Air raids on Australia, 1942–43

Between February 1942 and November 1943, during the Pacific War, the Australian mainland, domestic airspace, offshore islands and coastal shipping were attacked at least 97 times by aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. These attacks came in various forms, from large scale raids by heavy bombers, to torpedo attacks on ships, to strafing runs by fighter planes.

In the first — and deadliest — attacks, 242 planes hit Darwin on the morning of 19 February 1942, killing at least 243 people, causing immense damage, making hundreds of people homeless and causing the abandonment of Darwin as a major naval base. (See the main article: Air raids on Darwin, 19 February 1942.)

These attacks were opposed by — and often aimed at — units and personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, United States Army Air Forces, US Navy, British Royal Air Force and Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force. Japanese aircrews also targeted civil infrastructure, including harbours, civil airfields, railways and fuel tanks. Many civilians were also killed.

Early Japanese air raids

The Japanese conducted a series of air raids on Australia during February and March 1942. These raids sought to prevent the Allies from using bases in northern Australia to contest the conquest of the Netherlands East Indies.

=The first air raid on Darwin= main|Bombing of Darwin
The bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was both the first and the largest attack mounted by Japan against mainland Australia. On 19 February four Japanese aircraft carriers ("Akagi", "Kaga", "Hiryū" and "Sōryū") launched a total of 188 aircraft from a position in the Timor Sea. [Tom Lewis (2003). "A War at Home. A Comprehensive guide to the first Japanese attacks on Darwin". Tall Stories, Darwin. Page 16.] These 188 naval aircraft inflicted heavy damage on Darwin and sank nine ships. A raid conducted by 54 land based bombers later the same day inflicted further damage on the town and RAAF Base Darwin and resulted in the destruction of 20 military aircraft. Allied casualties were 251 killed and between 300 and 400 wounded, the majority of whom were non-Australian Allied sailors. Only four Japanese aircraft were confirmed to have been destroyed by Darwin's defenders. [David Jenkins (1992), "Battle Surface! Japan's Submarine War Against Australia 1942-44". Random House Australia, Sydney. Pages 118-120 and Lewis (2003). Pages 63-71.] The four Japanese aircraft carriers involved in the attack on Darwin were sunk during the Battle of Midway in June 1942.

=The attack on Broome= main|Attack on Broome

On 3 March 1942 nine Japanese Zero fighters attacked the town of Broome, in northern Western Australia. Although Broome was a small town, it had become a significant air base and route of escape for refugees and retreating military personnel, following the Japanese invasion of Java. The attack consisted of strafing runs by the Zeroes and no bombs were dropped; however, at least 88 Allied civilians and military personnel were killed in this attack and 22 aircraft were lost. As Broome was almost undefended, Japanese losses were light, with only a single Zero being shot down over Broome and another one failing to reach its base.

Attacks on north Queensland, July 1942

Japanese naval flying boats conducted four small air raids on the north Queensland towns of Townsville and Mossman during late July 1942. Townsville, which was an important military base, was raided by Japanese flying boats on three nights in late July 1942. On the night of 25-26 July the town was attacked by three flying boats but did not suffer any damage as the six bombs dropped by these aircraft fell into the sea. Townsville was attacked for the second time in the early hours of 28 July when a single flying boat dropped eight bombs which landed in bushland outside the town. Six P-39 Aircobras unsuccessfully attempted to intercept the Japanese aircraft. The third raid on Townsville occurred on the night of 29 July when a single flying boat again attacked the town, dropping six bombs into the sea and a seventh which lightly damaged the town's racecourse. This aircraft was intercepted by four Aircobras and was damaged. The fourth raid on north Queensland occurred on the night of 31 July when a single flying boat dropped a bomb which exploded near a house outside of Mossman, injuring a child. [Gillison (1962). Pages 562-563.]

List of attacks by date

1942

February

19: (10.00 a.m.) Darwin, Northern Territory (NT)
19: (11.55 a.m.) Darwin, NT
19: Bathurst Island, NT

20: 11.30 Off Cape Londonderry, Western Australia (WA). MV "Koolama" damaged by a Kawanishi H6K flying boat. Attacked again at 1.30pm and severely damaged, with injuries to three passengers.

21: Rulhieres Bay, WA (later known as Koolama Bay) "Koolama" attacked again, no damage or injuries.

March

3: (9.20am) Broome, WA. Attack on Broome: a strafing raid by nine Mitsubishi Zeroes. At least 88 people were killed and 24 Allied aircraft were destroyed.
3: (~10.30am) Carnot Bay, WA. PK-AFV ("Pelikaan"), a Douglas DC-3 airliner owned by KLM, was shot down by Zeroes returning from the attack on Broome. It crash-landed 80km (50 mi) north of Broome. Four passengers were killed. Diamonds worth £150,000-300,000 were lost or stolen following the crash.
3: Wyndham, WA. Strafing attack by Zeroes. No casualties. "Koolama", which is in port by this time (see above), sinks as an indirect result of the attack.
3: Wyndham Airfield, WA

4: Wreckage and passengers from PK-AFV attacked again by a Kawanishi H6K flying boat, no damage or casualties.
4: (2.00 p.m.) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

14: Horn Island, Queensland (Qld) [cite journal |last=Crowdey |first=Vanessa |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1999 |month= |title=The day the bombs fell |journal=Wartime |volume= |issue=8 |pages=Pg 46–49 |id= |url=http://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/8/articles/warships.pdf |accessdate= 2008-01-09 |quote= |format=PDF]

16: (1.30 p.m.) Darwin RAAF Airfield and Bagot, NT

17: Darwin, NT

18: Horn Island, Qld

19: (11.40 a.m.) Darwin (Myilly Point and Larrakeyah), NT

20: Broome Airfield, WA. Attack by Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" heavy bombers. One civilian killed. Minor damage to airfield.
20: Derby, WA

22: (00.51 a.m.) Darwin, NT
22: Katherine, NT

23: Darwin, NT
23: Wyndham, WA
23: Wyndham, WA

28: (12.30 pm) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

30: (05.40 a.m.?) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
30: Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

31: (1:20 pm) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
31: (10:19 pm) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

April

2: (3:30 pm) Darwin (Harvey St, McMinn St, Shell Oil Tanks), NT
2: Sattler Airfield, NT

4: (1:48 pm) Darwin Civil Airfield and Parap Hotel, NT

5: (12:29 pm) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

25: (2:00 pm) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

27: (12:07 pm) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

30: Horn Island, QLD

May

June

13: (11:52 am) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
14: (1:14 pm) Darwin (town area), NT
15: (12:20 pm) Darwin (Larrakeyah to Stokes Hill), NT
16: (12:01pm) Darwin (town area), NT
26: (8.50 p.m.) Darwin, NT

July

7: Horn Island, Qld
25: (8:50 pm) Darwin (town area), NT

26: Townsville, Qld
26: (9:39-10:54 pm) Darwin (Vesteys Meatworks), NT
27: (10:27 pm) Knuckey's Lagoon, Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

28: (00:45 am) Darwin RAAF airfield, NT
28: Townsville, Qld

29: (00:59 am) Darwin (town area) and Knuckey's Lagoon, NT.
29: Townsville, Qld

30: (03:58 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
30: Horn Island, Qld
30: Port Hedland, WA.

31: Mossman, Qld
31: (1.33 p.m.) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

August

1: Horn Island, Qld
21: Wyndham, WA
23: (12:12 pm) Hughes Airfield, NT
24: (9:24 pm) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
24: (10:14 pm) Noonamah, NT

25: (00:05 am) Darwin and Parap, NT
27: (03:45-05:37 am) Darwin (Botanical Gardens) and Cox Peninsula, NT
28: (03:35 am) Darwin (Railway Yards and Port Patterson), NT
30: (02:39 am) Darwin (town area), NT
31: (05:14 am) Darwin (town area) and Cox Peninsula), NT

eptember

25: (03:41 am) Darwin (town area) and Knuckey's Lagoon, NT
25: (05:48 am) Darwin (town area and Daly Street Bridge), NT

26: (05:22 am) Livingstone Airfield, NT

27: (04:56 am) Bynoe Harbour, NT
27: (05:44 am) Darwin (town area) (Frances Bay)

October

10: Horn Island, Qld

24: (04:42 hrs) Batchelor Airfield
24: (04:52 am) Pell Airfield
24: (04:57 am) Cox Peninsula
24: (05:12 am) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

25: (05:30 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

26: (04:54 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

27: (02:20 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT

November

23: (03:00-04:39 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
23: Coomalie Creek Airfield, NT

26: (03.20 a.m.) Darwin (town area), Strauss Airfield and Hughes Airfield, NT

27: (03:56- 04:46 am) Coomalie Creek, Hughes Airfield and Strauss Airfield, NT

December

1943

January

20: (10:44 pm-00:15 am) Searchlight station, AWC Camp, Ironstone, NT
21: (9:54 pm) Darwin (Frances Bay), NT
22: (1.30pm) HMAS "Patricia Cam" sunk, near Wessel Islands, NT.

February

March

2: (2:34 pm) Coomalie Creek Airfield, NT
15: (11:20 am) Darwin (oil tanks), NT

April

May

2: (10:15 am) Darwin RAAF Airfield and Darwin Floating Dock, NT
9: Millingimbi, NT
10: Millingimbi, NT. The cutter HMAS "Maroubra" was sunk.
20: Exmouth Gulf, WA
21: Exmouth Gulf, WA
28: Millingimbi, NT

June

18: Horn Island, Qld
20: (10:43 am) Winnellie and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
28: (11:07 am) Vesteys, NT
30: (12:30pm) Fenton Airfield, NT

July

6: (12:02pm) Fenton Airfield, NT

August

13: (9:45pm) Fenton Airfield, NT
13: (11:12 pm) Fenton Airfield and Coomalie Creek Airfield, NT
13: (11.42 pm) Coomalie Creek Airfield, NT

14: Long Airfield, NT

17: Port Hedland, WA

21: (00:37 am) Fenton Airfield and Coomalie Creek Airfield, NT
21: (03:30 am) Pell Airfield, NT

eptember

15: (00:25 am) Fenton Airfield and Long Airfield, NT
15: Onslow, WA. (The southernmost air raid in Australia.)
16: Exmouth Gulf, WA
18: (03:50 am) Fenton Airfield and Long Airfield, NT
27: Drysdale River Mission (Kalumburu) airfield, WA. One fatality, Father Thomas Gil, the superior of the mission.

October

November

10: Coomalie Creek Airfield, NT
12: (03:53-05:30 am) Parap, Adelaide River and Batchelor Airfield, NT

Notes

References

* [http://www.ozatwar.com/bomboz.htm ozatwar.com, "Japanese Air Raids in Australia During WW2"]
* [http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww2/jap-attack-aust.htm diggerhistory.info "Attacks on the Australian mainland in WW2"]
* [http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/air_raids/ Australian War Memorial, "Air raids on Australian mainland – Second World War"]
* [http://darwindefenders.org/about/bombing-raids-64-on-darwin-1942-43/ Darwin Defenders 1942-45 Inc, veterans association's list of 43 air raids (excluding reconnaissance flights)]
*cite journal
last = Charnwood
first = Don
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The north Australian Air War, 1942-44
journal = Journal of the Australian War Memorial
volume =
issue = No. 8, April 1986
pages = Pages 33–45
publisher =
year = 1986
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 07296274
accessdate =
*cite book
last = Gillison
first = Douglas
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = History of Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 - Air. Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force, 1939–1942
publisher = Australian War Memorial
year = 1962
location = Canberra
pages =
url = http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=26
doi =
id =
* 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
*cite book
last = Odgers
first = George
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = History of Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 - Air. Volume II – Air War Against Japan, 1943–1945
publisher = Australian War Memorial
year = 1968
location = Canberra
pages =
url = http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=27
doi =
id =