‘The warning time that they thought they had completely evaporated in a moment.’ In this week’s episode, we take off from where we left off with Lark Force in Rabaul, New Guinea as the Allies continue to combat the Japanese advance through South-East Asia and the Pacific. Joined by my regular co-host LTCOL Steve Young, this episode is far closer to home, focused on the largest attack on home-soil being on Darwin, Northern Territory.

Following Pearl Harbour, the United States identified a need to establish bases that could be held against an initial Japanese onslaught and eventually used to mount counter offensives. The United States chose Darwin because of its deep-water port and its proximity to the Philippines. The assumption was that if the United States could ship stores to Brisbane and Sydney, they could move these stores via road and rail inland to Darwin to stage before the Philippines. Darwin, at this time, consisted of four main streets, the newly established Larrakeyah Barracks and RAAF Base Darwin, a single deep-water port, and a population of less that 6,000.

On the 19 February 1942 (74 days after Pearl Harbour), The Nagumo Force was tasked to attack Darwin. The commander sent 242 aircraft to destroy ships afloat in the Darwin Harbour, strike aircraft on the newly established RAAF Base Darwin and the civilian airport and attacked Darwin to deny its use by the Allies. The Nagumo Force managed to kill 250, wound 300-400 people, destroy 30 aircraft, sink 11 vessels and damage 25 vessels. Both the Japanese and the United States overestimated the impact that Darwin would have on the Pacific War and we explain why in this episode.

The Bombing of Darwin is commemorated on 19 February each year in Darwin, with 8/12 Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery providing a blank firing demonstration with M2A2 105mm Howitzers, the 1st Aviation Regiment providing Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters and the RAAF’s 75 Squadron providing F-35A Lightning II multi-role, supersonic, stealth fighters to simulate the Japanese bombing and the Allied defence.

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