Darwin Bombed!

Book excerpt: The Japanese attack on Darwin on 19 February 1942 stunned the nation and has been a topic of much folklore and speculation ever since. Indeed, it was incredible that the powerful Japanese aircraft carriers that decimated the American Pearl Harbor fleet base in December 1941 turned their attention to tiny Darwin just weeks later. Such was the strength and ferocity of the Japanese attack that some 236 people were killed, eight large ships were sunk, 30 aircraft destroyed and parts of Darwin were left in ruins. It was the deadliest single attack ever suffered on Australian soil.However, Darwin was a victim of its own geography, being close to the Netherlands East Indies which the Japanese were then in the process of seizing. Darwin's harbour and airfield were of great strategic value and Allied forces utilising these facilities threatened the Japanese operations. Since 2013 the Bombing of Darwin Day, 19 February, has been commemorated as a National Day of Observance, the third such national date behind Anzac Day and Remembrance Day. Hence the need for educational materials has never been greater. Darwin Bombed! is a fully illustrated guide for school children of all ages.Dr Tom Lewis is a long time Darwin resident and one of Australia's foremost military historians. A high school teacher and former naval officer, he is the author of 14 books.