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February 1942 (3)

Posted by GP

Melbourne’s “Argus” headlines, 24 Feb. ’42

In early 1942, Darwin, Australia was used as a military base, a transit area for men and aircraft heading out to their newly assigned areas. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) therefore had no fighters to ward off any possible enemy attack. On 19 February, Darwin suffered its first and most devastating air raid.

a wrecked Lockheed Hudson

The Japanese had assessed Darwin as a major threat to their operations on Timor and Java (Ambon had already been captured). The 47 Allied Naval Merchant ships sitting in the harbor presented a desirable target, along with the township of military facilities. Japanese aircraft carriers in the Arafura Sea were sent in for the first wave of attacks which lasted 42 minutes; catching American pilots on patrol by surprise and downing most of them.

The Area Combined Headquarters in Darwin disregarded the warnings of a Catholic missionary on Bathurst Island and that of a naval coastwatcher on Melville Island as the enemy took off from Ambon. This second wave arrived an hour later and the strike was concentrated on the military airfield as their main objective.

In and around the harbour, ships, wharves and parts of the town suffered severe damage. Three Allied naval ships and 5 merchant ships were sunk and another 10 were damaged. Most of the 235-280 (references differ) people killed were victims of the first wave. The second wave killed 6 RAAF servicemen and destroyed 9 planes on the ground. Several of the civilians were killed in the township, especially when the Post Office and bomb shelter received a direct hit. All together, approximately 260 enemy aircraft were used for these air raids.

debris in a bomb crater

This was the first of about 97 attacks Australia would receive from the Japanese; 63 of which would hit Darwin. The final air raid would not be until November 1943. The first two military medals for bravery on Australian soil were awarded to 2 antiaircraft gunners for their actions. Other servicemen and civilians were commended for rescuing crewmen from the waters and burning ships; as doctors and nurses treated the victims.

The reason why the air raid sirens did not go off until just prior to attack and why message alerts were disregarded? Perhaps some of the readers here can answer that in the comment section?

Lt. Walker’s P40E Kittyhawk

Shortly after this attack, on 3 March 1942, Broome, Australia in the northern part of the country, received a devastating air raid without warning. The Japanese aircraft swept in low over the township, bombing and strafing the harbour, airfield and town; dozens were killed or wounded and 24 aircraft were destroyed. Many of the casualties were Dutch refugees from the Netherlands East Indies (aka Indonesia), whose flying boats were sitting in the harbour defenseless.

Click on images to enlarge.

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