Editing Bombing of Darwin (section)

==Prelude==

===Opposing forces===

Despite Darwin's strategic importance to the defence of Australia, the city was poorly defended. The Australian Army's anti-aircraft defences comprised sixteen [[QF 3.7-inch AA gun]]s and two 3-inch AA guns to counter aircraft flying at high altitude and a small number of [[Lewis Gun]]s for use against low-flying raiders. The crews of these guns had conducted little recent training due to ammunition shortages.<ref>Grose (2009), pp. 49–50</ref> The air forces stationed in and near the town comprised [[No. 12 Squadron RAAF|No. 12 Squadron]], which was equipped with [[CAC Wirraway]] advanced trainers (which had been pressed into service as fighters), and [[No. 13 Squadron RAAF|No. 13 Squadron]] which operated [[Lockheed Hudson]] light bombers.<ref>Grose (2009), p. 51</ref> Six Hudsons, 3 from [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF|No. 2 Squadron]] and 3 from [[No. 13 Squadron RAAF|No. 13 Squadron]], also arrived at Darwin on 19 February after having been evacuated from Timor. None of the six Wirraways at Darwin on the day of the raid were serviceable.<ref name=Coulthard-Clark_204 /> At the time of the event, there was no functional [[radar]] to provide early warning of air raids, and the town's civil defences were dysfunctional.<ref name="Grose_81">Grose (2009), p. 81</ref> The Lowe Commission, led by Victorian judge [[Charles Lowe (judge)|Charles Lowe]] and appointed to investigate the raids shortly after they occurred, was informed that the Australian military estimated that Darwin would have needed 36 heavy anti-aircraft guns and 250 [[fighter aircraft]] to defend it against a raid of the scale which occurred on 19 February.<ref>Grose (2009), pp. 47–48</ref> In addition to the Australian forces, ten [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk]]s were passing through Darwin en route to Java on the day of the attack.<ref name=Coulthard-Clark_204 /> The P-40 pilots were largely inexperienced in combat.<ref>Lewis and Ingman (2013), ch. 7</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="float:;"
|-
|+'''Warships & merchant vessels in Darwin harbour on 19 February 1942'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/22982358?q&versionId=27873619 |title=War diary, Darwin Naval Base. – Version details – Trove |publisher=Trove.nla.gov.au |access-date=19 February 2014}} Table based on AWM78: 400/2 Darwin Naval Base (HMAS MELVILLE): Reports of Proceedings [war diary] Lewis and Ingman cite several other vessels, including the ''Karalee'', a naval tanker.</ref>
!!! Tons !! Ship name !! Comment !! Deaths
|-
|1 || 9155 || [[Manunda|HMAHS ''Manunda'']] || [[Hospital ship]] || 12
|-
|2 || 7358 || {{USAT|Meigs}} || [[List of ships of the United States Army#Transport ships|Freight transport]], sunk || 1
|-
|3 || 6891 || {{MV|British Motorist|1924|6}} || [[Oil tanker|Tanker]], sunk || 2
|-
|4 || 6683 || {{SS|Zealandia|1910|6}} || [[Troopship]], sunk || 2
|-
|5 || 5952 || {{MV|Neptuna}} || Freight transport, sunk || 36
|-
|6 || 5551 || {{SS|Portmar|1919|6}} || Freight transport, beached, refloated 6 April || 1
|-
|7 || 5436 || [[SS Mauna Loa|USAT ''Mauna Loa'']] || Freight transport, sunk || 
|-
|8 || 4265 || {{SS|Barossa}}|| Freight transport, beached, refloated 17 April || 
|-
|9 || 3476 || {{HMAS|Platypus|1917|6}} || [[Depot ship]] || 
|-
|10 || 3289 || {{SS|Admiral Halstead||6}} || Freight transport, 14,000 drums aviation gasoline, damaged<ref>{{cite book |last1=Office Of Naval Intelligence |year=1943 |title=The Java Sea Campaign |series=Combat Narratives |location=Washington, DC |publisher= United States Navy |lccn=2009397493 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/j/java-sea-campaign.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626114817/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/j/java-sea-campaign.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 June 2015 |access-date=2 May 2020}}</ref> || 
|-
|11 || 2281 || {{MV|Tulagi}} || Freight transport, beached, refloated 20 February || 
|-
|12 || 1849 || [[Kelat (1881)|''Kelat'']] || [[Hulk (ship type)#Hulks used for storage|Coal hulk]], sunk 24 February || 
|-
|13 || 1308 || {{USS|William B. Preston|DD-344|6}} || [[Seaplane tender]], damaged || 14
|-
|14 || 1190 || {{USS|Peary|DD-226|6}}  || [[Destroyer]], sunk || 88
|-
|15 || 1060 || {{HMAS|Swan|U74|6}} || [[Sloop-of-war|Sloop]] || 3
|-
|16 || 1060 || {{HMAS|Warrego|U73|6}} || Sloop || 
|-
|17 || 1000 || [[1000-ton Floating Dock|''Floating Dock (AD 1001)'']] || [[Dry dock#Floating|Floating dock]] || 
|-
|18 || 815 || {{HMAS|Deloraine}} || [[Minesweeper]] || 
|-
|19 || 815 || {{HMAS|Katoomba}} || Minesweeper || 
|-
|20 || 815 || {{HMAS|Townsville|J205|6}} || Minesweeper || 
|-
|21 || 815 || {{HMAS|Warrnambool|J202|6}} || Minesweeper || 
|-
|22 || 768 || {{HMAS|Kangaroo}} || [[Boom (navigational barrier)|Boom Defence Vessel]] || 1
|-
|23 || 768 || {{HMAS|Karangi}} || Boom Defence Vessel || 
|-
|24 || 768 || {{HMAS|Koala}} || Boom Defence Vessel || 
|-
|25 || 553 || {{HMAS|Kookaburra}} || Boom Defence Vessel || 
|-
|26 || 550 || [[500-ton Oil Fuel Lighter|''Oil Fuel Lighter No 1'']] || [[Lighter (barge)|Lighter]] || 
|-
|27 || 525 || {{HMAS|Kara Kara}} || Boom Gate Vessel || 2
|-
|28 || 480 || {{HMAS|Gunbar}} || [[Coastal trading vessel|Coaster]] || 1
|-
|29 || 448 || {{HMAS|Koompartoo}} || Boom Defence Vessel|| 
|-
|30 || 420 || {{HMAS|Terka}} || Minesweeper || 
|-
|31 || 418 || {{HMAS|Tolga}} || Minesweeper || 
|-
|32 || 298 || {{HMAS|Southern Cross}} || [[Examination vessel]] || 
|-
|33 || 292 || {{HMAS|Wato}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-wato|title=HMAS Wato &#124; Royal Australian Navy|publisher=Navy.gov.au|access-date=19 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328232727/http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Wato|archive-date=28 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>|| [[Tugboat|Tug]] || 
|-
|34 || 118 || HMAS ''Kalaroo'' || Lighter || 
|-
|35 || 117 || ''Karalee'' || Lighter, sank 5 March|| 
|-
|36 || 106 || {{HMAS|Vigilant}} || [[Patrol boat]] || 
|-
|37 || 68 || HMAS ''Mako'' || Patrol boat || 
|-
|38 || 60 || HMAS ''Chinampa'' || [[Ketch]] || 
|-
|39 || 57 || HMAS ''Malanda'' || [[Lugger]] || 
|-
|40 || 55 || {{HMAS|Kuru}} || Patrol boat || 
|-
|41 || 45 || HMAS ''Winbah'' || Patrol boat  || 
|-
|42 || 45 || ''[[Yampi Lass]]'' || Lighter || 
|-
|43 || 35 || {{HMAS|Nereus}} || Patrol boat || 
|-
|44 || 34 || HMAS ''Coongoola'' || Patrol boat || 
|-
|45 || 21 || HMAS ''Arthur Rose'' || Lugger || 
|-
|46 || 21 || HMAS ''Griffioen'' || Lugger || 
|-
|47 || 21 || HMAS ''Ibis'' || Lugger || 
|-
|48 || 21 || ''Mars'' || Lugger || 
|-
|49 || 21 || HMAS ''Medic'' || Lugger || 
|-
|50 || 21 || ''Plover'' || Lugger || 
|-
|51 || 21 || HMAS ''Red Bill''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/44720512|title=Redbill : from pearls to peace – the life and times of a remarkable lugger / Kate Lance. – Version details – Trove |publisher=Trove.nla.gov.au |access-date=19 February 2014}}</ref> || Lugger || 
|-
|52 || 21 || HMAS ''St.Francis'' || Lugger || 
|-
|53 || 20 || HMAS ''Moruya'' || Lugger || 
|-
|54 || 19 || {{HMAS|Mavie}} || Lugger, Sunk || 
|-
|55 || 15 ||  HMAS ''Kiara'' || Patrol boat || 
|-
|56 || 15 || HMAS ''Sulituan'' || Ketch || 
|-
|57 || 12 || HMAS ''Larrakia'' || Examination vessel || 
|}

A total of 65<ref name="Lewis and Ingman 2013, p. 275">Lewis and Ingman (2013), p. 275</ref> Allied warships and merchant vessels were in Darwin harbour at the time of the raids. The warships included the [[United States Navy]] (USN) destroyer {{USS|Peary|DD-226|2}} and seaplane tender {{USS|William B. Preston|DD-344|2}}. The RAN ships in port were the sloops {{HMAS|Swan|U74|2}} and {{HMAS|Warrego|U73|2}}, corvettes {{HMAS|Deloraine||2}} and {{HMAS|Katoomba||2}}, auxiliary minesweepers {{HMAS|Gunbar||2}} and {{HMAS|Tolga||2}}, patrol boat ''Coongoola'', depot ship {{HMAS|Platypus|1917|2}}, examination vessel {{HMAS|Southern Cross||2}}, lugger {{HMAS|Mavie||2}}, and four boom-net ships. Several USN and Australian troopships were in the harbour along with a number of merchant vessels of varying sizes.<ref name="Lewis and Ingman 2013, p. 275"/> Most of the ships in the harbour were anchored near each other, making them an easy target for air attack.<ref name=Grose_81 /> Moreover, no plans had been prepared for how the ships should respond to an air raid.<ref>Grose (2009), p. 104</ref>

In addition to the vessels in port, the American Army supply ships {{ship||Don Isidro|1939|2}} and ''Florence D.'', former Philippine vessels acquired as part of the [[South West Pacific Area (command)|South West Pacific Area command's]] permanent Army fleet earlier in February,{{sfn|Masterson|1949|p=320}} were near [[Bathurst Island (Northern Territory)|Bathurst Island]] bound for the Philippines with arms and supplies on the morning of the raid.<ref name="Grose_78">Grose (2009), p. 78</ref>

Darwin was attacked by aircraft flying from [[aircraft carriers]] and land bases in the NEI. The main force involved in the raid was the [[1st Air Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Carrier Air Fleet]] which was commanded by Vice-Admiral [[Chūichi Nagumo]].<ref name=Coulthard-Clark_204 /> This force comprised the aircraft carriers {{warship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akagi||2}}, {{warship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Kaga||2}}, {{warship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hiryū||2}}, and {{warship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Sōryū||2}} and a powerful force of escorting surface ships. All four carriers had participated in the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] at the start of the Pacific War.<ref name=Grose_71 /> In addition to the carrier-based aircraft, 54 land-based bombers also struck Darwin in a high-level bombing raid nearly two hours after the first one struck at 0956. These comprised 27 [[Mitsubishi G3M|G3M "Nell"]] bombers flying from Ambon and another 27 [[Mitsubishi G4M|G4M "Betty"]] bombers operating from [[Kendari]] in Celebes.<ref name="Grose_132">Grose (2009), p. 132</ref>