February 19,
1942
(Raid 1 & 2) (IJN) Japanese carrier aircraft from Hiryu and Soryu and Akagi strike Darwin, Darwin Airfield and Darwin Harbor, bombing vessels loaded with troops destined for the defense of Koepang
on Timor. Ten P-40's sent to Darwin to escort the convoy are almost entirely wiped out by the attack.
March 4, 1942
Darwin Airfield.
March 16, 1942
Darwin Airfield & AA Battery at Bagot.
March 17, 1942
Darwin.
March 19, 1942
Darwin city, Myilly Point and Larrakeyah.
March 22-23, 1942
Darwin.
March 28, 1942
(12.30 pm) Darwin Airfield.
March 30, 1942
Darwin Airfield.
March 31, 1942
Darwin Airfield.
April 2, 1942
Darwin - Town & Oil Tanks, Sattler Airfield.
April 4, 1942
Darwin civil & Parap Hotel.
April 5, 1942
Darwin Airfield.
April 25, 1942
Darwin Airfield.
April 27, 1942
IJN: A single C5M2 Babs from 3rd Kokutai took off from Koepang Airfield at 7:30am for a reconnaissance mission at 9:50 over Darwin for ten minutes then returns safely. Meanwhile seventeen G4M1 Bettys led by Lt. Tanemasa Hirata took off from Koepang Airfield at 8:37am armed with 60kg bombs on a bombing mission against Darwin. At 9:00am, twenty one A6M2 Zeros from the 3rd Kokutai led by Lt. Takeo Kurusawa departed to escort the bombers. Over the target at an altitude of 20,000' the Bettys dropped their bombs at 11:35am while Australian 3.7" heavy anti-aircraft guns opened fire and P-40s intercepted the formation. Returning, the Bettys landed between 1:30pm to 2:00pm and the Zeros land at 1:50pm. References: Darwin’s Defenders (forthcoming) by Bob Alford.
June 13, 1942
Darwin Airfield.
June 14, 1942
Darwin town straffed.
June 15, 1942
June 16, 1942
(12:01pm) A large Japanese force bombs the Darwin town area and set fire to the oil fuel tanks around Darwin Harbor and inflicted severe damage to the vacant banks, stores and railway yards.
June 20, 1942
(Raid 55) Ki-49 Helens at high altitude bomb Winnellie. Ki-48s and Ki-43s hit the RAAF
base at Darwin.
June 26, 1942
(8.50 p.m.) Darwin.
July 6, 1942
(Raid 58)
July 25, 1942
(Raid 59)
July 26, 1942
(Raid 60)
July 27, 1942
July 28, 1942
July 29, 1942
July 30, 1942
July 31, 1942
August 23, 1942
(Raid 27) After noon, 27 G4M1 Bettys from Takao Kokutai (Takao Air Group) escorted by 12-15 A6M2 Zero fighters bomb Hughes Field south of Darwin (Raid 27). The Bettys bomb Hughes Field and destroy on the ground CA-9 Wirraway A20-599 and Buffalo A51-6 from the newly arrived No 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit (PRU). Fuel and ammunition dumps were also hit, 250 drums of aviation fuel destroyed and the runway cratered. The Japanese formation was intercepted by P-40 Warkhawks from 49th Fighter Group that claimed four bombers destroyed along with eight fighters, for the loss of just one aircraft. Although General MacArthur was prompted to signal to his air commander, Major General Kenney, his "heartiest felicitations" at the stout defense mounted, this was actually the last occasion on when American P-40s intercepted a Japanese air raid over the Northern Territory of Australia.
August 24, 1942
Japanese aircraft bomb
Hughes Airfield and Darwin Airfield.
August 25, 1942
August 27, 1942
August 28, 1942
August 30, 1942
August 31, 1942
September 15/16, 1942
(Raid 62) Overnight raid.
September 25, 1942
September 26, 1942
September 27, 1942
(04:56 am) Bynoe Harbour, NT.
(05:44 am) Darwin (town area) (Frances Bay).
October 24, 1942
(04:42 hrs) Batchelor Airfield
(04:52 am) Pell Airfield
(04:57 am) Cox Peninsula
(05:12 am) Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
October 25, 1942
(05:30 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
October 26, 1942
(04:54 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
October 27, 1942
(02:20 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
November 23, 1942
(03:00–04:39 am) Darwin (town area) and Darwin RAAF Airfield, NT
Coomalie Creek Airfield, NT
November 26, 1942
(03.20 a.m.) Darwin (town area), Strauss Airfield and Hughes Airfield, NT
November 27, 1942
(03:56–04:46 am) Coomalie Creek, Hughes Airfield and Strauss Airfield, NT
PARTIAL LIST
March 15, 1943 (Darwin Air Raid #53)
(IJN) 20 plus bombers and 22 Zekes/Haps attack Darwin. The are intercepted by Spitfires from 452 Squadron, RAAF and 54 Squadron, RAF. Lost is Spitfire A58-92 pilot Thorold-Smith (KIA).
May 2, 1943 (Darwin Air Raid #54)
JAAF: At 10:15am Japanese planes strike Darwin Airfield and a floating drydock in Darwin Harbor.
June 20, 1943 (Darwin Air Raid #55)
JAAF: At 10:43am, Ki-49 Helens and Ki-48 Lilys escorted by Ki-43 Oscars strike Darwin. Ki-49 Helens at high altitude bomb Winnellie and Ki-48 Lilys at low level bomb Darwin Airfield.
RAF/RAAF:
46 Spitfires took off from Darwin to intercept the incoming Japanese air raid. Lost are Spitfire A58-68 pilot P/O Anthony T. Ruskin-Rowe (KIA), Spitfire A58-107 pilot P/O Willie E. Nichterlein (MIA) and Spitfire "Butch III" A58-174 pilot P/O A. E. Featherstone (survived) force landed and aircraft later recovered.
