 Fighter Guide Map No. ... The town of Broome, Western Australia was attacked by Japanese fighter planes on March 3, 1942, during World War II. At least 88 people were killed. ... Combatants United States Navy Royal Australian Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Frank J. Fletcher John G. Crace Shigeyoshi Inoue Takeo Takagi Strength 2 large carriers, 3 cruisers 2 large carriers, 1 light carrier, 4 cruisers Casualties 1 fleet carrier, 1 destroyer, 1 oil tanker sunk 543 killed 1 light carrier... A propaganda poster calling on Australians to avenge the sinking of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur by the Japanese submarine I-177 in May 1943. ... Combatants Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands. ... Combatants  Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Thomas Blamey Sydney Rowell Edmund Herring Arthur Tubby Allen George Vasey Selwyn Porter Arnold Potts Hisaichi Terauchi Yosuke Yokoyama Tomitaro Horii â€  Strength 2,000 plus reinforcements 10,000 plus reinforcements Casualties 725 killed 1,055 wounded Hundreds sick with disease 6,500... Combatants Australia United States Empire of Japan Commanders Cyril Clowes Nishizo Tsukahara Shojiro Hayashi Minoru Yano Strength 9,000 (half non-combat personnel) 3,200 Casualties about 550 dead 1,000 dead New Guinea campaign Battle for Australia Air raids – Darwin – Broome – Coral Sea – Naval attacks – Sydney & Newcastle – Kokoda – Milne... The South West Pacific was one of two theatres of World War II in the Pacific region, between 1942 and 1945. ... The Netherlands East Indies campaign was the shortlived defence of the Netherlands East Indies by Allied forces, against invasion by the Empire of Japan in 1941-42. ... Combatants Australia Netherlands United Kingdom United States Empire of Japan Commanders William Leggatt; William Veale; Alexander Spence; Bernard Callinan Sadashichi Doi (invasion); Yuitsu Tsuchihashi (later campaign) Strength approx. ... 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. ... Port Darwin redirects here. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... 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 less significant target,^[2] 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 58 times in 1942 and 1943, the raids on 19 February were massive and devastating by comparison. This article is about the actual attack. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 (Hiryū and Sōryū. Land-based heavy bombers were also involved. The Japanese launched two waves of planes, comprising 242 bombers and fighters.^{[citation needed]} Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft, acting as a sea-going airbase. ... For Combined Fleet, please see that article. ... The Akagi (Japanese: 赤城) was an aircraft carrier serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The only ship in her class, Akagi played a major part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, but was sunk along with three other large carriers by dive bombers from US carriers Enterprise... Kaga (Japanese: 加賀, formerly Kaga Province, in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... HiryÅ« (Japanese: 飛龍, meaning flying dragon) was a SōryÅ«-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Soryu (Japanese KyÅ«jitai: 蒼龍, Shinjitai: 蒼竜, soryu, meaning blue (or green) dragon) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The B-52 Stratofortress, a heavy bomber. ... For other uses, see Bomber (disambiguation). ... 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 poorly covered by anti-aircraft guns, there being only machine-guns and none of 20 mm or greater calibre^[3]. 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. There were a few lightly armed or obsolete training (five unserviceable Wirraways) and patrol (six Hudson) aircraft belonging to the RAAF. An experimental radar station was not yet operational. “Flak” redirects here. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... 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 the aviation component of the United States Army primarily during World War II. The title of Army Air Forces succeeded the prior name of Army Air Corps in June 1941 during preparation for expected combat in what came to be known as... The CAC Wirraway was a World War II training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. ... The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ...

The attacks

The first wave of 188 Japanese planes, led by naval Commander Mitsuo Fuchida took off at 8:45 a.m. At about 9:15 a.m., it was - although this is disputed by Robert Rayner in the book Darwin Fortress - spotted by an Australian Coastwatcher on Melville Island (Northern Territory), then by Father John McGrath, a Catholic Priest conducting missionary work on Bathurst Island (Northern Territory).^[4] The latter would send the message, "An unusually large air formation bearing down on us from the northwest." Darwin received both warnings at least twice by radio, no later than 9:37 a.m. However 11 US P-40E Kittyhawk fighters and an LB-30 Liberator had just departed Darwin and the Australian duty officer assumed this was the same formation. The warnings were not acted upon, so as at Pearl Harbor just months earlier on December 7, Darwin's final chance to make last-minute preparations for the impending raid slipped away. Fuchida in training for attack on Pearl Harbor Mitsuo Fuchida (December 3, 1902 - May 30, 1976) was a Lieutenant-Commander (少佐) in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and a pilot before and during World War II. He headed the formation that led the first wave of attacks on Pearl Harbor... Captain Martin Clemens (rear centre), a coastwatcher on Guadalcanal, provided intelligence to Allied forces during the battle for the island (August 1942-February 1943). ... Melville Island lies off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. ... The Tiwi Islands Bathurst Island (2,100 km², ) is one of the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory off the northern coast of Australia along with Melville Island. ... The Curtiss P-40 was an American single-engine, single-seat, low-wing, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft which first flew in 1938 and was used in great numbers in World War II. Developed from the pre-war radial-engined P-36 Hawk, the P-40 was used... The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft during World War II and still holds the record as the most produced allied aircraft. ...

A USN Catalina aircraft near Bathurst Island was pounced uponby nine of the Zero fighters, and the plane was set on fire although it defended itself. Its pilot Lieutenant Tom Moorer managed to crash land upon the sea and the crew were picked up by a passing freighter, the Florence D. However, it was later attacked and sunk, although Moorer and most of his crew survived to be later picked up on land. Another nearby ship, the Don Isidro, was also sunk.

Fuchida later wrote of the raid:^[5]

An aerial photograph of vessels burning in Darwin Harbour taken by a Japanese airman during the first raid.

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. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Timor is an island at the south end of the Malay Archipelago, divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara with the surface of 11,883 sq mi (30,777 km²). The name is a variant of timur... 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 a.m. the first wave of Japanese planes had left the area. Nakajima B5N2 Kate in flight. ... Aichi D3A1 in flight. ... 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. ... The Mitsubishi G3M (九六式陸上攻撃機: Type 96 land-based attack aircraft; Allied reporting name Nell) was a Japanese bomber aircraft used during World War II, 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 more commonly known as Celebes, IPA: a Portuguese-originated form of the name) is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. ...

In spite of Fuchida's assessment of the anti-aircraft fire as "largely ineffectual"^[6], 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. 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)

According to official figures, 243 civilians and military personnel were killed on 19 February, most of them on the ships which were sunk.^[7] Over 400 people were wounded and 200 of these were seriously injured. Image File history File linksMetadata Darwin_Harbour_(AWM_027334). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Darwin_Harbour_(AWM_027334). ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Eight ships were sunk in Darwin Harbour:

• USS Peary, a United States Navy destroyer
• USAT Meigs, a large US Army troop transport ship
• two Australian passenger ships, being used as merchant troop transports:
  • Neptuna
  • Zealandia
• HMAS Mavie a Royal Australian Navy patrol boat
• Mauna Loa, a 5,436 ton US merchant freighter^[8]
• British Motorist, a UK-registered merchant refuelling oiler^[9]
• Kelat, a 1,849 ton coal storage hulk^[10]

Among the ships damaged but not destroyed was a hospital ship, AHS Manunda.^[11] 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. ... USN redirects here. ... USS McFaul underway in the Atlantic Ocean. ... 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. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... USS John Land (AP-167) in San Francisco Bay sometime in 1945-46; soldiers crowd the decks in anticipation of homecoming. ... 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. ... Zealandia also known as S.S. Zealandia and nicknamed Z (or Zed) was a historically-significant 6,683 ton multi-decked single-funnelled Australian cargo and passenger ship. ... 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. ... The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... // This article is about the naval vessel. ... Knock Nevis, the largest ship in the world. ... A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. ... USNS Comfort takes on supplies at Mayport, FL enroute to Gulf Coast. ... The hospital ships of Australia were all staffed primarily by the Army Medical staff. ...

The USAAF lost ten P-40s, one B-24 bomber, and three C-45 transport planes. The US Navy lost three PBY Catalina flying boats, and Moorer's outside the harbour. 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 on floats. ... PBY Catalina was the United States Navy designation for an American and Canadian-built flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s. ... The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. ...

The air raids caused chaos in Darwin, with most essential services including water and electricity being badly damaged or destroyed.^[12] Fears 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 even Provost Marshals themselves.^[13] According to official figures, 278 RAAF servicemen were considered to have deserted as a result of the raids, although it has been argued that the 'desertions' were mostly the result of ambiguous orders given to RAAF ground staff after the attacks.^[14] Following the second Japanese air raid, the local RAAF wing commander Sturt Griffith: The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police (often called the provost). ... The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia. ... For other uses of Desertion, see Abandonment. ... A Wing Commanders sleeve/shoulder insignia A Wing Commanders command flag Wing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ...

While the Northwest area staff could see what was happening and issued countermanding orders, "the damage was done and hundreds of men were already beyond recall."^[16] A Squadron Leaders sleeve/shoulder insignia Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF, SQNLDR in the RNZAF and RAAF and S/L in the former RCAF) is a commissioned rank in some air forces. ...

The Australian army faced difficulty controlling its own troops from looting private property including "furniture, refrigerators, stoves, pianos, clothes [and] even children's toys" due to the breakdown of law and order after the bombing and the ensuing chaos.^[17] 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 expropriated by government bodies in their absence.^{[citation needed]}

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 adopted instead. This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... In this Japanese name, the family name is Nagano Fleet Admiral Osami Nagano , 15 June 1880 – 5 January 1947) was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1934. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun), or more officially Army of the Greater Japanese Empire was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto ) (4 April 1884 – 18 April 1943) was Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II, graduate of Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and an alumnus of U.S. Naval War College and Harvard University (1919–1921). ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier...

Further Japanese raids

After the massive February 19, 1942 Japanese raid, the Northern Territory and parts of Western Australia's north were bombed on 62 further separate occasions between 4 March 1942 and 12 November 1943.^[18] One of the heaviest attacks took place on June 16, 1942 when a large Japanese force set fire to the oil fuel tanks around the harbour and inflicted severe damage to the vacant banks, stores and railway yards. The Allied navies largely abandoned the naval base at Darwin after the initial February 19 attack, dispersing most of their forces to Brisbane, Fremantle and other smaller ports. Conversely, Allied air commanders launched a major build-up in the Darwin area, building more airfields and deploying many squadrons. is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... Fremantle redirects here. ...

The four IJN aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Hiryū and Sōryū) that participated in the Bombing of Darwin were sunk during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier...

A memorial ceremony is held every year on 19 February at the Cenotaph in Darwin. It starts at 9:58am, the precise time of the first attack.^{[citation needed]} [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notes

Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... San Pedro is a community within Los Angeles, California, annexed in 1909 and a major seaport of the area. ... Matson Navigation Company is a private ocean transportation company with roots extending into the late 19th century. ... Stockton-on-Tees is an industrial town and port on the River Tees in north-eastern England. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Traditional wooden cutter under sail. ...

References

• Mitsuo Fuchida and M. Okumiya, Midway: the Battle that doomed Japan, Hutchinson, 1957.
• Timothy Hall, Darwin 1942, Australia Darkest Hour, Methuen Australia, 1980.
• Tom Lewis (2003) A War at Home: A comprehensive guide to the first Japanese attacks on Darwin. Tall Stories, Darwin. ISBN 0-9577351-0-3
• Lockwood, Douglas (1992 (reprint)). Australia's Pearl Harbour. Darwin 1942.. Melbourne: Penguin Books. ISBN 10987654321. 
• Powell, Allen (1983). "The Darwin 'panic', 1942". Journal of the Australian War Memorial (3, October 1983): Pages 3-9. ISBN 07296274. 

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. ... A propaganda poster calling on Australians to avenge the sinking of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur by the Japanese submarine I-177 in May 1943. ... The Military history of Australia spans several centuries and includes Australias involvement in wars. ... The military history of Japan is characterised by a long period of feudal wars, followed by domestic stability, and then foreign conquest. ...

External links

• Northern Territory Library "Online exhibition of The bombing of Darwin"

Location of Darwin on Australian continent

• 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"
• Darwin Defenders 1942-45 Inc, an association for veterans, their families and friends
• www.bombsoverdarwin.com