JAPANESE BOMBING RAID
ON DARWIN CITY, MYILLY POINT & LARRAKEYAH
ON 19 MARCH 1942 - RAID NO. 5

On 19 March 1942, seven Japanese Betty bombers of the Takao Ku took off from Koepang at about 0810 hours led by Lieutenant Yoshinobu Kusuhata and carried out a bombing raid on the Darwin Naval area, Daly Street, Myilly Point, and Larrakeyah in the Northern Territory. The majority of bombs fell at Myilly Point in the vicinity of the Naval accommodation.

The Betty bombers arrived over Darwin at 1115 hours releasing 4,800 kgs of bombs from 16,000 feet a few minutes later. Supply Assistant Alan Amos Patching, RANR (PM3145), of HMAS Melville (Shore Depot) and civilian Fireman/Greaser Keith Davern, Australian Merchant Navy, of SS Zealandia were both killed in this Japanese attack. SS Zealandia had been sunk during the first Japanese raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. Keith Davern had been in Darwin waiting to be returned to Sydney. Naval Supply Assistant Hart was injured and 6 other civilians were wounded during the attack.

A house used as a Victualling Store was destroyed in Darwin, and several houses and the Naval Headquarters were badly damaged. One bomb landed in a slit trench at Naval Headquarters, in Mitchell Street, in which Officers were sheltering but luckily for them it failed to explode.

Gun stations of the 14th Heavy Anti-aircraft battery at the Oval and McMillans fired 24 anti-aircraft rounds at the Japanese bombers. HMAS Vigilant reported being strafed by Japanese Zekes (Zeroes) off Gunn Point east of Darwin. There was no damage reported. Japanese record show that there were no Zekes in this attack so the gunfire was most likely from the Betty bombers.

The 9th Fighter Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group, USAAF, which had only arrived at Batchelor airfield on the previous day, were scrambled to intercept the Japanese bombers. They arrived 15 minutes too late. Radar was non existent at that point in time, so early warnings of Japanese bombing raids were rare.

The undamaged Betty bombers headed back to Koepang at about 1118 hours and landed there at about 1330 hours.

REFERENCES

George Preddy
Top Mustang Ace
by Joe Noah & Samuel L. Sox, Jr.

"Darwin Bombed"
"The Unit History of 14 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery"
by Jack Mulholland

"The Empire Strikes South - Japan's Air War against Northern Australia 1942 - 45"
by Dr. Tom Lewis OAM

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 19 July 2000

This page last updated 16 March 2021