On the morning of 19 February 1942,
fighters, bombers, and aircraft carriers
from the japanese navy was louched
for the air raids on Darwin, the
largest single attack ever mounted
by a foreign power on Australia.
Also known as Australian Pearl Harbor,
This, is The Bombing of Darwin.
Darwin is the capital city
of the Northern Territory of
Australia, situated on the Timor Sea.
It was a small town
with limited civil and military
infrastructure, with a
population of 5,800 people. Due
to its strategic position in
northern Australia, the Royal
Australian Navy, RAN, and Royal
Australian Air Force, RAAF,
had constructed bases near
the town in the 1930s and the
early years of World War II.
As early as August 1941, Darwin
had been a key in the South
Pacific air ferry route,
designed to avoid routes through
the Japanese mandate in the
central Pacific for bomber
reinforcement of the Philippines.
By November 1941, the
allies envisioned Darwin as the
hub of transshipment efforts
to support the java and
philippine forces, and due to its
importance, the Australian
government considered it as a
vital asset in Australia's
defense against an expanding
imperial of Japan. Australia lay
directly south of the newly
consolidated Greater East Asia
Co-Prosperity Sphere, where
Japanese military leaders feared
that it would be used as a
base by the Allies to strike
at Japan's newly won empire.
Commander of the Combine Fleet,
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto,
feared Darwin was a possible
hindrance to Japanese operations
in Java and Timor. He submitted
proposals for an amphibious
invasion of the Darwin area,
but the Navy and Army General
Staff rejected that option,
indicating that the continent
required more troops to subdue
and garrison than Japan had to
expend. So Australia’s northern
ports had to be neutralized
instead, and the islands above
it had to be seized as a
buffer to prevent Allied
counterstrokes against Japan’s
newly vital islands and resource centers.
Destroying
Darwin was the first step in
that process and offered the
additional advantage of diverting
Allied resources to Australia’s
defense, and away from the
fighting in Southeast Asia.
Following the outbreak of the
Pacific War in early December
1941, Darwin's defenses
were strengthened. In line
with plans developed before
the war, several Australian
Army and Royal Australian Air
Force units stationed in the
town were sent to the Netherlands
East Indies to strengthen
the defenses of the islands
of Ambon and Timor.
the harbor underwent improvements
to coastal defenses and port
facilities, while local
airfield facilities were also
upgraded, and the garrison was
steadily increased. following
the outbreak of the war, all
but 2,000 civilians were
evacuated from the town to the
southern Australia state.
Despite Darwin's strategic
importance to the defense
of Australia, the city was poorly defended.
The Australian
Army's 14th Heavy Anti-Aircraft
Battery comprised sixteen
QF 3.7 inch AA guns and two
3-inch AA guns to counter
aircraft flying at high
altitudes, and 8 Lewis Guns for
use against low-flying raiders.
The crews of these guns
had conducted little recent
training due to ammunition
shortages. Also stationed at
darwin was the headquarters
of Brigadier David Blake’s
7th Military District, with
about two militia battalions
of the Citizen’s Military
Forces. The air forces stationed
in the town was RAAF Number
12 Squadron, which was equipped
with 5 unserviceable CAC
Wirraway advanced trainers
used as fighters, and RAAF
Number 13 Squadron with 3
Lockheed Hudson light bombers.
Also present on the day of the
attack were ten P-40 Warhawk
fighters from the US 33rd
Pursuit Squadron of the US
Army Air Force, which had
arrived darwin on 15 February.
They were due to take-off for
Timor, on their way to java.
There was an air-warning
radar unit in the city, but
the equipment was incomplete,
and the last of radar equipment
would not arrive at darwin
until 22nd of February.
To support the invasion of
Timor, and to interdict the flow
of material and supplies to Java
from Darwin, a surprise air
raid was planned against port darwin.
An internal draft plan
of operation was drawn by Southern
Task Force Commander, Vice
Admiral Nobutake Kondō. For the
attack on Darwin, Kondō had
assembled a large strike force,
the IJN 1st Air Fleet, under
the command of Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo.
This force comprised
the aircraft carriers, akagi,
Kaga, Hiryū, and Sōryū,
escorted by 2 heavy cruisers
of 8th cruiser division, and
1st destroyer squadron, comprised
of a light cruiser and 7
destroyers. Each carrier had an
established strength of 63 to 72
aircraft, comprising 27 Nakajima
B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bombers,
18 Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive-bombers,
and 18 Mitsubishi A6M2
"Zero" fighters: a total of 432
aircraft with reserves, led
by air group Commander, Mitsuo Fuchida.
The carrier-borne
aircraft were manned by experienced
pilots and crews, around
80 percent of whom had participated
in the Pearl Harbor attacks.
3 submarines of the 6th
submarine squadron also grouped
with the force. These task force
would leave Palau and proceed
to Timor sea, 350 km northwest of Darwin.
Their objective
was to conduct a surprise
attack and to destroy the port
facilities, sink as many ships
in the harbor as possible, and
destroy infrastructures like oil
storage and the army base. In
addition to the carrier-borne
aircraft, 54 land-based naval
bombers also would carry out
the raid on Darwin on the same
day. These units comprised of 27
Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' medium
bombers from the Kanoya air
group based at kendari, and 27
Mitsubishi G3M 'Nell' medium
bombers from the 1st air group
operating at Ambon. Both air
groups were comprised of the IJN
21st air flotilla, under the
command of the 11th air fleet
commander, Vice Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara.
Their objective
was to conduct the noon raid
and to destroy the RAAF base.
on 9 february 1942, the suggestion
of a strike on darwin by Rear
Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi was
followed up by the Southern Area
Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral
Nobutake Kondo. Kondo then relayed
it to commander of Combine
Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
At 1020 on 10 February, a Mitsubishi
C5M2 'Babs' reconnaissance
aircraft belonging to 3rd Air Group took
off from Ambon, to carried out a covert
photoreconnaissance over Port Darwin. After
stealthily reconnoitring over and taking
photos of Port Darwin, the C5M2 'Babs' landed
on Ambon at 1720. The crew reported that
they identified an aircraft carrier, five
destroyers and 21 merchant ships in Darwin
Harbour, as well as 30 aircrafts at the
town's two airfields. Although at the
time, there is no aircraft carrier at darwin.
The crew had sighted a former aircraft
carrier converted to seaplane tender,
USS langley, who left on 11 february.
On the 15 February, 1 US
Army Transport ship, and
3 civilian transport
ships, carrying troops for
Timor Reinforcement,
consisted of US Army of the
147th and 148th Field
Artillery, and Australian
troops of the 2/4th
Pioneer Battalion departed
darwin at 02:00. The
convoy was escorted by a
heavy cruiser, USS Houston,
one destroyer, USS
Peary, and two royal
Australian navy sloops.
On the same day, at 14:00, the IJN
1st carrier air fleet task force,
left Palau for Timor sea, for
the attacks on Port Darwin. One
of the carriers, The IJN Kaga, was
limited to 18 knots because she
had struck an uncharted reef,
while shifting mooring positions.
On the afternoon of 18 February, the allied
convoy, that was bound for Timor had
returned to darwin. The convoy had to reverse
course on 16 February, after Supreme
commander of ABDA-Command, General Wavell
had received intelligence information,
that indicated the invasion of Timor was
imminent. he also feared that a Japanese
carrier was in the area to cover the landing.
The constant air attack on the Timor
Convoy was one major piece of that evidence.
The Houston and the Perry then were
ordered to leaved darwin, and joined
Rear-Admiral Doorman strike force at Chilachap,
after a Japanese invasion convoy for Bali
had been sighted on Makassar strait.
The Houston and the Peary
departed on that day.
Shortly after departure,
The Peary sonar detected
a suspected submarine
and launched a search
that lasts several hours,
while Houston continued alone.
However, they
found nothing and return
to darwin for a refuel.
This took longer than expected, and
USS perry commander, Lieutenant
Commander Keith, decided to
remain at darwin overnight
and sail for Chilacap
on the next morning.
By Dawn of 19 February,
after cautiously sailed to
the south, Vice Admiral
Nagumo carriers task force
had arrived at a pre-arranged
launch point, 350
km northwest of Darwin. A
weather reconnaissance
aircraft had been launched
from the cruiser, Tone,
at dawn and arrived over
Darwin at around 08:30.
With the weather fine and
clear, the attack on
darwin was confirmed and
Nagumo ordered the strike.
At 08:30, The carriers launched
The first wave, consists of 81
B5N2 “Kate” torpedo bombers, but
functioning as level bombers,
escorted by 18 A6M2 “Zero” Fighters.
At 09:00, the second wave is launched
with 71 D3A1 “Val" dive bombers,
escorted by 18 A6M2 “Zero” Fighters.
The second wave would
catch up with the first wave
before arriving over Darwin.
a total of 188 aircraft was launched.
The attack was led by
commander, Mitsuo Fucheda,
aboard a Nakajima B5N2 "Kate".
The order also was given to land-based
bombers and flying boats of IJN
21st air flotilla. The land-based bombers
would attack the darwin airfield
at 11:30, while flying boats will
seek the enemy in the Arafura Sea and
the Timor Sea. Twenty-seven Mitsubishi
G4M 'Betty' medium bombers of
Kanoya air group, led by Lieutenant
Commander Toshie Irisa , departed
kendari at 0905, while 27 Mitsubishi
G3M 'Nell' medium bombers of 1st air
group, led by Lieutenant Commander
Takeo Ozaki, departed ambon 5 minutes
later. They were to joining over
banda sea before headed for darwin.
As morning on 19 February came around,
it seemed like another normal
day in Darwin. The freighter, MV
Neptuna, carrying material for
the extension of the harbor boom
and 200 tons of depth charges, was
at the wharf’s outer berth. the
Australian freighter, SS Barossa,
with wood to extend the wharf, was
also present. There were three
American transport ships, USAT
Meigs, Mauna Loa, and SS Port Mar,
of the returned Timor convoy. There
was the British ship, MV Tulagi,
also from the returned Timor convoy.
The British tanker, MV
British Motorist, was there to
replenish Darwin’s stocks of fuel. The
hospital ship, HMAHS Manunda,
originally bound for Singapore, was
in the anchorage; as was the
Australian freighter, SS Zealandia,
carrying ammunition. Destroyer, USS
Peary, was trying to get topped
off with fuel to head to Java. A
destroyer-seaplane tender, The USS
William B. Preston was servicing
its Catalinas. There were some
47 vessels in all. 6 remaining
Hudsons from RAAF No.2 squadron,
who had evacuated Dutch Timor,
also arrived early in the morning.
Also, Five PBY Catalinas of Patrol Wing
10, had gone out on a routine patrol
over the Timor Sea. one of those patrols
the area around Bathurst Island.
In addition to the vessels
in port, the US supply
ships, USAT Don Isidro,
and SS Florence D,
were near Bathurst island.
They were bound for
Philipines, bringing
ammunition to General
Douglas MacArthur’s besieged
forces there. For Don
isidro, after being
discovered by the japanese
float-plane a day before,
her captain decided
to reverse course and
head back for darwin.
At 09:15, Ten P-40 Warhawks of the
US Army Air Force 33rd Pursuit
Squadron, under command of Major
Floyd Pell, took off and heading
west for Timor on the first leg of
their journey to Java. However,
they were recalled back 20 minutes
later because of bad weather.
By 09:15, as the 1st air
attack fleet En route
to Darwin, the formation
encountered a Patrol
Wing 10 PBY Catalina, flown
by Lieutenant Thomas
Moorer, who was on patrol
out of Darwin. nine
Kaga’s Zeros was broke from
formation, to intercept
an American patrol. one
of the zeros, flown
by Naval Air Pilot, 1st
Class Yoshikazu Nagahama,
bounced the Catalina,
before Moorer’s crew knew
what hit them. With both
engines dead, Moorer PBY
Catalina forced to makes
a hard landing on the
sea. 8 Kaga zeros then
return to the main
formation, while one zero
loses from formation and
proceeds to darwin alone.
Observing the action was
a small Filipino merchant
ship, the SS Florence D,
altered course and
rescued the crew a short
time later. At 09:37,
Father McGrath of the
Sacred Heart mission, on
Bathurst Island, who was
also an Australian
coastwatcher, observed a large
force of aircraft heading
south, and sent a
message using a pedal radio
to the coastal radio
station at Darwin. However,
no general alarm was
given at darwin. The RAAF
officers judged that
the aircraft, which had
been sighted was ten
P-40 Warhawks, who had
recalled back after bad
weather. A grave error was
made, considered that
P-40 is not coming from
the north rather than
from the west. As the attack
fleet flew across the
Tiwi Islands, 6 zero
from Hieryū, split from
the main formation, and
strafe the Bathurst island
Mission and a stranded
C-53 on the airstrip.
The aircraft was destroyed,
and several buildings,
including the radio
shack, were damaged.
At 09:40, 10 P-40 Warhawks was back
at darwin. Five Warhawks landed
to refuel, while the remainder,
patrolled over Darwin's sky.
At the same time, The main
Japanese force crosses
the coast east of Darwin
and then turns over
the 35 km peg, on its
approach to the town from
the southeast, in an
effort for some deception.
Despite the main force having been
reported, but not yet over Darwin,
The first Japanese aircraft to
arrive was a lonely Zero, flown
by Nagahama, who had broken off
early from the main formation.
Between 09:37 and 09:45, He quickly
engaged five P-40 Warhawks of
the 33rd Pursuit Squadron, who still
in the air, as they attempted
to protect the other five who were
already landing. Nagahama Zero
was too quick. Four Warhawks were
quickly shot down, while one
managed to break off over the
flights, and heads to the southeast.
At 09:55, the main formation
approached the target from the
southeast, and discovered that
still no alarm had been sounded
in Darwin. Like the attack on
Pearl Harbor, the IJN task
force once again had achieved a
complete surprise on darwin.
The attack commenced when
nine low-flying Zero fighters
from kaga, who had split
from the main formation,
strafed an auxiliary
minesweeper, HMAS Gunbar, as a
prelude to commencing the major attack.
At 09:58,
The air raid sirens of Darwin
were sounded. 16 3.7-inch
heavy anti-aircraft guns opened fire.
The five
Warhawks, which had landed
were shocked to discover
that they were under
attack by Japanese Zeros.
They tried to take off again.
Two were able to get
to the sky, including
squadron leader, Major Pell,
but immediately shot down
by Japanese zeros from
Hiryū, and was killed when
he parachuted out of the
aircraft. The other
Warhawks on the ground were
destroyed, as they tried to take off.
Darwin's air
defense now had been eliminated.
what left is 16
3.7-inch heavy AA guns on
the ground to do the job.
Meanwhile, Mitsuo Fuchida air fleet began
their run over the harbor and town. at 09:59,
All "B5N2" kate level
bombers began attacking
ship at the harbor,
while the fighter group
strafed AA position
and other targets of
opportunity. 800kg Bombs
struck the wharf, blowing
the pier’s train into the harbor. Explosions
destroyed water mains, oil pipes, and
much of the pier. Strings
of bombs moved across
the hospital, post
office, police barracks,
and through the town’s government offices.
They were smashed and left
in smoldering ruins. The Japanese had learned
a lesson from the past. They were not
making the same mistake
again as they made at
pearl harbor, by attacking
only the ships.
As the Kate high-level
bombers complete their
bombing run, at 10:03, Val
dive-bombers began their
attack. 71 D3A1 "val"
dive bombers were divided
into two groups, All
"Val" dive bombers from
akagi, Hiryu, Soryu, and
part of Kaga dive bombers
to attack port and
military installation,
while the other part of
kaga dive bombers attacks
the Parap Civil Airfield
and the RAAF Station.
At 10:10, The situation
deteriorated rapidly. at the dock,
shipping riding at anchor was then
being subjected to devastating
pattern-bombing, dive-bombing,
and machine-gun sweeps. Both
Barossa, and Neptuna, at the
dock, took early bomb hits and
were set afire. The three PBY
of Patrol Wing 10 on the water,
were destroyed by gunfire from Kaga zeros.
Swan, Warrego, Peary,
and William B. Preston, managed
to get underway. However, it
was the destroyer Peary that
was the largest warship in the
harbor, and she took more than her
share of Japanese Air attack.
After evading the first few
bombs, Peary took five bomb
hits in rapid succession. the
ship broke apart. She sank later
at 13:00, along with her
commanding officer. The Manunda, a
hospital ship, then sent out
rescue boats to rescued Perry
surviving crew. Shortly afterward,
she was hit by a "Val" dive
bomber. Despite 12 killed and
47 wounded among the crew and
medical staff, Manunda continued
to function as a hospital ship.
US army transport, USAT
Meigs, was ablaze and
sinking. Mauna Loa, had
a broken back, and
was going down by the stern, although her
entire crew was rescued. A British tanker,
MV British Motorist was sinking by the bow.
Port mar was beached. At about the same
time, Zealandia took a bomb down her hatch
that exploded deep in the hold. The port
and harbor, were racked by an almost
volcanic explosion, as the 200 tons of depth
charges on the blazing Neptuna detonated, and
sent shock waves through the harbor. The
nearby Barossa, being towed clear when
Neptuna exploded, had to be beached, and her
timber cargo completely lost. At the same
time, Swan was badly damaged by a near- miss.
At 10:30, about 30 minutes after it had
started, The strike force commander, Commander
Mitsuo Fuchida, signals
the last of the enemy
aircraft to return to
the carrier task force.
at 10:45, As they headed back, however, they
spotted two Philippine cargo schooners,
the USAT Don Isidro and the SS Florence D.
and reported it to 1st carrier
Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Chuichi
Nagumo. Before they headed back, Nine Zeros
from the carrier Soryu, attack the
freighter, Don Isidro, to slow it speed.
Darwin’s agony was not over yet. The second
wave, making up of 54 land-based medium
bombers from kanoya air
group, and 1st air
group, arrived over Darwin
just before midday.
At 11:58, the town air raid siren
was sounded. As the bomber force
approached Darwin at 18,000 feet,
They ignored the town and harbor,
instead, they concentrate on the
military airfield. What little
the first wave had left untouched,
the bombers finished off. One
of these formations attacked RAAF
Base Darwin from the south-west,
while the other approached from the
north-east. The two formations
arrived over the base at the same
time, and dropped their bombs
simultaneously. This massive load
of explosives from 54 aircraft
struck the entire area of the
airfield simultaneously and with
terrifying force. the highly disciplined
waves of bombers then wheeled
and turned, rearranged themselves
in tidy formations, and swept
back over the RAAF base for another
simultaneous release of up
to 13,000 kg of high explosive.
At 18,000 feet the bombers were
well beyond the range of the machine guns.
the Australian heavy
anti-aircraft flak gunners were
unable to shoot down, or damage
any of the high-flying Japanese
aircraft, due to defective fuses.
The second wave raid inflicted extensive
damage on the RAAF base. The highly accurate
pattern bombing destroyed two hangars,
runways, four dormitories, the hospital,
mess halls, equipment stores, and several
other buildings. six Hudson light bombers
were also destroyed, and another Hudson,
and a Wirraway were badly damaged.
The second raid last only
20 minutes, and at about
12:20, all 54 japanese
medium bombers, left Darwin.
After receiving reported
that 2 cargo ships
were spotted, Vice Admiral
Nagumo, immediately
ordered the cruisers, Tone, and Chikuma, to
probe the spotted vessel, while ordering
Sōryū, and Hiryū, to attack it after they
received the 1st wave aircraft. Tone launched
an Aichi E13A1 "Jake" Reconnaissance
Float-plane, to scout the reported ships.
A Jake Reconnaissance Float-plane
later located Don Isidro, at
about 15:00. two bombs were
dropped, but neither hits the ship.
At much the same time, nine
D3A1 "Val" dive bombers on
each of the carriers, Sōryū,
and Hiryū, were launched.
The planes from Sōryū found the ship,
one and half hours later. The nine dive
bombers scored five direct hits, leaving
the ship heavily damaged and afire.
She was beached on the north coast later to avoid sinking.
Just 50 km to the south,
Florence D picked up a
distress call from Don Isidro,
and immediately changed
course to assist. However,
they were spotted by an E13A1
“Jake” Reconnaissance float-plane.
Unarmed and with
a top speed of only 10 knots,
the captain decided that
it was useless to outmaneuver
the float-plane. The
Reconnaissance float-plane
dropped two bombs, but
neither hit the ship, before
flying off to the west.
Under the threat from japanse bombers,
Florence D captain decided that it
was too dangerous to proceed to the
philippine, and turned back for Darwin.
Unfortunately, Approximately 2
Hour later, Hiryū nine D3A1
"Val" dive bombers, found
the freighter, and launched
an immediate attack. Two bombs
were hits, on a cargo ship
full of ammunitions, ensuring
the end of Florence D.
Florence D went down by
the bow within minutes.
At the end of this horrific day in Darwin,
nine ships had been sunk, 9 P-40s from USAAF
33rd pursuit squadron destroyed in the air,
while two more P-40s, all six RAAF number
2 squadron Hudsons, and
one LB-30 destroyed
on the ground. 3 US Navy
Patrol wing 10 also
burned in the harbor. Another 278 RAAF
personnel 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. Some 250
people had been killed, mostly on the Peary,
and Neptuna. The government in Canberra
suppressed these casualty
figures, out of fear
for panic among the
Australian population.
Darwin was destroyed as a
serviceable base. Coming
on the heels of the Singapore
disaster, the raid was
interpreted as a prelude to
an invasion on the continent.
Australia's now living in the
darkest hour. Any request
by the allies, to send
Australian corps to outer
territories had been blocked.
After the 19 February raid,
the Japanese made 64 more
bombing attacks on the
Northern Territory, and parts
of Western Australia’s
north coast, between 4
March 1942 and 12 November
1943. But none of the attacks
are devastating as the
darwin raid. For the
Japanese, the 1st Air Fleet
strike on Darwin succeeded
in eliminating all of these
threats to the Timor invasion.
The timor convoys were
undetected until they
reached their destinations,
and unloading was unimpeded.
They had achieved complete
surprise on darwin, as
they did on pearl harbor.
Despite the heavy fire from Australian AA
guns, the Japanese lost only one “Zero”,
and two “Vals”, over Darwin. one “Kate”
was also forced to ditch in the ocean
on the return flight, but its crew was
rescued. Another 34 planes were damaged in
varying degrees. So in this respect, the
Darwin raid was a successful operation.
However, Nagumo’s described
the operation as,
“using a sledgehammer
to break an egg,” while
Fuchida would later say
that, “the job to be
done seemed hardly worthy
of the Nagumo Force.”
After the attack, the Nagumo carrier
fleet headed to Kendari for
refueled and resupply. They were
joined by Vice-Admiral Nobutake Kondō,
with the 4th Cruiser Squadron, and
2/3rd Battleship Squadron. They
are getting ready for the Indian
Ocean, for the end game of java.
