Bombing of Darwin

Artist: Kym Smitt
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Bombing of Darwin

In December 1941, Japan bombed the Americans at Pearl Harbour and entered the Second World War. Within ten weeks, Japan controlled Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and the Australian territory of New Britain (Rabaul).

Darwin being the largest town in the north of Australia, was a key defensive position against an aggressive Japan. And so Australia developed Darwin’s military ports and airfields, built coastal batteries like the one in the pic here and anti-aircraft guns. Steadily enlarging its garrison of troops. Darwin was seen as a key port for the Allied ships, planes and forces defending the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia and East Timor).

The Japanese first attacked Darwin on the morning of 19 February 1942. This one (and the one that was to follow later that day) was planned and led by Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese commander responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbour. It was the largest Japanese attack since.

With around 188 planes that had been launched from Japanese land bases and aircraft carriers in the Timor Sea, the Japanese fighters strafed land targets and shipping. Dive bombers attacked the ships in the harbour, the military and civilian aerodromes and the hospital. The dive bombers were escorted by fighter planes to protect them from Australian and allied planes. Eight ships were sunk and most of the others were damaged by bombs or machine gunfire.

The only air defences the allies had were ten fighter planes that engaged the Japanese planes. Only one allied fighter survived the first attack, with the Japanese suffering only one or two losses.

You can find alot of evidence of allied defesive structures all around Darwin. Tunnels, depot’s, and many military defensive structures, including the old Batteries and bunkers, along with airfields. The Darwin museum houses much of the other smaller, portable evidence.

Take a look if you are ever in Darwin :)

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