Bombing of Darwin

The Bombing of Darwin, also known as the Battle of Darwin, on 19 February 1942 was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. On that day, 242 Japanese aircraft, in two separate raids, attacked the town, ships in Darwin Harbour and the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to contest the invasion of Timor and Java during World War II.

This article is about the first and largest air raid on 19 February 1942. For the major raid of May 1943, see Raid on Darwin (2 May 1943). For other air raids on Darwin, see Air raids on Australia, 1942–43.
"Darwin 1942" redirects here. For the book by Bob Alford, see Darwin 1942: The Japanese attack on Australia.

Bombing of Darwin
Part of the Pacific War

The explosion of MV Neptuna, filled with TNT and ammunition, hit during the first Japanese air raid on Australia's mainland, at Darwin on 19 February 1942. In the foreground is HMAS Deloraine, which escaped damage.
Date19 February 1942 (1942-02-19)
Location
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
12°28′30″S 130°51′00″E
Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
 Australia
 United States		  Japan
Commanders and leaders
David V. J. Blake
Frederick Scherger		 Chuichi Nagumo
Mitsuo Fuchida
Strength
31 aircraft
18 antiaircraft guns
1 destroyer
1 seaplane tender
2 sloops
4 minesweepers/corvettes
4 boom defence vessels
9 merchant ships/transports
1 hospital ship
23 auxiliary vessels
12 pearling luggers		 242 aircraft (188 carrier-based aircraft; 54 land-based medium bomber aircraft)
4 aircraft carriers
2 heavy cruisers
1 light cruiser
7 destroyers
3 submarines
Casualties and losses
236 killed
300–400 wounded
30 aircraft destroyed
11 vessels sunk
3 vessels grounded
25 ships damaged		 Four carrier aircraft lost
2 killed
1 POW
34 carrier aircraft damaged
Location within Northern Territory
Bombing of Darwin (Australia)
Bombing of Darwin (Pacific Ocean)

Darwin was lightly defended relative to the size of the attack, and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon 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. More than half of Darwin's civilian population left the area permanently, before or immediately after the attack.

The two Japanese air raids were the first, and largest, of more than 100 air raids against Australia during 1942–1943. The event happened just four days after the Fall of Singapore, when a combined Commonwealth force surrendered to the Japanese, the largest surrender in British history.

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