My father was a gunner stationed at East Point, he told me that RAAF personell were instructed to go bush and get to Adelaide River (south of Darwin) There was no longer an airfield, and more raids were expected.
When I was at school in Australia during the 60's, the bombing of Darwin was taught as just a side event to WW2. A couple of bombs, 1 ship sank and and I think 3 people killed. We all learned about Pearl Harbour. The bombing of Darwin was top secret and not released until the 1970's. I was a bit pissed off when I found out the truth,as the men who served in Darwin were not given the recognition the were due. More bombs fell on Darwin than Pearl harbour, but Darwin was not recognised as a war zone for returned servicemen purposes.
Just a slight update - I was at school in Australia in the 60s as well and very little was said about Darwin - or about Pearl Harbour for that matter. Our major education regarded Gallipoli, Middle East, Singapore and Kokoda as the forefront of battles. We did learn that there were several raids and more than 60 people were killed in the first attack.
@Molly McCullagh I remember as a kid growing up as a baby boomer seeing a photo my dad had of that post office . It looked like a pair of bookends. It had taken a direct hit by the look of it . The roof was shattered completely along with I think the font & rear of the building . It`s been more than sixty years since I saw that picture but I`ve not forgotten it. Dad was sent there with AIF in 44ish to clean up . Both Broome & Pt Hedland were bombed too.
@Molly McCullagh Not quite. Aboriginal servicemen did exist and were guaranteed the same rates of pay and conditions as other servicemen. I once asked my father, who fought along the Kokoda trail, what he thought of the aboriginal servicemen. His reply was blunt and to the point - they fought the same fight, wore the same uniform and ate the same food so deserved to receive the same pay and recognition etc. It is possible they were not not included in the general civilian death tally because they were not included in the general census. It wasn't a matter of them being considered unworthy - it was just a matter of it not being done. As a result of the 1967 referendum however, all of this changed and general inclusion in statistical details - government and otherwise - became mandatory.
My father was based in Darwin and told me a lot about the attacks in the mid 80s before it really ever publicly surfaced .. he said there were multi attacks during the time he was there and plenty of fatalities. . .showed me photos he took of downed mangled zeros ..twas a shock as it was never spoke about in history at school .
It is a Crime that this was not taught in school ! This is perhaps why Ausie ruling class has such contempt for it’s own people that we are now seeing !
I am a 62 year old Australian who served twenty years in the Australian Air Force. My brothers were both also in the Military, one was in the Army for six years and the eldest also did twenty years in the Airforce retiring as a Wing Commander. Our Father was a WWII veteran and former Argyle and Sutherland Highlander who was a POW in Germany after being captured on Crete. As you can imagine, with this sort of exposure to the military and being a keen amateur historian of WWII, I can honestly say I have never heard the bombing of Darwin referred to as "Australia's Pearl Harbor".
Can't believe that an Australian had never heard of the bombing of Darwin. The Australian Airforce led by Clive "Killer" Caldwell with his fighter pilots were busy in action over Darwin for months intercepting Japanese bomber waves attacking Darwin & it's surrounding airfields for months. We lost lot of pilots in those early times of the war.
@@iancotteral717 re read my comment. I have never heard the bombing of Darwin referred to as "Australia's Pearl Harbor". The last six words are very important.
@@terrybarrett2368 I guess if you are being pedantic, but apart from this video, I still HAVE not heard the bombing of Darwin being reffered to as Australia's Pearl Harbour. You HAVE to love grammar Nazis.
It actually was far worse than Pearl Harbour. The Japs learnt lessons from PH and didn't make the same mistakes. They made sure the infrastructure and fuel depots were also destroyed . Read the book The Unfortunate Truth. The bombing Darwin. Sadly, there is little written about what really happened or taught in Australian schools.
I am a Canadian who spent a few weeks in Darwin in 2015. I used to go to the park almost every day on the bluff overlooking the harbor. There is a nice memorial dedicated to this battle which I never even heard about until I arrived.
@@TP-pc5kz Most of the Japanese pilots had a lot of experience flying/fighting in China and elsewhere. The Zero was a superb fighter, that dominated the skies... until the F4F Hellcat and the F4U Corsair was fielded. Then, it was game over for the Zero. The Japanese pilots would fly in, shoot, then flee. 1000 times better? If so, then why were almost all of their experienced pilots shot down in about a year?
@@vigilantobserver8389 A lot of the early war losses the Allies suffered from engagements with the Zero were due to poor tactics. Attempting to engage and turn/dogfight with them yielded poor results. Look to Claire Chennault as well as Cactus Air Force for change in tactics and better results. If the Japanese pilots were (ha) 1000x better than US pilots, the war would have turned out much differently. Hint...they weren't.
Thank you for this. My dad was there but didn't talk about it much when I was growing up. He was Floyd Oscar Tacklind, a captain at the time with the American 148th Idaho Artillery. He and his battalion were on the MC Tulage with the Timor convoy and at Darwin on the day of the attack. His Battery stayed on board the Tulage the night before the attack. When a crew gunner was wounded my dad and his C.O. took over the gun and fired on the enemy until they left. At least that's what his citation stated. Soon after he was awarded the Silver Star.
@@davidb2206 They weren't captured. While in route they were bombed by air with no casualties. They were called back to Darwin just in time and were bombed again on the way back. The next day the Japanese bombed Darwin. I think the ship he was on was the only one not hit by bombs in the harbor probably because my dad and his C.O. were firing on the enemy planes. The newspaper article from his home town which I still have said McArthur gave him his silver star.
as an australian born in 1949 i found this video most enlightening indeed. during my schooling through the 50's & 60's we were taught next to nothing about the bombing of darwin. very sad really.
My schooling was the 70's and same . I had to learn it myself. Even did Japanese history in Year 12 and WWII wasn't even touched . I did my own exam essay on Pearl Harbour ( which wasn't taught) to get a B+ lol
Thanks for the video.It was very detailed.My uncle,Charlie Stover ,was in this battle.He crossed over in 2004.He said whenever the major wanted fresh fish,3 of them would take a landing craft,1 guy on each side,1 guy driving and toss grenades over each side.He told me there were always an abundance of fish wherever they went.He was in also in New Guninea,and the battle of the Philippines.
The bombing of Darwin was a bigger event than most historians mention. Thanks for a very educational video. It was a repeat of the Pearl Harbor attack. The valiant USS Houston deserves greater attention.
How many battleships were sunk at Darwin and how many service people were killed at Darwin. Your scale is wrong including the difference between the reasons for the bombing both places. One was a declaration of war and the other was…bombing raid(s) please stop trying to UP the events the war that involved Australia.
this is phenomenal - I just discovered your channel. I love the strategic storytelling you present here. The graphics and animation are so helpful in understanding the events. Thank you so much for putting this together.
As a World War II buff this is a very informative video. As a child I grew up in the early 50’s in the Andaman Islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were occupied by the Imperial Japanese forces in March of 1942. Our neighbor Mr Edwin Monin was the Manager of the Local Dairy Farm lived under the Japanese occupation, his house was taken over my the Japanese Military and he lived in the Shed in the backyard. He told me a lot of stories of the atrocities committed by the Japanese troops. Even he was brutally kicked by a group of soldiers for failing to bow to them. He always walked with a pronounced limp. Quite a few locals were killed, and the British Administrative officers were beaten to death or beheaded. One of them was a gentleman named Bird who was a senior British officer.
Yes !! I have learned SO much from this video and I will probably watch it several times (I do wish we could have found some pictures of the Japanese commanders that were labeled) the back ground music was well chosen too!
It is a good documentary, but it is so hard to listen to the awful fake voice narrating. Please just read it yourself or get another actual human to do it
The graphic/animation of the raid is highly informative; kept me wondering when the bombing was going to end. The IJN bombers were very disciplined. The second wave with the land based bombers was probably an overkill. Awesome video!
I completely agree , he describes the allied forces very well and also the terrible level of preparation. This was my first introduction to this battle the level of Japanese co ordination was unsurpassable, one can imagine the level of the morale on the Japanese carriers. I also enjoyed the music that went along with the story
Imagine this kind of coordinated and well-equipped operation on the U.S. West Coast in February 1942 instead of just the Aleutian invasions. This is the very real risk that is described well in the book "WWII Japanese Relocation Camps & the WRA: A Prudent, Emergency, War-time Measure."
Recently reading my great grandfathers auto biography, he was there when it was bombed and helped collect injured and dead men put of the water. He was on one of the ships that got sunk.
My Grandparents were only kids when the Bombing of Darwin happened back in 1942. They were 5 and 6 Years old. My Grandmothers Father fought in the War. and returned home in Geelong 1945. My Grandparents are now aged in their nearly mid 80s. They remember the shocking things that happened during World War II on Newspaper and in person.
Thank you for this wonderful presentation. As an American, who is a voracious reader of WW2 history, I knew very little about Australia during that war. You have started me on a quest to learn more. Thank you
In the 70’s & 80’s I got in trouble at school for talking about this and other actions around Australia, such as the mini submarines in Sydney and the war in bass strait. Teachers yelled at me and told me how wrong I was. I’d been to the National war museum in Canberra, several times as a kid. I’d climbed on the mini sub there, had photos, etc. They still did not want to believe it, or allow others to hear about it! I guess they grew up in the generation that still had this and other information suppressed from them. The only thing they believed about the whole of WW2 & Australia, was that “just a few planes bombed Darwin and very few people were killed”. One of them was supposed to be the HISTORY TEACHER!
Maybe Goverment still covered their mistake. Number civilian killed and habor damaged higher or uncountable. But I couldnot believed why the war over the world but Australia didn't have any preparation against Japanese. Did they still sleep after Pearl Habour???
Pumba3280: As a child in the 60s I asked my mother about the bombing of Darwin. She'd been a WAAAF (Women's Auxiliary Australian Airforce) during the war. She told me that during the war itself, the official line was 'a few bombs fell'. That myth became the accepted fact, but frankly, your teachers obviously weren't doing their homework. Being a student of Australian history, I can hardly turn a page these days without coming across an outdated Aussie myth which has become accepted fact. History by ingrained sound-bite; it's a common disease.
I agree my grand father jhon Roberts telegraphist Darwin post office in Darwin post office 19th February direct hit he jumped off the hill which is now government house the foyer has remains the walk of regional Darwin post office 19th February 1942 and the plaque says 10 postal worker where killed in bombing raids on Darwin post office 19th February 1942
Agreed. People are too petty. Lots of good info and graphics. Certainly lots of time spent researching as well. Haven’t seen a more comprehensive one on UA-cam. Nice job 👍🏻
If you ever visit Darwin please drop into the 1934 QANTAS hanger and view the bullet holes left over from an attack by a Japanese Zero. There is a length of wooden dowel next to a thick I-beam that you can push the dowel through and visualise the angle of the attack. The holes are clean through the steel like someone let loose with a big drill bit.
Darwin is an interesting city with It's war history and cyclone Tracey. Been there a couple of times on short Stays. Love looking at local history, Especially war events. It's an amazing Place Darwin with what happened And its isolation, but it comes back.
Thank you for posting it was interesting to see my father was stationed at the Air Force base when it happened he said he never knew he could run so fast as a lot of ground staff did and headed to the bush as they had no guns to fight with he was with the RAAF transport company
Very well made sir. As a student of history, I am fairly ashamed to say that I had no idea of the bombing of Australia after Pearl Harbor. Thank you for the very informative video.
I was surprised that in the incredibily long, but interesting movie "Australia", which was panned by the critics, this was the first I came to know about the bombing of Darwin. I wish the movie had spent more time on the Australian's prelude to war. But, I can understand why maybe the Aussie's just did not want that much to do with another world war after they were buthchered in Flander's Fields and Gallipoli. Particularly, when all of the ANZAC forces were put under English General Officer's control (and they were more interested in the quality of their claret and the yorkshire pudding they were getting in their pillbox dugouts away from the front line firing.
@@nickdsylva932 It wasn't that we didn't want to stop the peril from the north or fight in a war, but we were so undermanned as a country with a small population. We put up the best we had. The Poms didn't have the right of command in Australia or New Guinea and Pacific conflicts. Our main ally in those conflicts was the USA. My grandfather served as a major in the AIF 36th Battalion. He was attached to the USA 7th Fleet PT boat Squadron as a liaison officer. He served with them and along with another officer from the RAN, received the "Legion of Merit medal for meritorious service to the Government of the United States in action against the enemy" ( www.awm.gov.au/collection/C361650 ).
very interesting stuff, working in aged care for ww11 vets i had the pleasure to care for two gunners in this raid who told me a few explicit details of what they saw in these raids, and forever greatfull for them to share, thats how close we became, very shocking and harrowing experience for all them involved
Thank you , Mr Vector, for this comprehensive narration .Really grateful and appreciative, and we can almost feel we were there when the raids took place.
@@danielmocsny5066 I think there should be only 3 subjects taught in a proper state school...mathematics, science, and a blend of applied technology and engineering. I think whatever the Australian equivalent of the PTA is should leave History, Arts and Crafts on a back burner and not be allowed to taught for over 3 hours per week. The parents would have to submit a list of the reading material they are going to have their kids read, forget teaching. Use the English boarding school and University examples of allowing the kids choose one of the above topic area.
The real count of downed Zero fighters was probably higher. These were regularly found inland from Darwin, one dragged out of a muddy creek only a few weeks ago. As a child in Darwin in the 60's and 70's I remember a neighbour had one largely intact in his back yard. I distinctly remember a spray of bullet holes up one side of the cockpit - although my father said these were probably more recent and the Zero had just run out of fuel.
Thank you for this. We need to learn from our history. For almost half a century, the dominant paradigm presented to Australians was that this was just a minor skirmish. Fast forward to modern times, and the NT Government has relinquished control of the port of Darwin to a foreign state owned company for 99 years!
Fantastic video! This theater of World War II seems to have been nearly forgotten and, as an avid World War II buff, I am pleased to find so much information to fill the holes in my knowledge! Kudos!
I don't think it's been forgotten it's just people born after 1990 have no interest in history because they've been taught that Australia is a boring place and they should all be American which is why they know about pearl Harbour but not Darwin
It was not just Darwin , Broome had its casualties as well as it was attacked on the 3rd March 1942 and then again twice later . Around a 100 killed including 19 USA service men and about 50 Dutch nationals who had recently escaped from Indonesia . Found a good little book on the subject when in Broome last year . Never hear much about that either , also kept secret I guess . There is a also a small Japanese cemetery at Broome with a number of Japanese pearl divers who had live and worked there .
@@geoffbell166 I have read somewhere of an actual landing of a small Japanese party somewhere but I believe after going inland for a short distance they concluded it was not worth the effort . Unless it was in the wet season it must have looked a pretty inhospitable place !
Darwin, Adelaide river, Katherine, Broome, Exmouth, CairnsTennet creek, and Tiwi islands these where the major centres at the time that where bombed. Yes Broome was boomed, but Darwin was the first and hardest hit of all towns and cities, there where more bombs dropped on Darwin then pearl harbour
As an 87 years old Pommy the Darwin raids fade into nil by comparison to what the UK suffered and even more, Germany. Darwin was in effect inconsequential.
Australia is spelt with ONLY one R thank you. Have a look at the map at the end of the video. Also the front end of a ship is called a " bow" , to rhyme with bough or bow down , but definitely NOT pronounced as " bow" to rhyme with bow and arrow Otherwise a very accurate depiction of the Darwin raid which my father as a stoker on HMAS Warrego (sloop) survived. His sister ship HMAS Swan (sloop), also survived but had some casualties ,( 3 men killed).
My dad flew spitfires in Darwin with 457 squadron. He never talked about it, but from reading his diaries and his log book, and from talking to an old RSL mate of his, I know it knocked him about pretty badly, he lost a couple of his best mates, they never found the planes. The book Darwin Spitfires is worth reading for a great insight into the spits and the aerial battles.
Darwin bombed 64 times, last on 12Nov'43. From Exmouth W.A. to Townsville Q.L.D. northern Australia was bombed in 97 air attacks. Submarine and minisubmarine attacks down east coast with attacks on Newcastle and Sydney as well as coastal shipping. www.awm.com.au
We stayed at Bundy Station near Adelaide River. Went on a tour which was organised by the Station personnel/owners. It sure was an eye opener. Perhaps a story on Adelaide River, which by all accounts was not on Japans radar. We were advised to go have a look around, glad we did, found all sorts of things up there.
I was there as a seventeen year old soldier with 1/54th. AASL at MacMillans camp close to the main RAAF field. My mates and I watched as the first Zeros attacked the American Warhawks Our CO ran from his office and sounded the alarm. I took up position in a lewis Gun pit and fired on the VAL dive bombers attacking the air base. Many RAAF ground crews ran past our position to escape the carnage on the airfield. Our WW1 Lewis gun was useless against the dive bombers and we on ly had five panniers of ammo which was fired off in very short time. Yes it was Australia's Pearl Harbour but is not considered important in our history books.
I have one of those Zero's droptank sitting in my shed...a friends father found it in the bush with half bomb fragments that weigh a good couple of kilo's each😎👍Great rundown of events👍
I had 2 uncles stationed in Darwin during the raids neither talked about them one was RAA the other was RAAF. The RAA spent time in Burma and other theatres. All up 5 family members served overseas including my mother ( Army Nurse ) and they all came home , how blessed am I . I am here due to the sacrifice of many, I constantly think about those who lost their lives protecting our way of life.
I am addicted to this video. I keep watching it, taking lessons from it. If the IJN had hammered Pearl Harbor this badly, then the war would have lasted another year longer than it did. Maybe even more.
Word has it that the Japanese Commander held back on a planned final wave, thinking the job was done. As the narrator said, lessons were learnt by the Japanese on their attack on Pearl Habor, hence the massive attack on the RAAF base.
Or imagine if either attack had been followed up with ground landings, as the IJN and IJA could easily have done at that time, just as they later did in the Aleutians.
This is a very interesting and informative video with great infographics. My only criticism is that the background music and sound effects are too loud in spots and occasionally overpower the narration.
My grandparents home was bombed. My Grandmother and mother were shipped off to Perth prior to the attack and my Grandfather stayed behind to defend against the expected invasion.
my grandfather was in Darwin after the attack and they were told not to send any news of the attack but in his letter to my grandmother he said the darwin post office looked like the cowes post office (which had recently burnt down) so she knew something had happened
I visited Darwin about 1998 and was surprised to find a lot of residual resentment of the Japanese by the locals. Considering the overkill the Japanese navy used I kind of understand it better now.
To all those mad that the Americans were caught with their pant down earlier in the war, may I point out they were not (officially) at war with Japan, so their attack is different to Australia’s.
Yes indeed. There is no comparison between the two attacks. Pear Harbour was huge historical moment which ensured that Germany would not prevail not to mention shattering destruction caused. Darwin was a series of small bombing raids with no intent of invasion.
This video should be shown to all history teachers so kids at school wont be lied to as we were lied to saying it was nothing big. It certainly was a full on assault with many lives lost. Thank you for the post.
Great video, but a tip. Could you lower the sound effects on the video? When describing the air raid on Darwin, the sounds of the air raid sirens and bomb effects ultimately drown out the narration. Other than that, this was a great video in describing an air attack on Australia that is pretty much ignored in the USA.
The first Japanese plane shot down over Australia was attacking fuel barrels on the very long warf of the WA port of Broome. It was attacking Dutch women and children off a ship. At that time a private flying boat was moored, fitting a machine gun. The owner was so angered by what he was seeing he took up the gun and sprayed the Zero with 30 cal bullets cooking the skin off his hand but had the satisfaction of seeing a ball of flame rise from the direction the Zero had flown, trailing smoke. He was hailed for his success but was never to be acknowledged to the wider public. A non serviceman must not be know to have been the first.
@@anthonyeaton5153 Not after their losses against the Germans since 1939 and all their losses around Singapore. ON THAT DATE, post-Pearl Harbor, Japan had the largest navy by far.
A mate I knew some years back served in the Army following Japan's entry into the war and was stationed at Townsville, Queensland, he said they had one .303 rifle to every 6 men.
Very pertinent comment and I am sure that our communist Chinese friends have studied this history very carefully as well. They always think very strategically and always have an endgame in sight,so beware Australia! If they put pressure on the Australian government economically about other issues in my view they should nationalize the harbor facilities there!
the lease will be terminated ( soon ) , there is a clause in the lease/contract which states that if China harms the Aust economy , the lease can be terminated , this is what the aussie government said a few days ago .
I had never heard of this attack before. It looks like you guy's got cough with you pants down like America did. It will be Australia's fault if the Chinese do the same thing to you. You guy's need a President like Trump. Wake up and push the Chinese back to China.
Me pop was sent up here as part of the reinforcement after 1st raids, Him and some mates came across a shot down zero or Kitty hawk not sure which one, they grabbed the propeller and made some moulds melted the prop poured into moulds in shape of little Spitfires. I still have them thanks to pop. Bout 100mm by 90mm. The Australian government were so considering giving Northern Australia to Japanese, thankfully the Americans showed up eh.
I was born in 1942 in Central Otago, New Zealand.My father had been in WW1 NZ machine gun corp...by the end of 1942 we were living in Ranfurly and Dad was back in the Army..in charge of the Maniototo Home Guard Batt. the date corresponds to the Japan bombing of Darwin...So many things I should have asked him.
The salient point for me was the Glaring Fact (ONCE AGAIN) as at Pearl Harbor, that the EARLY WARNING reports were NOT acted on or dismissed! Very Fishy for a Military on a War Footing!
My Grandfather was stationed in Darwin. So lucky he lived to tell me his story.
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3 times early in Pacific WW2, the allies were caught totally unprepared 1) Pearl Harbor 2) MacArthur's Air Force in the Philippines 3) Attack on Darwin. Damn, you would think that something was really wrong in organization of the Allies. Darwin should have been ready for this in light of what was happening everywhere else. But they were caught with their pants down, just like the Americans were earlier. Unforgivable.
I agree, that was also what i feel. It seems that the allies during that time has not really interested to defend the allied territories in the Pacific and the Far East, but instead it all about Europe first, before anything else.
MacArthur's air force was caught on the ground for the same reason it has happened so many times in history: You can send the planes up, but they can't stay up, they run out of fuel to stay up.
Thank you for your video , my Poopa was based in Darwin during ww2 defending Australia against the Japanese, he never spoke of what happened. I now have some idea of what he went through.
The Big difference now is that Darwins shipping port has been leased to China! Many of the islands north of Darwin have sold out to China and let them build large shipping ports.. large enough to dock Aircraft carriers. Australian government has been sleeping while China slowly moves south. Good luck to us. I don't know if anyone noticed but Papua New Guinea signed with China to support their new security measures in HK.. Wake up Aussie Government.
@@sayidadam3728 ... in my humble opinion ... if there is an interest from China toward Papua NG it only because to firms their grip and claimed on spratly islands ... a strategic logistics navy base to put south east asia giants Indonesia in close check ...
@@nifty1940 I would love for you to say that to an Aussie SAS, Aussie Commando, or Aussie Para member and watch how you run when you find out your ass has been torn off and handed to you.
A very interesting documentary and fills a hole that exits in history. Dad was in New Guinea so I always like to know what happened around that time, as he wouldn't speak of it.
Lived in Darwin in the1960 after leaving Helen Springs Cattle Station as the camp cook,then traveled to Darwin worked at the Darwin Hotel,and lived in at the hotel,then moved to the Fanny Bay Hotel ,there was still remainders of the past Second World War conflict,along the Darwin Harbour,then changed jobs and worked at the Darwin Hospital,as a orderly,exploring was a interesting time back then,with trips to old air fields down the track heading south,as well as the caves at the cliffs at Darwin harbour, that still held objects of interest, long past good memories after watching this video,
In 1940, Australia's northern half was an empty void of nothingness. Nobody had any idea of its mineral resources and nobody cared. In fact the Australian government was only committed to defending a line drawn from Sydney to Adelaide, which was in reality the productive part of the country. the rest of the country was a place to die. My grandfathers brother, "Snowy" Robertson was stationed at Darwin and bombed something like 36 times.
A big advantage of that line was that the enemy would severely stretch their supply lines and exhaust their troops crossing great distances before the Australian Army would need to fight them. Conversely the Australian Army wouldn't need to move their troops and supplies over vast distances to the north. Very sensible.
My grandfather John Roberts was a telegraphist and he was charged the Morse coding system machines in the Darwin post and telephone exchange system machines in bombing of Darwin 19th February 1942
little snippet of info, RAAF Base Tindal, located 320KM south of Darwin, is named after the first RAAF officer to be killed in the Darwin air raid, Wing Commander Archibald Robert Tindal. Tindal's Airman's Club, the Latham Club, is named after the first RAAF airman killed in the Darwin air raid, Leading Aircraftman Philips Stonham Latham
I agree "using a sledgehammer to break an egg". Seems like the first wave bombing have already finished the port btw Zero are just so legendary. If there isn't a fight on midway island, I think even the US air force will find it very hard to deal with such skilled pilot of the IJN
My father was a gunner stationed at East Point, he told me that RAAF personell were instructed to go bush and get to Adelaide River (south of Darwin)
There was no longer an airfield, and more raids were expected.
When I was at school in Australia during the 60's, the bombing of Darwin was taught as just a side event to WW2. A couple of bombs, 1 ship sank and and I think 3 people killed. We all learned about Pearl Harbour. The bombing of Darwin was top secret and not released until the 1970's. I was a bit pissed off when I found out the truth,as the men who served in Darwin were not given the recognition the were due. More bombs fell on Darwin than Pearl harbour, but Darwin was not recognised as a war zone for returned servicemen purposes.
Grow up
Just a slight update - I was at school in Australia in the 60s as well and very little was said about Darwin - or about Pearl Harbour for that matter. Our major education regarded Gallipoli, Middle East, Singapore and Kokoda as the forefront of battles. We did learn that there were several raids and more than 60 people were killed in the first attack.
Same here I thought it was a bit of a non event like the Japanese mini sub in Sydney.
@Molly McCullagh I remember as a kid growing up as a baby boomer seeing a photo my dad had of that post office . It looked like a pair of bookends. It had taken a direct hit by the look of it . The roof was shattered completely along with I think the font & rear of the building . It`s been more than sixty years since I saw that picture but I`ve not forgotten it. Dad was sent there with AIF in 44ish to clean up . Both Broome & Pt Hedland were bombed too.
@Molly McCullagh Not quite. Aboriginal servicemen did exist and were guaranteed the same rates of pay and conditions as other servicemen. I once asked my father, who fought along the Kokoda trail, what he thought of the aboriginal servicemen. His reply was blunt and to the point - they fought the same fight, wore the same uniform and ate the same food so deserved to receive the same pay and recognition etc. It is possible they were not not included in the general civilian death tally because they were not included in the general census. It wasn't a matter of them being considered unworthy - it was just a matter of it not being done. As a result of the 1967 referendum however, all of this changed and general inclusion in statistical details - government and otherwise - became mandatory.
My father was based in Darwin and told me a lot about the attacks in the mid 80s before it really ever publicly surfaced .. he said there were multi attacks during the time he was there and plenty of fatalities. . .showed me photos he took of downed mangled zeros ..twas a shock as it was never spoke about in history at school .
My father always described it as a 2nd Pearl Harbour. little of everything but it was a job they had to do
It is a Crime that this was not taught in school ! This is perhaps why Ausie ruling class has such contempt for it’s own people that we are now seeing !
Do you know what regiment and battery your father was in?
@@travislearns9778 he was radio fellow , l can find out for you my brother had more detail ..
@@travislearns9778 he was leading Aircraftsman in the RAAF , operated as a wireless Telegraphist sending morsecode ..
I am a 62 year old Australian who served twenty years in the Australian Air Force. My brothers were both also in the Military, one was in the Army for six years and the eldest also did twenty years in the Airforce retiring as a Wing Commander. Our Father was a WWII veteran and former Argyle and Sutherland Highlander who was a POW in Germany after being captured on Crete. As you can imagine, with this sort of exposure to the military and being a keen amateur historian of WWII, I can honestly say I have never heard the bombing of Darwin referred to as "Australia's Pearl Harbor".
Can't believe that an Australian had never heard of the bombing of Darwin. The Australian Airforce led by Clive "Killer" Caldwell with his fighter pilots were busy in action over Darwin for months intercepting Japanese bomber waves attacking Darwin & it's surrounding airfields for months. We lost lot of pilots in those early times of the war.
@@iancotteral717 re read my comment. I have never heard the bombing of Darwin referred to as "Australia's Pearl Harbor". The last six words are very important.
I had
@@terrybarrett2368 I guess if you are being pedantic, but apart from this video, I still HAVE not heard the bombing of Darwin being reffered to as Australia's Pearl Harbour. You HAVE to love grammar Nazis.
It actually was far worse than Pearl Harbour. The Japs learnt lessons from PH and didn't make the same mistakes. They made sure the infrastructure and fuel depots were also destroyed . Read the book The Unfortunate Truth. The bombing Darwin.
Sadly, there is little written about what really happened or taught in Australian schools.
I am a Canadian who spent a few weeks in Darwin in 2015. I used to go to the park almost every day on the bluff overlooking the harbor. There is a nice memorial dedicated to this battle which I never even heard about until I arrived.
I have been there it is a very cool museum
@@B52wegotarunner
*museum
Maple Leaf I've never heard of this battle neither.
It's about time they get a memorial. It amazes me how some people don't get recognized.
Yeah mate been there to. Makes you think. Cheers
5 warhawks vs a lonely zero pilot.
The zero pilot: *I like those odds*
BANZAI!!!!
TogerThe Tigerking Japanese pilots are 1000 times better than American pilots!!!
@@TP-pc5kz Most of the Japanese pilots had a lot of experience flying/fighting in China and elsewhere. The Zero was a superb fighter, that dominated the skies... until the F4F Hellcat and the F4U Corsair was fielded. Then, it was game over for the Zero. The Japanese pilots would fly in, shoot, then flee. 1000 times better? If so, then why were almost all of their experienced pilots shot down in about a year?
@@vigilantobserver8389 A lot of the early war losses the Allies suffered from engagements with the Zero were due to poor tactics. Attempting to engage and turn/dogfight with them yielded poor results. Look to Claire Chennault as well as Cactus Air Force for change in tactics and better results. If the Japanese pilots were (ha) 1000x better than US pilots, the war would have turned out much differently. Hint...they weren't.
Yoshikazu Nagahama: 1 Catalina + 4 warhawks downed + 2 flying boats strafed in a single mission. Ace in a mission 😳. That guy was a badass.
Thank you for this. My dad was there but didn't talk about it much when I was growing up. He was Floyd Oscar Tacklind, a captain at the time with the American 148th Idaho Artillery. He and his battalion were on the MC Tulage with the Timor convoy and at Darwin on the day of the attack. His Battery stayed on board the Tulage the night before the attack. When a crew gunner was wounded my dad and his C.O. took over the gun and fired on the enemy until they left. At least that's what his citation stated. Soon after he was awarded the Silver Star.
Great Story, thanks for sharing. Stories like that make me proud to be an American.
Warrior class. The real deal.
God bless your dad, and all yanks who did their bit.
Did he get captured in Timor?
@@davidb2206 They weren't captured. While in route they were bombed by air with no casualties. They were called back to Darwin just in time and were bombed again on the way back. The next day the Japanese bombed Darwin. I think the ship he was on was the only one not hit by bombs in the harbor probably because my dad and his C.O. were firing on the enemy planes. The newspaper article from his home town which I still have said McArthur gave him his silver star.
as an australian born in 1949 i found this video most enlightening indeed. during my schooling through the 50's & 60's we were taught next to nothing about the bombing of darwin. very sad really.
Unfortunately we are taught very little about our military history.
My schooling was the 70's and same . I had to learn it myself. Even did Japanese history in Year 12 and WWII wasn't even touched . I did my own exam essay on Pearl Harbour ( which wasn't taught) to get a B+ lol
@@Rusty_Gold85 indeed rusty, and today of course is the 80th anniversary, 19th february.
It's still rarely talk about when I was in school in the 2000's. I only truly learnt about it when I went to visit the War Museum in Darwin.
"Taught", bullshitted to is more the truth of the matter!!!
Thanks for the video.It was very detailed.My uncle,Charlie Stover ,was in this battle.He crossed over in 2004.He said whenever the major wanted fresh fish,3 of them would take a landing craft,1 guy on each side,1 guy driving and toss grenades over each side.He told me there were always an abundance of fish wherever they went.He was in also in New Guninea,and the battle of the Philippines.
The bombing of Darwin was a bigger event than most historians mention. Thanks for a very educational video. It was a repeat of the Pearl Harbor attack. The valiant USS Houston deserves greater attention.
ohhh yes god bless america ffs
Antonio Darwin bombing pales by comparison to the bombing of the UK, Germany and Japan that is why it doesn't register.
How many battleships were sunk at Darwin and how many service people were killed at Darwin. Your scale is wrong including the difference between the reasons for the bombing both places. One was a declaration of war and the other was…bombing raid(s) please stop trying to UP the events the war that involved Australia.
My grandfather was stationed at Darwin then. He left the post office moments before it was bombed. He was lucky!
Mine died there
Maybe it was you who is lucky. Had your grandfather not survived, you wouldn't be here.
My Dad was an armorer with the 33rd Pursuit (Provisional), one month shy of his 19th birthday when this happened. Never said much regarding the raid.
Subscribed for the Aussie content. Thank you 🇦🇺
this is phenomenal - I just discovered your channel. I love the strategic storytelling you present here. The graphics and animation are so helpful in understanding the events. Thank you so much for putting this together.
As a World War II buff this is a very informative video. As a child I grew up in the early 50’s in the Andaman Islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were occupied by the Imperial Japanese forces in March of 1942. Our neighbor Mr Edwin Monin was the Manager of the Local Dairy Farm lived under the Japanese occupation, his house was taken over my the Japanese Military and he lived in the Shed in the backyard. He told me a lot of stories of the atrocities committed by the Japanese troops. Even he was brutally kicked by a group of soldiers for failing to bow to them. He always walked with a pronounced limp. Quite a few locals were killed, and the British Administrative officers were beaten to death or beheaded. One of them was a gentleman named Bird who was a senior British officer.
This would be the best doc that I have seen about the W2 Bombing of Darwin
Yes !! I have learned SO much from this video and I will probably watch it several times (I do wish we could have found some pictures of the Japanese commanders that were labeled) the back ground music was well chosen too!
It is a good documentary, but it is so hard to listen to the awful fake voice narrating. Please just read it yourself or get another actual human to do it
The graphic/animation of the raid is highly informative; kept me wondering when the bombing was going to end. The IJN bombers were very disciplined. The second wave with the land based bombers was probably an overkill. Awesome video!
The folks in Darwin were wondering the same thing. 50+ minutes of hell.
I completely agree , he describes the allied forces very well and also the terrible level of preparation. This was my first introduction to this battle the level of Japanese co ordination was unsurpassable, one can imagine the level of the morale on the Japanese carriers. I also enjoyed the music that went along with the story
Imagine this kind of coordinated and well-equipped operation on the U.S. West Coast in February 1942 instead of just the Aleutian invasions. This is the very real risk that is described well in the book "WWII Japanese Relocation Camps & the WRA: A Prudent, Emergency, War-time Measure."
Recently reading my great grandfathers auto biography, he was there when it was bombed and helped collect injured and dead men put of the water. He was on one of the ships that got sunk.
My Grandparents were only kids when the Bombing of Darwin happened back in 1942. They were 5 and 6 Years old. My Grandmothers Father fought in the War. and returned home in Geelong 1945.
My Grandparents are now aged in their nearly mid 80s. They remember the shocking things that happened during World War II on Newspaper and in person.
Thank you for this wonderful presentation. As an American, who is a voracious reader of WW2 history, I knew very little about Australia during that war. You have started me on a quest to learn more. Thank you
In the 70’s & 80’s I got in trouble at school for talking about this and other actions around Australia, such as the mini submarines in Sydney and the war in bass strait.
Teachers yelled at me and told me how wrong I was.
I’d been to the National war museum in Canberra, several times as a kid. I’d climbed on the mini sub there, had photos, etc.
They still did not want to believe it, or allow others to hear about it!
I guess they grew up in the generation that still had this and other information suppressed from them.
The only thing they believed about the whole of WW2 & Australia, was that “just a few planes bombed Darwin and very few people were killed”.
One of them was supposed to be the HISTORY TEACHER!
Maybe Goverment still covered their mistake. Number civilian killed and habor damaged higher or uncountable. But I couldnot believed why the war over the world but Australia didn't have any preparation against Japanese. Did they still sleep after Pearl Habour???
@@adrianluke7917 Darwin got bombed more then once.
Teachers, leave them kids alone!
Pumba3280: As a child in the 60s I asked my mother about the bombing of Darwin. She'd been a WAAAF (Women's Auxiliary Australian Airforce) during the war. She told me that during the war itself, the official line was 'a few bombs fell'. That myth became the accepted fact, but frankly, your teachers obviously weren't doing their homework. Being a student of Australian history, I can hardly turn a page these days without coming across an outdated Aussie myth which has become accepted fact. History by ingrained sound-bite; it's a common disease.
But what I don't understand is why Is it suppressed??? Good that the truth is becoming readily available
Don’t listen to all the bad comments, these vids are great mate. Excellent work!!
I can accept spelling errors because this theatre of war is largely ignored so I find it's value is hardly diminished.
I agree my grand father jhon Roberts telegraphist Darwin post office in Darwin post office 19th February direct hit he jumped off the hill which is now government house the foyer has remains the walk of regional Darwin post office 19th February 1942 and the plaque says 10 postal worker where killed in bombing raids on Darwin post office 19th February 1942
Agreed. People are too petty. Lots of good info and graphics. Certainly lots of time spent researching as well. Haven’t seen a more comprehensive one on UA-cam. Nice job 👍🏻
Maybe add more ads Mate, was forced to watch the show, the show kept interrupting all ads ...
@@fingerprint5511 it’s not his fault. Just use an ad blocker.
LOVE your channel !
Please keep up the great work,it's very important history,never to be forgotten
If you ever visit Darwin please drop into the 1934 QANTAS hanger and view the bullet holes left over from an attack by a Japanese Zero. There is a length of wooden dowel next to a thick I-beam that you can push the dowel through and visualise the angle of the attack. The holes are clean through the steel like someone let loose with a big drill bit.
One shed from Darwin ended up in Ottoway Adelaide . It has also huge holes in the metal Girders . Probably 30mm cannon shells from IJN planes
Darwin is an interesting city with
It's war history and cyclone Tracey.
Been there a couple of times on short
Stays. Love looking at local history,
Especially war events. It's an amazing
Place Darwin with what happened
And its isolation, but it comes back.
THANK YOU FOR GREAT DETAIL VIDEO OF WAR IN AUSTRALIA
This is an underrated channel. Well documented and I love the Japanese Marching band music
I highly commend you on an outstanding video, narrative, impeccable graphics, et al. JOLLY WELL DONE!!!! Good Show!
Thank you for posting it was interesting to see my father was stationed at the Air Force base when it happened he said he never knew he could run so fast as a lot of ground staff did and headed to the bush as they had no guns to fight with he was with the RAAF transport company
First rate recollection of history. Thank You.
So much work. Such clear presentation. Thank you!
I live in Darwin, and I must say, there is LOTS of memorials and historical sights for the bombing of Darwin.
First time seeing your channel, incredible video, you have won me as a subscriber
Very well made sir. As a student of history, I am fairly ashamed to say that I had no idea of the bombing of Australia after Pearl Harbor. Thank you for the very informative video.
Papa Steve- Time to hand back the 'student of history' award...
I was surprised that in the incredibily long, but interesting movie "Australia", which was panned by the critics, this was the first I came to know about the bombing of Darwin. I wish the movie had spent more time on the Australian's prelude to war.
But, I can understand why maybe the Aussie's just did not want that much to do with another world war after they were buthchered in Flander's Fields and Gallipoli. Particularly, when all of the ANZAC forces were put under English General Officer's control (and they were more interested in the quality of their claret and the yorkshire pudding they were getting in their pillbox dugouts away from the front line firing.
@@nickdsylva932 It wasn't that we didn't want to stop the peril from the north or fight in a war, but we were so undermanned as a country with a small population. We put up the best we had. The Poms didn't have the right of command in Australia or New Guinea and Pacific conflicts. Our main ally in those conflicts was the USA. My grandfather served as a major in the AIF 36th Battalion. He was attached to the USA 7th Fleet PT boat Squadron as a liaison officer. He served with them and along with another officer from the RAN, received the "Legion of Merit medal for meritorious service to the Government of the United States in action against the enemy"
( www.awm.gov.au/collection/C361650 ).
@@nickdsylva932 Sounds like you learnt your history from a load of old wives tales.
Our problem we are too laid back
And end up going under the
Radar.
very interesting stuff, working in aged care for ww11 vets i had the pleasure to care for two gunners in this raid who told me a few explicit details of what they saw in these raids, and forever greatfull for them to share, thats how close we became, very shocking and harrowing experience for all them involved
Would love to hear more about this!
would like you tell us as much as you can . these stories disappear when they die . Should be in a book
Thank you , Mr Vector, for this comprehensive narration .Really grateful and appreciative, and we can almost feel we were there when the raids took place.
very nice video and informative. you deserve more viewers for this....
My whole life I love learning about history. It sickens me I have never heard of the Darwin raid until today. Schools teach nothing.
Aw come on Capta Crunch, they em how to be soy boys & tik tok girls, feelings matter, facts don't.
Schools teach nothing? It sounds like they taught you hyperbole.
@@danielmocsny5066 I think there should be only 3 subjects taught in a proper state school...mathematics, science, and a blend of applied technology and engineering. I think whatever the Australian equivalent of the PTA is should leave History, Arts and Crafts on a back burner and not be allowed to taught for over 3 hours per week. The parents would have to submit a list of the reading material they are going to have their kids read, forget teaching. Use the English boarding school and University examples of allowing the kids choose one of the above topic area.
@jeremy ray Well said, the raid is just a small detail really, in global terms anyway.
“Australia” is misspelled on the map. Spelled as “AUSTRARLIA”. This recurs many times during the video.
But some people say it that way
Yeah I noticed and I'm Australian so it really bothered me.
@@Kate-rj6ys it is spelled "Austrarlia"
@@ThePiratemachine Stralian
😂
love your videos but hate that you use machine speech for the narration
I agree 100%
i dont mind it
Me three!
So this is what HAL 9000 does when he's not singing "Daisy Bell" and killing off "errant carbon-based troublemakers"?;)
Machine speak always associates with the fake news of the many internet bots that taint so much of the net. Not a good association.
Great video!
The real count of downed Zero fighters was probably higher. These were regularly found inland from Darwin, one dragged out of a muddy creek only a few weeks ago. As a child in Darwin in the 60's and 70's I remember a neighbour had one largely intact in his back yard. I distinctly remember a spray of bullet holes up one side of the cockpit - although my father said these were probably more recent and the Zero had just run out of fuel.
Great video. Thank you
WELL DONE !! WELL DONE !!!!
Mitsubishi Fuchida has one of the most interesting life during and after the War well worth reading about
Great video, most detailed I've seen by a long shot.
Thank you for this. We need to learn from our history. For almost half a century, the dominant paradigm presented to Australians was that this was just a minor skirmish. Fast forward to modern times, and the NT Government has relinquished control of the port of Darwin to a foreign state owned company for 99 years!
Darwin has been a Chinese city since ancient times.
Coming back to watch your videos again. I am really enjoying your work with Kings and Generals, but your original stuff is still great.
Fantastic video! This theater of World War II seems to have been nearly forgotten and, as an avid World War II buff, I am pleased to find so much information to fill the holes in my knowledge! Kudos!
I don't think it's been forgotten it's just people born after 1990 have no interest in history because they've been taught that Australia is a boring place and they should all be American which is why they know about pearl Harbour but not Darwin
The first Japanese captured as a POW by an Australian was captured by a local on the Tiwi Islands, just north of Darwin during these raids.
This is so well done greatly explained and detailed
It was not just Darwin , Broome had its casualties as well as it was attacked on the 3rd March 1942 and then again twice later . Around a 100 killed including 19 USA service men and about 50 Dutch nationals who had recently escaped from Indonesia . Found a good little book on the subject when in Broome last year . Never hear much about that either , also kept secret I guess . There is a also a small Japanese cemetery at Broome with a number of Japanese pearl divers who had live and worked there .
Never knew about Broome,IJA possibly landed on the coast around the mangroves, reputed to have been eaten by Crocs or natives Spears !!!
@@geoffbell166 I have read somewhere of an actual landing of a small Japanese party somewhere but I believe after going inland for a short distance they concluded it was not worth the effort . Unless it was in the wet season it must have looked a pretty inhospitable place !
Darwin, Adelaide river, Katherine, Broome, Exmouth, CairnsTennet creek, and Tiwi islands these where the major centres at the time that where bombed. Yes Broome was boomed, but Darwin was the first and hardest hit of all towns and cities, there where more bombs dropped on Darwin then pearl harbour
Enjoyed your video and gave it a Thumbs Up
As a 85 year old pommy, I was aware of the Darwin Raid but not the detail. Thanks.
As an 87 years old Pommy the Darwin raids fade into nil by comparison to what the UK suffered and even more, Germany. Darwin was in effect inconsequential.
This is the first time I have heard about this. Great video, the sirens inhibited the voice but other than that it was amazing. Thanks.
Australia is spelt with ONLY one R thank you. Have a look at the map at the end of the video.
Also the front end of a ship is called a " bow" , to rhyme with bough or bow down , but definitely NOT pronounced as " bow" to rhyme with bow and arrow Otherwise a very accurate depiction of the Darwin raid which my father as a stoker on HMAS Warrego (sloop) survived. His sister ship HMAS Swan (sloop), also survived but had some casualties ,( 3 men killed).
Computer generated voice. Sometimes pronounces wrong. Small point though.
My dad flew spitfires in Darwin with 457 squadron. He never talked about it, but from reading his diaries and his log book, and from talking to an old RSL mate of his, I know it knocked him about pretty badly, he lost a couple of his best mates, they never found the planes. The book Darwin Spitfires is worth reading for a great insight into the spits and the aerial battles.
This is the first I've ever heard of the devastating bombing of Darwin, and I've followed WW2 History for over 50 years.
They had a little pubic hair caught in back of froat
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and then Darwin led by
Commander Mitsuo Fuchida.
Start with wiki
MrHarveyluke - Wow-give it another 50 years and you might discover something called D-day! :)
Darwin bombed 64 times, last on
12Nov'43. From Exmouth W.A. to Townsville Q.L.D. northern Australia was bombed in 97 air attacks. Submarine and minisubmarine attacks down east coast with attacks on Newcastle and Sydney as well as coastal shipping.
www.awm.com.au
@@davidearea242 hahaha
Great information and very well presented.
we were certainly unprepared and never taught this in school. It should be taught in history lessons.
We stayed at Bundy Station near Adelaide River. Went on a tour which was organised by the Station personnel/owners. It sure was an eye opener. Perhaps a story on Adelaide River, which by all accounts was not on Japans radar. We were advised to go have a look around, glad we did, found all sorts of things up there.
I learned a lot from this video, except how to spell “Australia”. Seriously, this was well done.
Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Its just some spelling mistake (the critical one), but i do reserved the criticism here.
Lots of Australians can't spell.
Awesome video
I was there as a seventeen year old soldier with 1/54th. AASL at MacMillans camp close to the main RAAF field. My mates and I watched as the first Zeros attacked the American Warhawks Our CO ran from his office and sounded the alarm. I took up position in a lewis Gun pit and fired on the VAL dive bombers attacking the air base. Many RAAF ground crews ran past our position to escape the carnage on the airfield. Our WW1 Lewis gun was useless against the dive bombers and we on ly had five panniers of ammo which was fired off in very short time. Yes it was Australia's Pearl Harbour but is not considered important in our history books.
Interesting video which was very informative. Just one issue you spelt Australia wrong on the big map near end
I have one of those Zero's droptank sitting in my shed...a friends father found it in the bush with half bomb fragments that weigh a good couple of kilo's each😎👍Great rundown of events👍
whats that in lbs?
@@robert48044 Google is your friend but whatever 2.2 lbs = 1 kg.
@@robert48044 Check some history book
@@4486igi I prefer to leave a comment and help the channel
Nobody uses lbs other than the US and Myanmar. Time to move into the world Joey.
I had 2 uncles stationed in Darwin during the raids neither talked about them one was RAA the other was RAAF. The RAA spent time in Burma and other theatres. All up 5 family members served overseas including my mother ( Army Nurse ) and they all came home , how blessed am I . I am here due to the sacrifice of many, I constantly think about those who lost their lives protecting our way of life.
I am addicted to this video. I keep watching it, taking lessons from it. If the IJN had hammered Pearl Harbor this badly, then the war would have lasted another year longer than it did. Maybe even more.
Word has it that the Japanese Commander held back on a planned final wave, thinking the job was done. As the narrator said, lessons were learnt by the Japanese on their attack on Pearl Habor, hence the massive attack on the RAAF base.
Yes they hit everything, the fuel, the docks , the repair facilities everything
Or imagine if either attack had been followed up with ground landings, as the IJN and IJA could easily have done at that time, just as they later did in the Aleutians.
Gives me the shits when people say they're addicted to things . Look at me I'm a victim sort of crap in a very subtle way
This is a very interesting and informative video with great infographics. My only criticism is that the background music and sound effects are too loud in spots and occasionally overpower the narration.
My grandparents home was bombed. My Grandmother and mother were shipped off to Perth prior to the attack and my Grandfather stayed behind to defend against the expected invasion.
my grandfather was in Darwin after the attack and they were told not to send any news of the attack but in his letter to my grandmother he said the darwin post office looked like the cowes post office (which had recently burnt down) so she knew something had happened
I visited Darwin about 1998 and was surprised to find a lot of residual resentment of the Japanese by the locals. Considering the overkill the Japanese navy used I kind of understand it better now.
I don't know why you are surprised - there is a lot of residual resentment of the Japanese war machine of WW2 all over the globe !!
@@wilsonhuber where about exactly are you thinking of?
@@HMASbogan -specifically Canada - Canadians in Hong Kong! (met some)
@@wilsonhuber in Australia it's probably confined only to Darwin
@@wilsonhuber I'm Canadian, and I don't know a single person who still feels resentment toward the Japanese.
To all those mad that the Americans were caught with their pant down earlier in the war, may I point out they were not (officially) at war with Japan, so their attack is different to Australia’s.
Yes pearl Harbour was just a way of getting into the war so that they could sell military equipment to the depleted allies
Yes indeed. There is no comparison between the two attacks. Pear Harbour was huge historical moment which ensured that Germany would not prevail not to mention shattering destruction caused. Darwin was a series of small bombing raids with no intent of invasion.
This video should be shown to all history teachers so kids at school wont be lied to as we were lied to saying it was nothing big. It certainly was a full on assault with many lives lost. Thank you for the post.
Great video, but a tip. Could you lower the sound effects on the video? When describing the air raid on Darwin, the sounds of the air raid sirens and bomb effects ultimately drown out the narration. Other than that, this was a great video in describing an air attack on Australia that is pretty much ignored in the USA.
Thanks I found this very informative and helpful , appreciated
The first Japanese plane shot down over Australia was attacking fuel barrels on the very long warf of the WA port of Broome. It was attacking Dutch women and children off a ship. At that time a private flying boat was moored, fitting a machine gun. The owner was so angered by what he was seeing he took up the gun and sprayed the Zero with 30 cal bullets cooking the skin off his hand but had the satisfaction of seeing a ball of flame rise from the direction the Zero had flown, trailing smoke. He was hailed for his success but was never to be acknowledged to the wider public. A non serviceman must not be know to have been the first.
Good on him for delivering some justice while the Japanese conducted yet another of their unacknowledged & unpunished war crimes.
Stuffen pride.
Quite the story
The attack on Darwin was described as using a sledge hammer to smash a egg .
By Chūichi Nagumo, the one who carried out the attack respectively.
Ultimately, Japan failed.
On that date, Japan had THE largest navy in the world.
@@davidb2206 Wrong, the British Royal Navy was the largest navy until overtaken by the US Navy.
@@anthonyeaton5153 Not after their losses against the Germans since 1939 and all their losses around Singapore. ON THAT DATE, post-Pearl Harbor, Japan had the largest navy by far.
A mate I knew some years back served in the Army following Japan's entry into the war and was stationed at Townsville, Queensland, he said they had one .303 rifle to every 6 men.
Now they've given China a 99 year lease on the Port of Darwin !!!
Different country but ...Yeah.
Very pertinent comment and I am sure that our communist Chinese friends have studied this history very carefully as well. They always think very strategically and always have an endgame in sight,so beware Australia! If they put pressure on the Australian government economically about other issues in my view they should nationalize the harbor facilities there!
the lease will be terminated ( soon ) , there is a clause in the lease/contract which states that if China harms the Aust economy , the lease can be terminated , this is what the aussie government said a few days ago .
I had never heard of this attack before. It looks like you guy's got cough with you pants down like America did. It will be Australia's fault if the Chinese do the same thing to you. You guy's need a President like Trump. Wake up and push the Chinese back to China.
So after the last 19 years it's now China that's the problem?
Who would've thought...? 😁😂😃😄😅
Does China support ISIS & AL-QEADA?
Me pop was sent up here as part of the reinforcement after 1st raids,
Him and some mates came across a shot down zero or Kitty hawk not sure which one, they grabbed the propeller and made some moulds melted the prop poured into moulds in shape of little Spitfires.
I still have them thanks to pop.
Bout 100mm by 90mm.
The Australian government were so considering giving Northern Australia to Japanese, thankfully the Americans showed up eh.
I was born in 1942 in Central Otago, New Zealand.My father had been in WW1 NZ machine gun corp...by the end of 1942 we were living in Ranfurly and Dad was back in the Army..in charge of the Maniototo Home Guard Batt. the date corresponds to the Japan bombing of Darwin...So many things I should have asked him.
The salient point for me was the Glaring Fact (ONCE AGAIN) as at Pearl Harbor, that the EARLY WARNING reports were NOT acted on or dismissed! Very Fishy for a Military on a War Footing!
The Americans were the first to show aggression to Japan.
@ Zactly! What gives??
My Grandfather was stationed in Darwin.
So lucky he lived to tell me his story.
3 times early in Pacific WW2, the allies were caught totally unprepared 1) Pearl Harbor 2) MacArthur's Air Force in the Philippines 3) Attack on Darwin. Damn, you would think that something was really wrong in organization of the Allies. Darwin should have been ready for this in light of what was happening everywhere else. But they were caught with their pants down, just like the Americans were earlier. Unforgivable.
It's unbelievable
I agree, that was also what i feel. It seems that the allies during that time has not really interested to defend the allied territories in the Pacific and the Far East, but instead it all about Europe first, before anything else.
@@drianmortiz9375 That was the plan before the US even got into the war, Hitler first and then the rest!
Battle of Savo Island too which was America's worst naval defeat even after Midway
MacArthur's air force was caught on the ground for the same reason it has happened so many times in history: You can send the planes up, but they can't stay up, they run out of fuel to stay up.
Only great doco i can find about the bombing of darwin. Thank you for the doco
Who was manning the radio station when the Priest on Bathurst island gave Darwin full warning is what i would like to know . Christ!!!
I LIVE IN AUSTRALIA🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You live here but you can't spell Australia ?????
@@barrycollins2629 good one 😂😂
I'm starting to think he's a Japanese spy 😂
Barry Collins it was a typo.. -_-
Austrarlia!
Thank you for your video , my Poopa was based in Darwin during ww2 defending Australia against the Japanese, he never spoke of what happened. I now have some idea of what he went through.
What culture are you,Cause I'm abroingal
(I spelt it wrong but I fix it later)
Great video. The only thing I've ever watched relating to this was a small part in the movie Australia with Hugh Jackman.
Extremely insightful thank you 🇦🇺🇬🇧🇺🇸
Keep’em comin!!! Great work!!!!
The Big difference now is that Darwins shipping port has been leased to China! Many of the islands north of Darwin have sold out to China and let them build large shipping ports.. large enough to dock Aircraft carriers. Australian government has been sleeping while China slowly moves south. Good luck to us. I don't know if anyone noticed but Papua New Guinea signed with China to support their new security measures in HK.. Wake up Aussie Government.
i wonder what papua new guinea has to do with china security measures in HK (HONG KONG)?
@@dtkdk9688 buy vote for legit justification in un.
@@sayidadam3728
... i am a student of science politics ... i can't see its coming lol
@@dtkdk9688 yes my friend. i am in law school too, but my focus on international relations and state building.
@@sayidadam3728
... in my humble opinion ... if there is an interest from China toward Papua NG it only because to firms their grip and claimed on spratly islands ... a strategic logistics navy base to put south east asia giants Indonesia in close check ...
And so started the "Darwin Handicap", some of those men didn't stop running until they got to Melbourne (3000 miles away)!
Hahahaha, yes, that's true. John Landy wasn't in the race. LOL. Gotta love our diggers, they knew what side their bread was buttered on.
@@nifty1940 I would love for you to say that to an Aussie SAS, Aussie Commando, or Aussie Para member and watch how you run when you find out your ass has been torn off and handed to you.
Would that be before or after they had committed war crimes (and they aren't the only ones, look up the Light Horse in Palestine in WW1)
A very interesting documentary and fills a hole that exits in history. Dad was in New Guinea so I always like to know what happened around that time, as he wouldn't speak of it.
if only we won midway and coral sea.
Lived in Darwin in the1960 after leaving Helen Springs Cattle Station as the camp cook,then traveled to Darwin worked at the Darwin Hotel,and lived in at the hotel,then moved to the Fanny Bay Hotel ,there was still remainders of the past Second World War conflict,along the Darwin Harbour,then changed jobs and worked at the Darwin Hospital,as a orderly,exploring was a interesting time back then,with trips to old air fields down the track heading south,as well as the caves at the cliffs at Darwin harbour, that still held objects of interest, long past good memories after watching this video,
In 1940, Australia's northern half was an empty void of nothingness. Nobody had any idea of its mineral resources and nobody cared. In fact the Australian government was only committed to defending a line drawn from Sydney to Adelaide, which was in reality the productive part of the country. the rest of the country was a place to die. My grandfathers brother, "Snowy" Robertson was stationed at Darwin and bombed something like 36 times.
A big advantage of that line was that the enemy would severely stretch their supply lines and exhaust their troops crossing great distances before the Australian Army would need to fight them. Conversely the Australian Army wouldn't need to move their troops and supplies over vast distances to the north. Very sensible.
My grandfather John Roberts was a telegraphist and he was charged the Morse coding system machines in the Darwin post and telephone exchange system machines in bombing of Darwin 19th February 1942
If you visit the Officers' Mess at RAAF Darwin, you can still walk underneath and see bullet holes in some of the support beams.
Great video and good effort 😊
little snippet of info, RAAF Base Tindal, located 320KM south of Darwin, is named after the first RAAF officer to be killed in the Darwin air raid, Wing Commander Archibald Robert Tindal. Tindal's Airman's Club, the Latham Club, is named after the first RAAF airman killed in the Darwin air raid, Leading Aircraftman Philips Stonham Latham
Really well done!!
I agree "using a sledgehammer to break an egg". Seems like the first wave bombing have already finished the port
btw Zero are just so legendary. If there isn't a fight on midway island, I think even the US air force will find it very hard to deal with such skilled pilot of the IJN