Enemy Raids on Australia 1942-43

Date

Results

Raid No.

19 Feb 42

Heavy raids, 50 tons of bombs dropped. 243 killed, 350 wounded. Two ships set on fire, one blown up damaging the pier. Six ships sunk and seven more damaged;  three Catalina aircraft destroyed and two US vessels destroyed. Post and telegraph offices destroyed, police station, barracks, cable office, and government offices destroyed and hospital damaged. RAAF hospital, recreation hall, equipment store, many houses and living quarters destroyed.

1 & 2

4 Mar 42

Nil casualties and one Hudson destroyed.

3

16 Mar 42

2 airmen killed and 10 wounded. Officers Mess and one Hudson damaged

4

19 Mar 42

2 killed. Naval Headquarters and residential area damaged.

5

22 Mar 42

Nil casualties, scrub near Nightcliff hit.

6

28 Mar 42

Nil casualties. Runway and Wirraway hit.

7

30 Mar 42

Nil casualties, nil damage.

8

31 Mar 42

First night attack. No casualties. Bombs dropped in bush..

9 & 10

2 Apr 42

Nil casualties. 29,500 gallons, 100-octane fuel destroyed at Frogs Hollow fuel tank and civilian houses damaged.

11

4 Apr 42

1 killed and 2 wounded, civil aerodrome strafed.

12

5 Apr 42

Nil casualties, RAAF aerodrome cratered.

13

25 Apr 42

1 killed, 7 wounded, RAAF aerodrome damaged.

14

27 Apr 42

4 killed, RAAF station hit, 3 wounded.

15

13 Jun 42

Nil casualties, buildings, airfield and fuel stocks hit.

16

14 Jun 42

Nil casualties, nil damage..

17

15 Jun 42

Extensive raid, 4 killed 12 wounded, 2 buildings hit.

18

16 Jun 42

Nil casualties, buildings hit.

19

25 Jul 42

Nil casualties, power and water supply buildings hit, power and water supplies damaged.

20

26 Jul 42

2 wounded, 3 houses destroyed, 2 badly damaged.

21

27 Jul 42

Nil casualties, searchlight station hit.

22

28 Jul 42

Nil casualties, very slight damage to water line and runways.

23

29 Jul 42

Nil casualties, Naval repair shop damaged.

24

30 Jul 42

1 killed, fuel dumps, power, water and telephone lines damaged.

25 & 26

23 Aug 42

Nil casualties. Some fuel and ammunition dumps destroyed at Hughes, 2 aircraft damaged.

27

24 Aug 42

Nil casualties, bombs fell in swamp in first and bombs dropped some miles from Hughes in second.

28 & 29

25 Aug 42

Nil casualties. Bombs fell in vicinity of civil aerodrome and civil aeradio. Slight damage to radio station and power lines.

30

27 Aug 42

No casualties, direct hit on civil radio station.

31

28 Aug 42

Nil casualties, railway damaged.

32

30 Aug 42

Nil casualties, pipeline damaged.

33

31 Aug 42

Nil casualties, nil damage.

34

25 Sep 42

Nil casualties, power and fuel supplies hit. No damage in first, slight damage in second.

35 & 36

26 Sep 42

Nil casualties, nil damage.

37

27 Sep 42

Nil casualties, nil damage.

38 & 39

24 Oct 42

5 wounded, huts and water tanks damaged.

40, 41, 42 & 43

25 Oct 42

Nil casualties, nil damage in first and building, power and telegraph lines damaged in second.

44 & 45

27 Oct 42

Nil casualties, power lines damaged.

46

23 Nov 42

Nil casualties, nil damage.

47

26 Nov 42

Nil casualties, Darwin and Hughes Field damaged. Slight damage to aircraft and buildings.

48

27 Nov 42

Nil casualties, nil damage.

49

21 Jan 43

Nil casualties, nil damage.

50

22 Jan 43

Nil casualties, nil damage.

51

2 Mar 43

2 wounded, Coomallie strip damaged. First time Spitfires took part. 6 Zekes strafed Coomallie strip leaving some damage.

52

15 Mar 43

Nil casualties, fuel tanks, pipelines and railway sheds hit. Spitfires in action.

53

2 May 43

Japanese lost 1 bomber and 5 fighters with 9 damaged and 4 probably damaged. 7 Spitfires lost, 3 had engine trouble and 3 pilots missing.

54

20 Jun 43

3 killed, 11 wounded. Winnellie area hit, also RAAF.

55

28 Jun 43

Nil casualties, 3 huts damaged.

56

30 Jun 43

2 wounded. Vehicles damaged. 4 aircraft destroyed on ground, 7 damaged, other slight damage.

57

6 Jul 43

Nil casualties, 4 aircraft damaged. 140 bombs dropped, Fenton dispersal area bombed: 1 g/c burnt and 3 others damaged; slight damage to installation. Enemy losses; 10 bombers destroyed, 3 bombers damaged, 2 fighters destroyed. Our losses, 7 Spitfires missing.

58

13 Aug 43

Fenton aerodrome.  Bombs dropped unknown. 4 parachute flares. 8 bombs along strip without causing damage or casualties; remaining bombs and parachute flares fell wide of target.

59

13 Aug 43

(1)Coomallie-approximately 20 bombs dropped including aerial incendiaries.

(2)Fenton - Bombs wide of the N. End of strip, causing no damage or casualties.

60

21 Aug 43

Nil casualties, Fenton, Coomallie and Pell hit. Unreported number of bombs dropped at Fenton. Carpenters and sheet metal shops destroyed, a few bombs fell in a dump.

5 sticks of bombs dropped on Coomallie and Pell. Communications at Coomallie temporarily damaged. At Pell, 1 aeroplane slightly damaged, 14 drums of oil destroyed and telephone wires severed; no casualties

61

16 Sep 43

Nil casualties, camp hit.

62

19 Sep 43

35 bombs dropped. Long and Fenton strips were bombed; no damage or casualties.

63

12 Nov 43

Nil casualties, slight damage around Darwin.

64

Locality

Date

Results

Broome

3 Mar 42

Nine fighter-bombers destroyed, 7 other aircraft in hangers destroyed, 4 killed, 8 missing, believed drowned, 20 wounded

Thursday Island

3 Mar 42

Wyndham

3 Mar 42

Horn Island

14 Mar 42

Broome

20 Mar 42

1 person killed

Derby

20 Mar 42

No casualties or damage. Strafed with cannon and machine guns

Thursday Island

15 Mar 42

Thursday Island

20 Mar 42

Katherine

22 Mar 42

1 killed, 1 injured

Wyndham

23 Mar 42

1 Service casualty

Horn Island

30 Apr 42

Horn Island

11 May 42

Sydney

night of 31 May - 1 Jun 42

Midget submarine attack in Sydney Harbour accompanied by loss of life. Attack was of very short duration - a matter of minutes

Sydney

8 Jun 42

Sydney was shelled by submarine - no loss of life

Newcastle

8 Jun 42

Newcastle was shelled by submarine - little damage - no loss of life

Horn Island

7 Jul 42

Townsville

26 Jul 42

6 bombs dropped over the harbour at approximately 12.40 pm

All 6 fell into the sea, about two hundred metres from the main jetties

Townsville

28 Jul 42

8 bombs - Foothills of Many Peaks Range at 2.23 am.

Townsville

29 Jul 42

1 bomb near racecourse - 6 into sea,

at 2.27 am

Port Hedland

30 Jul 42

1 casualty - 30 bombs

Horn Island

30 Jul 42

Cairns

31 Jul 42

1 bomb in Mosman District (a long way from Cairns)

Horn Island

1 Aug 42

Thursday Island

27 Aug 42

Millingimbi Island

9 May 43

Millingimbi Island

10 May 43

Nil casualties

Exmouth Gulf

12 May 43

2 bombs - no damage

Exmouth Gulf

20 May 43

Some doubts about a raid on this date

Exmouth Gulf

21 May 43

9 bombs dropped in sea

Exmouth Gulf

22 May 43

2 bombs dropped in sea - no damage or casualties

Millingimbi Island

28 May 43

Nil casualties

Horn Island

18 Jun 43

Bombs fell in sea

Broome

16 Aug 43

More than 6 bombs - no damage or casualties

Port Hedland

17 Aug 43

4 x 100 kg H[E], 4 x 60 kg [incendiaries]. - no damage or casualties

Onslow

16 Sep 43

Number of bombs not recorded - no damage or casualties

Drysdale Mission

27 Sep 43

Over 90 bombs dropped, Mission are heavily damaged; only slight damage to RAAF buildings; no service casualties