Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Bombing of Darwin

Bombing of Darwin was a battle fought on 19 February 1942 at Darwin, in what is now Australia. It was part of the South West Pacific theater of World War II. The recorded result: Japanese victory.

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The explosion of the MV Neptuna and clouds of smoke from oil storage tanks, hit during the first Japanese air raid on Australia's mainland, at Darwin on February 19, 1942. In the foreground is HMAS De
The explosion of the MV Neptuna and clouds of smoke from oil storage tanks, hit during the first Japanese air raid on Australia's mainland, at Darwin on February 19, 1942. In the foreground is HMAS De. RAN Historical Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought19 February 1942
WhereDarwin, Australia12.475S, 130.850E
OutcomeJapanese victory
BelligerentsAustralia; United StatesagainstEmpire of Japan
Part ofSouth West Pacific theater of World War II

Where it sits in the South West Pacific theater of World War II

Bombing of Darwin, 1942Battle of the Coral Sea, 1942Battle of Milne Bay, 1942Battle of Buna–Gona, 1942Battle of Wau, 1943Operation Cartwheel, 1943Battle of Hollandia, 1944Battle of Driniumor River, 194419421944Bombing of Darwin, 1942
8 placed engagements of the South West Pacific theater of World War II in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date19 February 1942
PlaceDarwin, Australia
12.475S, 130.850E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength31 aircraft; 18 antiaircraft guns; 1 destroyer; 1 seaplane tender; 2 sloops; 4 minesweepers/corvettes; 4 boom defence vessels; 9 merchant ships/transports; 1 hospital ship; 23 auxiliary vessels; 12 pearling luggers242 aircraft (188 carrier-based aircraft; 54 land-based medium bomber aircraft); 4 aircraft carriers; 2 heavy cruisers; 1 light cruiser; 7 destroyers; 3 submarines
Casualties and losses236 killed; 300–400 wounded; 30 aircraft destroyed; 11 vessels sunk; 3 vessels grounded; 25 ships damaged2 killed; 1 POW; 34 carrier aircraft damaged
Commanders
  • David Blake (general)
  • Frederick Scherger
Bombing of DarwinBombing of DarwinAdelaide River100 km12.475S, 130.850E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Bombing of Darwin
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 5 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Bombing of Darwin today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-06-12. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 0 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -1 to 52 m, 52 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 80% water, 8% built-up, 5% mangrove.

water: 80%built-up: 8%mangrove: 5%tree cover: 4%grassland: 2%water 80%built-up 8%mangrove 5%tree cover 4%grassland 2%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 8 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 28 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1942

Bombing of Darwin is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 9 in present-day Australia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q696557, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Bombing of Darwin, revision 1384561476, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.