Japanese air raids on Australia

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During the Pacific War, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force conducted a campaign of aerial bombings, or air raids, against the Australian mainland, as well as offshore islands and coastal shipping. Aerial combat between Australian, Japanese and allied aircraft also took place in the form of dogfighting. At least 111 attacks were recorded between February 1942 and November 1943. These attacks came in various forms; from large-scale raids by medium bombers, to torpedo attacks on ships and strafing runs by fighter aircraft. In the first and deadliest set of attacks, 262 aircraft attacked Darwin on the morning of 19 February 1942. Killing at least 235 people and causing immense damage, the attacks made hundreds of people homeless and resulted in the abandonment of Darwin as a major naval base. These attacks were opposed by, and often aimed at, units and personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, United...

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