----- WHEN WAR CAME TO AUSTRALIA -----
The following is a timeline of raids on Darwin by the Japanese…
19 Feb 1942
1st raid starting at 09.58 am, heavy attacks on shipping, the town and aerodrome by 188 aircraft. Officially 243 killed; Mayor J Burton estimated 900 killed, other army sources approx. 1100 killed. Extensive damage.
19 Feb 42
2nd raid by 54 heavy bombers, at 11.57 am. Altogether, in the two raids, 23 of our aircraft were destroyed. The USA Air Force lost 10 P40 Kittyhawks, one B24 bomber, 3 Beechcraft. The US Navy lost 3 Catalina amphibians. The RAAF lost 6 Hudsons; 8 ships were sunk, 15 damaged. The Japanese lost 12 aircraft.
4 Mar 42
Two Japanese planes machine-gunned men repairing the line at the 4-mile. 1 Hudson totally destroyed on the runway.
16 Mar 42
14 planes bombed the R.A.A.F. 5 airmen killed, 1 injured.
19 Mar 42
Daly Street and Myilly Point areas bombed, 2 killed.
22 Mar 42
On Sunday two air raids were made on the Civil ‘Drome and Katherine ‘Drome 200 miles inland. No damage, no casualties.
28 Mar 42
R.A.A.F. bombed, slight damage to 1 Wirraway.
30 Mar 42
R.A.A.F. bombed, no damage.
31 Mar 42
Bombs dropped in the bush. Nil damage
31 Mar 42
First night raid at 10.30 p.m. No damage.
2 Apr42
Oil tanks bombed, 29,500 gallons of fuel destroyed. Harvey and McMinn Streets hit.
4 Apr 42
Raid by 7 bombers with Zero escort. Japanese lost all 7 bombers and their Zero escort. RAAF aerodrome strafed by 3 Zeros, 1 civilian killed, 2 servicemen injured.
5 Apr 42
R.A.A.F. bombed and runways cratered.
25 Apr 42
25 planes bombed C Company 19 Machine Gun positions at RAAF aerodrome. 1 Bren Carrier, 1 Anti Tank vehicle and ammunition destroyed, 3 soldiers injured, 1 US airman killed, 1 injured. Power, water and telephone services cut. 84 bomb strikes counted.
27 Apr 42
27 planes bombed R.A.A.F. 4 airmen killed, 3 injured.
8 Jun 1942
Japanese submarine sunk at Boom net.
13 Jun 42
R.A.A.F. bombed by 27 planes.
14 Jun 42
Big air battle at 10-mile. One Japanese plane and one Kittyhawk shot down.
15 Jun 42
27 planes bombed from old hospital to Police Paddock. 4 killed, 15 wounded.
16 Jun 42
Oil tanks, banks, Jolly’s store, and railway yards bombed.
25 Jul 42
Japanese bombed R.A.A.F. and civil drome.
26-Jul-42
First raid at 9.15 pm. Vesteys damaged. Second raid at 10.50 pm.
27 Jul 42
Another night raid at 10.30 pm. Bombs dropped at 10 Mile near Wireless Station.
28 Jul 42
Slight damage to water line and runways.
29 Jul 42
R.A.A.F. bombed at 1.25 am. Slight damage to Naval repair shop.
30-Jul-42
Civil drome bombed at 4 am.
30 Jul 42
Japanese lost 20 planes in a daylight raid. Power, water, telephone cable damaged. 2 fuel dumps destroyed. 1 killed.
9 Aug 42
Two Japanese submarines sunk in Darwin Harbour.
23 Aug 42
27 bombers, damaged Hughes Field, 2 aircraft damaged.
24 Aug 42
Night raid, Vesteys hit. First raid at 9.15pm at 29 Mile.
24 Aug 42
Second raid at 12 midnight bombs dropped near Vestey’s Meat Works and near civil aerodrome, damage to radio and power lines. Japanese reconnaissance plane shot down at Koolpinyah.
25 Aug 42
Damage to civil aerodrome and civil radio station.
28 Aug 42
Railway yards hit at 2.15 am.
30 Aug 42
Point Charles lighthouse bombed at dawn.
31 Aug 42
Civil aerodrome hit. Slight damage to pipeline.
25 Sep 42
Raid at 4 am at Clark’s Pearling Sheds. Army petrol destroyed.
26 Sep 42
Camps at 34 mile bombed at 04:35
27 Sep 42
Raid at 4AM McMinn and Harvey Streets hit.
27th Sep 42
Adelaide River, Batchelor, and Winnellie bombed. 5 Casualties.
24 Oct 42
Night raids 3. 50 am at East Point, Fannie Bay, and Francis Bay. Japanese came again but were driven off.
26 Oct 42
Lands office, Don Hotel and railway offices hit.
27 Oct 42
Don Hotel hit again, also East Point and civil drome. Slight damage to power lines.
23 Nov 42
Night raid 3.50 am at South Point.
26 Nov 42
Raid at 4.00 am on Navy yards and 28 mile. Raid at 1.00 pm on harbour.
26 Nov 42
Raid at 4.00 am on railway yards . Raid at 11.00 am on West Point.
27 Nov 42
Japanese attacked but were driven off.
29 Nov 42
Japanese attacked again but were driven off.
3 Dec 42
Japanese attacked but were driven off with heavy losses.
1943
20 Jan 43
Raid at midnight. Bombs dropped at Ironstone.
21 Jan 43
Raid at 10 pm. Daly Street and Police Paddock bombed.
2 Mar 43
Coomalie Creek airstzrip attacked by 16 bombers. Spitfires shot down 2 Zeros and 1 Kate bomber.
7 Mar 43
Sunday – Reconnaissance Japanese Dinah came over but was shot down by 457 Sqn.
15 Mar 43
21 bombers and 24 Zeros came over at 11.00 am. 7 bombers shot down, 3 Spitfires and 1 pilot lost. Set fire to two oil tanks near the wharf.
2 May 43
Raid at 10.30am RAAF bombed. 11 Jap bombers and 5 Zeros shot down. We lost 14 Spitfires, all but 2 pilots were saved.
20 Jun 43
Winnellie bombed. 35 bombers attacked, Spitfires shot down 12 bombers and 4 fighters for the loss of 2 Spitfires.
21 Jun 43
Japanese came over at 10.30am, driven off.
22 Jun 43
Tuesday – Japanese machine-gunned Batchelor roads.
28 Jun 43
Raid at 11.10 am East Point and Vestey’s bombed.
30 Jun 43
Raid at 12.30 pm. Fenton attacked by 27 bombers escorted by 23 fighters. Japanese lost 6 ‘Bettys’ and 3 Zekes, 1 Spitfire was lost, 3 more were written off with engine failure. 3 Liberators were destroyed on the ground, 7 others damaged.
26 Jul 43
Fenton hit by 26 bombers and 21 fighters. Spitfires destroyed 9 for the loss of 8 Spitfires.
18 Jul 43
Raid at 3.30 am. 38-mile camp, one Japanese plane shot down.
13 Aug 43
Low level attacks against Fenton drome and the 29-mile.
17 Aug 43
11.15 am raid at Batchelor.
20 Aug 43
Raid on Nightcliff (Darwin)
20 Aug-43
Raid on Batchelor.
29 Aug 43
Sunday – Raid at 9.30 am at 29 mile.
7 Sep 43
Tuesday – Raid at 10 am 29 Mile.
15 Sep 43
Midnight raid at Fenton.
12 Nov 43
Last raid, on Power house, 2 1/2 mile, Winnellie, and Adelaide River at 2.30 am.