Editing Bombing of Darwin (section)

==Air raids==

===First raid===

The four Japanese aircraft carriers launched 188 aircraft on the morning of 19 February. The main objective of their crews was attacking ships and port facilities in Darwin Harbour.<ref name=Hiromi /> Their aircraft comprised 81 [[Nakajima B5N]] ("Kate") light bombers, 71 [[Aichi D3A]] ("Val") dive bombers, and an escort of 36 [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Mitsubishi A6M]] ("Zero") fighters. While the B5N was a purpose-built torpedo bomber, it could instead carry up to {{convert|800|kg|lb}} of bombs and there is no evidence of torpedoes being used on this occasion; the D3A could carry up to {{convert|514|kg|lb}} of bombs. All of these aircraft were launched by 8.45&nbsp;am.<ref name=Grose_81 /> This wave was led by [[Commander (rank)|Commander]] [[Mitsuo Fuchida]], who had also commanded the first wave of attackers during the raid on Pearl Harbor.<ref name="Hiromi">Hiromi (1997)</ref>

On their way to Darwin, Zeros shot down a US Navy [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|PBY Catalina]] and strafed a USAAF [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47 Skytrain]] on the ground, near [[Melville Island, Northern Territory|Melville Island]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Darwin's air war, 1942–1945: an illustrated history|author=Bob Alford|publisher=Aviation History Society of the Northern Territory|page=14|year=1991|isbn=0-646-04102-9}}</ref> At 9.35&nbsp;am Father McGrath of the Sacred Heart mission on [[Bathurst Island (Northern Territory)|Bathurst Island]], who was also an Australian [[coastwatcher]], sent a message using a [[Human power#Pedal-powered transmitter|pedal radio]] to the Amalgamated Wireless Postal Radio Station at Darwin that a large number of aircraft were flying overhead and proceeding southward. The message was then relayed to the Royal Australian Air Force Operations at 9.37 am.<ref name="Pg 9">{{cite web|url=http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/bitstream/handle/10070/83913/Lowe_Report.pdf?sequence=1|title=''Commission of Inquiry Concerning the Circumstances Connected with the Attack Made by Japanese Aircraft at Darwin on 19th February, 1942'' (Lowe Commission report)|page=9|access-date=19 February 2014|archive-date=15 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515081650/http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/bitstream/handle/10070/83913/Lowe_Report.pdf?sequence=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> No general alarm was given until about 10 am as the RAAF officers there wrongly judged that the aircraft which had been sighted were the ten USAAF P-40s, which were returning to Darwin at the time after reports of bad weather forced them to abort a flight to Java via Kupang, West Timor. As a result, the air raid sirens at Darwin were not sounded before the raid.<ref>Grose (2009), pp. 84–87</ref>

Flying escort in a Zero fighter, [[Petty Officer]] [[Yoshikazu Nagahama]] was separated from his squadron while he was attacking the PBY flying boat and arrived over the city alone ahead of the strike force, which was making a turn to attack from the south. He engaged five [[US Army Air Force]] [[P-40 Warhawk]] fighters and single-handedly shot down four of them.{{sfn|Tagaya|2011|}}{{sfn|Hata|Izawa|Shores|2011|}}

The Japanese raiders began to arrive over Darwin at 9:58&nbsp;am. HMAS ''Gunbar'' was the first ship to be attacked, being strafed by several Zero fighters. At about this time, the town's air raid sirens were belatedly sounded. The Japanese bombers then conducted dive bombing and level bombing attacks on the ships in Darwin Harbour.<ref name="Coulthard-Clark_205">Coulthard-Clark (2001), p. 205</ref> These attacks lasted for 30 minutes, and resulted in the sinking of three warships and six merchant vessels, and damage to another ten ships.<ref name=Stanley_2002 /><ref name=Coulthard-Clark_205 /> The ships sunk were the USS ''Peary'', HMAS ''Mavie'', {{USAT|Meigs}}, {{MV|Neptuna}} (which exploded while docked at Darwin's main wharf), {{SS|Zealandia|1910|2}}, {{SS|Mauna Loa}}, {{MV|British Motorist|1924|6}}. The oil tanker ''Karalee'' and the coal storage hulk ''[[Kelat (1881)|Kelat]]''<ref name="Gill_595">Gill (1957), p. 595</ref> sank later. At least 21 labourers working on the wharf were killed when it was bombed.<ref name=Stanley_2002 />

[[File:Darwin raid (AWM 044603).jpg|thumb|left|An aerial photograph of vessels burning in Darwin Harbour taken by a Japanese airman during the first raid.]]

[[File:P-40E shot down Darwin 19 Feb 1942.jpg|thumb|left|A downed USAAF P-40E]]

[[File:Neptuna explosion 19 February 1942.jpg|thumb|left|[[MV Neptuna|MV ''Neptuna'']] explodes at Stokes Hill Wharf. In front of the explosion is {{HMAS|Vigilant}} which is undertaking rescue work. In the centre background is the floating dry dock holding the corvette {{HMAS|Katoomba}}. In the foreground is the damaged {{SS|Zealandia|1910|6}}.]]

[[File:USS Peary (DD-226) burning at Darwin 1942.jpg|thumb|left|{{USS|Peary|DD-226|6}} sinking.]]

[[File:Darwin Harbour (AWM 027334).jpg|thumb|left|A sunken ship ([[MV Neptuna|MV ''Neptuna'']]) and burnt-out wharf in Darwin Harbour following the attack (AWM 027334)]]

All but one of the P-40s of Major Floyd Pell's 33rd Pursuit Squadron, was shot down or destroyed on the ground at RAAF Darwin by the Japanese.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Weston|first=Brian|date=29 September 2021|title=The USAAF 49th Fighter Group over Darwin: a forgotten campaign|url=https://historyguild.org/the-usaaf-49th-fighter-group-over-darwin-a-forgotten-campaign/|website=History Guild}}</ref> Japanese aircraft bombed and [[strafe]]d the base and civil airfield, as well as the town's army barracks and oil store. All of these facilities were seriously damaged.<ref>Grose (2009), pp. 102–103</ref>

The bombers began to leave the Darwin area at about 10:10.{{sfn|Lewis|Ingman|2013}} On their way back to the carriers, their crews noted two Philippine-registered freighters lying just outside the port: ''Florence D.''<ref>[http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?171504 Wrecksite website].</ref> and ''Don Isidro''.<ref>[http://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?177522 Wrecksite website].</ref> This information contributed to planning for the second raid that afternoon (which sank both vessels).

Japanese losses may have been as few as five aircraft and three crew.<ref name="Alford2017">Bob Alford, 2017, ''Darwin 1942: The Japanese attack on Australia'', Oxford/New York, Osprey, pp. 78–9.</ref> Another 34 Japanese aircraft landed safely with battle damage.<ref>Tom Womack, 2015, ''The Allied Defense of the Malay Barrier, 1941–1942'', Jefferson, N. Carolina; McFarland & Company, p. 162.</ref> Warrant Officer Katsuyoshi Tsuru and First Petty Officer (1st class) Takezo Uchikado were killed when their Aichi dive bomber (bu. no. ''3304''; tail no. AII-254) crashed near RAAF Darwin.<ref name="Alford2017"/> Petty Officer [[Hajime Toyoshima]] (a.k.a. Tadao Minami) was taken prisoner after crash-landing his damaged Zero (bu. no. b. n.''5349''; tail no. BII-124) on Melville Island.<ref name="Alford2017"/> Those who ditched near the Japanese fleet and were rescued included [[Leading Seaman|Flyer 1st class]] Yoshio Egawa and the Aichi crew of Flyer 1st class Takeshi Yamada and Flyer 1st class Kinji Funazaki.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Citation | author1=Lewis, Tom | author2=Ingman, Peter | title=Carrier attack Darwin 1942 : the complete guide to Australia's own Pearl Harbor | date=2013 | publisher=Kent Town, South Australia Avonmore Books | isbn=978-0-9871519-3-3 }}</ref> In 2013, a reference was discovered in Japanese records to a Nakajima torpedo bomber suffering wheel damage from a "gunshot" and both crew (names unknown) being rescued after ditching (by the destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Tanikaze|1940|2}}).<ref name="Alford2017"/>

Allied ground fire was relatively intense and may have claimed all but two of the Japanese aircraft lost. Only one of the USAAF P-40 pilots remained airborne throughout the first attack, 1st Lieutenant Robert Oestreicher, who has also been credited by US and Japanese sources with one Aichi shot down and one damaged.{{sfn|Tagaya|2011|}}<ref name="Bartsch412">William H. Bartsch, 2010, ''Every Day a Nightmare: American Pursuit Pilots in the Defense of Java, 1941– 1942'', College Station, TX; Texas A&M Press, p. 412.</ref> Toyoshima's Zero is considered to have been brought down by small arms fire from [[Sapper#Commonwealth of Nations|Sappers]] Tom Lamb and Len O'Shea of the [[19th Battalion (Australia)|19th Battalion]].<ref name="Alford2017"/> Most aviation historians believe Tsuru and Uchikado's Aichi was brought down by ground fire,<ref name="Alford2017a">Alford, ''Darwin 1942: The Japanese attack on Australia'', p. 53.</ref> possibly from a major Australian Army camp at [[Winnellie, Northern Territory|Winnellie]].<ref name="Bartsch412"/> Egawa reported that the damage to his Zero came from hitting a tree at Darwin.<ref name="Alford2017"/>

===Second raid===

The second wave, made up of 54 land-based medium bombers (27 [[Mitsubishi G3M]] and 27 [[Mitsubishi G4M]]) arrived over Darwin just before midday. The town's air raid sirens were sounded at 11:58&nbsp;am when the bombers were sighted. The Japanese force separated into two groups flying at {{convert|18000|ft|m}}. One of these formations attacked [[RAAF Base Darwin]] from the south-west while the other approached from the north-east. The two formations arrived over the base at the same time, and dropped their bombs simultaneously. The Japanese bombers then turned, and made a second attack on the base. Due to defective fuses, the Australian heavy anti-aircraft flak gunners were unable to shoot down or damage any of the high-flying Japanese aircraft.<ref>Grose (2009), pp. 132–134</ref> The bombers left the Darwin area at about 12:20&nbsp;pm.<ref name=Coulthard-Clark_205 />

This raid inflicted extensive damage on the RAAF base, though casualties were light. Of the RAAF aircraft at the base, six Hudson light bombers were destroyed and another Hudson and a Wirraway were badly damaged. Two American P-40s and a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|B-24 Liberator]] bomber were also destroyed. Six RAAF personnel were killed.<ref name=Coulthard-Clark_205 /><ref name="Grose_137">Grose (2009), p. 137</ref> Lewis and Ingman list 30 aircraft destroyed.

The Japanese carrier force launched a small number of D3A dive bombers during the afternoon of 19 February to attack the ''[http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?171504 Florence D.]'' and ''Don Isidro''. ''Don Isidro'' was the first of these two ships to be attacked, and was rapidly sunk {{convert|40|km|mi}} north of Melville Island. Eleven of her 84-strong crew were killed. The dive bombers also attacked ''Florence D.'' and sank her off [[Bathurst Island (Northern Territory)|Bathurst Island]] with the loss of four crewmen.<ref name="Grose_134">Grose (2009), p. 134</ref> All of the survivors from ''Don Isidro'' were rescued by the corvette {{HMAS|Warrnambool|J202|6}} on 20 February. Some of ''Florence D.''{{'}}s survivors landed on Bathurst and Melville Islands while the remainder were rescued by ''Warrnambool'' on 23 February.<ref name="Gill_594">Gill (1957), p. 594</ref> Among the survivors of ''Florence D.'' were the rescued crew of a U.S. Navy [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|PBY]] piloted by then Lt [[Thomas H. Moorer]] (later to become [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff]]).{{sfn|Gibson|Gibson|2008|p=171, fn 7}}

''Admiral Halstead'', strafed and with plates damaged by near misses, was brought to the pier where U.S. Army volunteers along with survivors of the U.S. and Philippine vessels helped unload her 14,000 drums of aviation gasoline.{{sfn|Office of Naval Intelligence|1943|p=39}}