Darwin 1942: The Japanese attack on Australia

Osprey Campaign #304

by Bob Alford, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Following the devastating raids on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, lightning advances by Japanese forces throughout the Pacific and the Far East, and a desperate battle by the Allied command in the Dutch East Indies, it became evident that an attack on Australia was more a matter of “when” and not “if.”

On February 19, just eleven weeks after the attacks on Pearl Harbor and two weeks after the fall of Singapore, the same Japanese battle group that had attacked Hawaii was ordered to attack the ill-prepared and under-defended Australian port of Darwin.

Publishing 75 years after this little-known yet devastating attack, this fully illustrated study details what happened on that dramatic day in 1942 with the help of contemporary photographs, maps, and profiles of the commanders and machines involved in the assault.

Genres: History, Japan, Military Fiction, World War II, Nonfiction, Military History

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2017

Reviews

[Sean Chick · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the one hand the pictures and particularly the maps are first class. However, the emphasis is entirely on the aircraft to an extreme detail. Yet, you do not even get a list of the ships sunk and damaged which was the main point of the raid overall. What research that is present is excellent, but the book fails as a comprehensive account of the attack.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief and rather low-level analysis of the (mostly) US Army Air Corps efforts in defense of Darwin, Australia in the Japanese attack. Not sure the content is up to the 'campaign' level for this series, but good tactical details and some strategic overview, but I expected more. Best read in conjunction with Osprey's JAVA SEA 1942 and MALAYA AND SINGAPORE 1941-42 for the full picture.

[Lew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well researched book on the aviation aspect of the Feb 19 1942, Japanese air raids on Darwin. As expected from an Osprey book the maps are excellent and I love the illustration by Jim Laurier. Not sure why Osprey categorized it as a campaign book since the focus is on a single day. I found that narrative was repetitive and at times confusing as the author looked at the same action from different participants perspective of the aerial fighting. The author recommends more detailed books that readers should read for more details of the air raids. Without knowing the other books, I believe this book with it's excellent maps, illustrations and photographs would be a valuable companions to those other recommend books.

[James Crabtree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not well known in the United States, the February 19th, 1942 Darwin Raid saw the Allies once again taken by surprise by the Japanese. This book is one of the few that really looks at the topic.

While the author clearly knows the topic, the emphasis seems to be a bit off in this Osprey book, which is part of a series that focuses on specific campaigns. While the author does provide background (the "road to war" type info) he seems to be more obsessed with the U.S. Army Air Corps unit which just happened to be at Darwin during the raid, the P-40s of the 33rd Pursuit Squadron. This unfortunate unit, just formed using pilots who had no combat experience and didn't know each other, did not last long at the hands of the veteran pilots of the Imperial Japanese Navy. While this is an important story, does it warrant describing the circumstances of each pilot's shootdown? Does it make any sense to map where every single P-40 went down? And is it necessary to discuss the motivations of one of the pilots involved in the melee?

As I said, the author obviously knows the topic, as evidenced by map produced showing the attack patterns of the various Japanese elements. But little is said about the antiaircraft artillery present other than a few impressions here and there. Did the guns lack experienced crews? Did they not have ancillary equipment such as predictors? Were any of the zeros dedicated to suppressing the flak? None of this is looked at.

Good artwork, maps and photos.

[Shrike58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read a number in Osprey's "Campaign" series I usually come away feeling that I've received a good overview, but not so much here. The subtitle suggests that the author isn't especially interested in revisiting Australian embarrassment over this event, but in looking at the Japanese side of the equation, and at the only effective resistance to that attack; the scratch force of American fighter pilots on the scene. If you want to know more about why an American fighter squadron was present, you should be reading the works of William H. Bartsch; particularly "Every Day a Nightmare."

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange little book even for Osprey. I expected a high level overview of the entire raid, but instead the author decided to focus on a group of 10 American pilots that seemed to have little impact during the raid. His author's note makes it clear that if you want to read about any of the Japanese bombing of the harbor, you really need to read another book.

[X · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bruh did not talk enough about the naval aspect of the attack