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Pearl Harbor of Australia

P

PeteHam

Charter Member
I didn't know about this until the other day .....

The bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darwin
The bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was both the first and the largest single attack mounted by a foreign power against Australia. On this day, 242 Japanese aircraft attacked ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to contest the invasions of Timor and Java. The town was only lightly defended, and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces at little cost to themselves. The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids, and there were a number of civilian casualties.
This event is often called the "Pearl Harbor of Australia". Although it was a less significant military target, a greater number of bombs were dropped on Darwin than were used in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Australian government covered-up the bombing raids on Darwin believing its publication would represent a psychological blow to the Australian population. The raids were the first and largest of almost 100 air raids against Australia during 1942–43


Pete.
 
Found it : 2008......"Australia" with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. I thought it was a pretty good movie.
 
They actually bombed Darwin again 2 hours later. About 243 people were killed in the raids. More bombs were dropped on Darwin in the raid than were dropped on Pearl harbour. More ships were also sunk. there were some similarities to Pearl Harbour as well. A flight of Kittyhawks on a flight to Java were returning to Darwin after being turned back by bad weather. People thought that the Jap bombers were the Kittyhawks returning, just like at Pearl Harbour it was thought the incoming bombers were actually B-17 expected about that time.

They also bombed Broome as well.
 
What could be termed the 'Darwin Raids' lasted for several months, however, Darwin remained on the fringe of the combat zone and the base for many [and mostly unsuccessful] insertions into Timor and the occupied territories to the immediate North.
Most people today have no idea of just how isolated Darwin and the Northern Territory were in those days, no real road links, almost no air services, with the bulk of goods and services coming in via shipping, usually out of Brisbane.
The 'Empire' flying boat services staged through Darwin on an ad hoc basis, simply for refuelling, these diverting to Broome on the West coast after the first bombing raids as part of the evacuation from Java.
IIRC the first IJN attack on Broome caught around 20 to 30 civilian aircraft, mostly flying boats, many loaded with refugees on the water or at the rough and ready airfield.
Without checking my files I think the bulk of the aircraft were destroyed with a heavy loss of non-combatant lives, one USAAC LB30 was caught as well.

Possibly the best and most unbiased account of Australia's war in the Northern Territory was published in the the mid 1980s under the title of "The Shadows Edge", well worth looking up.

luckydog, "Australia" was probably a decent enough film that bore very little relationship to the truth.
:kilroy:

And a PS: "The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids, and there were a number of civilian casualties."
Actually the civilian casualties were high in proportion to the population, the damage to administrative and public infrastructure being extensive.
 
 
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