March 3, 1942 Air Raid Against Broome
by Stan Gajda

Broome is 1,350 miles from Perth and was a remote out-of-the-way place during the war. Today it is one of the top tourist attractions in Australia. I don't know what has happened to the wrecks since I was there last in 1987.

Zeros Attack
9:20am Nine A6M2 Zeros swept over the harbor for a low-level surpirse attack at 500 feet. Three provided top cover, and one C5M2 flew reconnassance. Planes and people fleeing from Indonesia were staging through Broome on their way down south to Perth.This attack resulted in the destruction of 17 aircraft which included 3-engine Donier Do24 seaplanes, Catalinas, Empire flying boats, Fortresses, Liberators, Hudsons and DC-3s.

A6M2 piloted by Lt. Zenjiro Miyano
A6M2 piloted by 3rd Air Sergent Takashi Kurano
A6M2 piloted by 1st Air Private Zempei Matsumoto (KIA)
A6M2 piloted by Chief Air Sergeant Masaki Okazaki
A6M2 piloted by 2nd Air Sergeant Susumu Matsumoto
A6M2 piloted by 1st Air Sergeant Juzo Okamoto
A6M2 piloted by 2nd Air Sergeant Yoshio Hashiguchi
A6M2 piloted by 1st Air Private Yasuo Matsumoto
C5M2 (recon) piloted by Akira Hayashi with observer Shinobu Nagasawa

Dornier Do24 Wrecks
This is probably one of the rares aircraft types in the Pacific. German engineered for the Dutch, this three engine seaplane is a rare wreck in terms of history and type. Sunk during the Japanese attack. I have identified three Dornier Do24's including X-1, X-20 and X-23 at Broome and about 50 miles on the coast south of Broome, the X-36 landed at night and the crew burnt it thinking the Japanese were right behind them.

At very low spring and king tides some of the seaplane wrecks can be reached by wading out to them about a mile offshore. Once I saw these I wanted to explore them, recover relics for the museum and look for more wrecks.

This Zero was hit by ground fire and it went into the sea but it was never found. The pilots body was washed up later though.

Broome Airfield
On land near Broome Airfield there used to be bits and pieces of the B-17s and B-24s etc. There were even 50 cal machine guns around the place back in 1976. Development of the town as a tourist destination and obliterated everything on land since then. The last time I was out on the mud flats was in 1989 and I have never been there since. B-24A 40-2373 was destroyed at the airfield.

References
After The Battle Magazine issues 28, Broome by Stan Gajda.

Last Updated
September 30, 2009