054 - The Long Reach of Imperial Japan

Air Raid on Darwin Harbor

If the Allied Force could be represented by a great warship during February 1942, it could easily be imagined that the ship would be on fire from stem to stern. In fact, the Japanese air raids, bombing runs, and marine invasions were wholly effective, as the Japanese Forces swept across Southeast Asia.

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With the attack on Pearl Harbor and all of the December 8^th offensives, Japan looked to expand their Empire to its fullest extent. To accomplish this, they would have to neutralize any potential threatsand only Australia stood in the way.

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As Butch O’ Hare winged his way through the South Pacific,  the Japanese Navy’s Admiral Chuichi Nagumo ordered Aircraft Carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu to turn into the wind. The 188-plane air fleet, led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, launched from their decks, bound for Australia. 

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400 miles away, the Combined Australian-American fleet docked at Darwin Harbor consisted of a mere handful of ships, with a one Heavy Cruiser, one Destroyer, and one Seaplane tender being the bulk of the fleet. The remainder included escorts, troops transports, and a dozen mine laying ships, all without any anti-aircraft guns. The anti-aircraft batteries on the island itself consisted of 18 anti-aircraft guns and standard armament of 1 bolt-action rifle with 10-20 bullets for every 5 Australian soldiers stationed at Darwin. Just like elsewhere in the Pacific, the Japanese were severely underestimated.

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Although the first air lasted a mere 40 minutes, the Heavy Cruiser USS Peary and a collection of Troop and Vehicle transport ships laid at the bottom of Darwin Harbor. Two hours later, a second wave of 27 Betty and 27 Nell Bombers let loose their full ordinance, leaving all of Darwin Harbor under a smoke cloud. In fact, It was the first direct attack on Australian soil by enemy forces since Dutch explorers discovered it over three centuries earlier.

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