Air raid on Darwin on May 2, 1943
| date | May 2, 1943 |
|---|---|
| place | Darwin |
| output | Japanese victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Clive Caldwell |
Suzuki Minoru |
| Troop strength | |
| 33 Spitfire | 25 bombers 2 fighters |
| losses | |
|
2 pilots |
6 to 10 planes |
The air raid on Darwin on May 2, 1943 was the 54th air raid on Australia in World War II , a major combat event involving 27 Japanese aircraft, including 25 bombers and two fighters , that attacked the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. 14 Australian Spitfires were lost to inexperienced pilots .
In Australia, the day's events are called “ all [planes] fell into the sea ” (German: “all [planes] fell into the ocean”).
prehistory
In early 1943, the Australian No. 1 Wing RAAF , which consisted of three squadrons (the 54th, 452nd and 457th squadrons), the 76th and 77th squadrons of the RAAF, the protection of Darwin from the 49th Fighter Group US Army Air Forces had taken over.
Course of the attack
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) attacked with the No. 1 Wing RAAF attacked the Japanese bombers after they had already dropped their bombs and involved the fleeing Japanese fighter planes in aerial battles. 14 Spitfires were lost, mainly because they ran out of fuel.
Although the Australian squadron had made several reconnaissance flights since it was stationed, it had only been involved in two anti-aircraft battles. The last one was six weeks ago. Of the squadron's 95 Australian pilots, 37 had been involved in aerial combat prior to being stationed in Darwin, and only three had flown in combat formations. They were young, largely inexperienced in combat and were deployed against a well-equipped, experienced and fanatical opponent.
Since the Japanese bombers were approaching at high altitude, the squadron commander Caldwell decided that he would only attack them on departure because his aircraft were in an unfavorable combat position and also at too low a height. The bombers dropped their bombs and caused little damage: only two houses were damaged and one soldier was killed. Then Caldwell gave the order to attack, and the Australian fighters shot down four or six Japanese planes and damaged eight in dogfights. The Australians lost five planes; three pilots were able to save themselves in rubber boats. Caldwell gave the order that the pilots should watch their fuel and turn off if necessary. Due to a lack of fuel, five Spitfires went down outside the airport. Four of them could then be repaired. Three other planes failed due to engine failure and one of them was destroyed. A total of eight Spitfires were completely destroyed after the attack.
After this attack, the Australian tactics of aerial combat and pilot training were adapted, which should enable them to repel attacks with lower losses.
literature
- Anthony Cooper: Darwin Spitfires: The Real Battle for Australia . University of New South Wales Press, Sydney 2011, ISBN 978-1-74223-227-0 .
- Andrew Thomas: Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific (= Osprey Aircraft of the Aces). Osprey Publishing, Botley 2009, ISBN 978-1-84603-422-0 .
Web links
- Department of Defense: Enemy Air Raid No 54 on Darwin - 2nd May 1943 . In: Record A5954, 524/2 . National Archives of Australia. 1943-1946. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d findarticles.com : Kirsten Alexander: The day the planes "all fell into the sea": Darwin Raid 54-2 May 1943 , in English, accessed on December 27, 2011
- ↑ awm.gov.au (PDF; 1.4 MB): Air Fighting in North-Western Area, April and May, 1942 . P. 47 ff.
Coordinates: 12 ° 27 ′ 0 ″ S , 130 ° 50 ′ 0 ″ E