19 February 1942 Japanese bomb Australian city of Darwin

The bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was the first and the largest single attack mounted by a foreign power on Australia.  242 Japanese aircraft attacked ships in Darwin’s harbour and the town’s two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases. The town was only lightly defended and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces. There were also a number of civilian casualties.