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Australia's Pearl Harbour - the attack on Darwin

Kev,
I never knew this happened to your Country mate! Did he say it was the same Japenese squadrons that hit Pear Harbor? I'm wondering why Darwin and what was the significance that they needed to hit Darwin?
 
Hi V40,
I'm actually in the UK. but it is a little known fact that Darwin was bombed during WW2.

I was fortunate enough to visit there a number of years ago now, and there is a memorial to those lost aboard the ship, a gun recovered points toward the shipwreck.
Another thing about the waters off Darwin is that they are home to Saltwater crocodiles, yes in the sea, there are warnings all along the coast about their presence, you dont just have to worry about the sharks!!!
I think Darwin was hit because its in the far north and so accessable for Japanese forces.
The Stuart Highway that runs directly north to south was built as a supply route and all along the side are to be found remnants of Airfields which were litterally hacked out of the bush.
I'm glad that it is getting a little more recognition.

Maybe some of our Australian members have a little more information??

regards Kev
 
G'day to all the 19 th Feb was the first of about 60 air raids on Darwin as well as afew on Townsville and at least one north of Cairns. Sydney was also attacked by 3 midget subs Sydney was also shelled by a japanese sub . The reason for the bombing of Darwin was to nuetralize the forces so that had the New Guinea campaign being successful and had the solomons islands being taken Australia would have been cut of from the main supply routes from the US making it extremly hard for mainland ports /bases to be used as jumping off points to attack the Japanese in the north There has been alot of speculation as to wether the Japanese intended to invade Australia the fact is that they didn't have the manpower or the resources to do so If I can remember correctly they had approx 30 divisions tied up just garrisoning China. And the japanese army and Navy clashed about the attacks on New Guinea because the navy warned the Army that they could not provide enough transport shipping So basicly because Australian troops were the first to defeat the attacking Japanese forses at a place called Milne bay { you should all read about the milne bay/ kokoda campaign to fully understand the war in the pacific because most histories only focus on the US campaigns } then pushed the japs back over the Owen Stanley ranges back to Buna and Gona and then back along the coast of NG
Regards Daryl
 
And don't forget Broome (W.A.) was also bombed.
Darwin area had more bombs dropped on it than the Pearl Harbour attacks, another gem lost in the mists of time and rewriting of history.

cheers
Bob
 
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