View source for Raid on Darwin (2 May 1943)

{{Short description|Battle in the North Western Area Campaign of World War II}}
{{For|other air raids on Darwin|Air raids on Australia, 1942–43}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Japanese raid on Darwin (2 May 1943)
| partof      = the [[Pacific War]]
| image       = [[File:Spitfires Darwin (AWM 014484).jpg|300px|Two Spitfires taking off from an airstrip near Darwin in March 1943]]
| caption     = Two Spitfires taking off from an airstrip near Darwin in March 1943
| date        = 2 May 1943
| place       = [[Darwin, Northern Territory]]
| coordinates =
| result      = Indecisive
| combatant1  = {{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}
| combatant2  = {{flag|Australia}}<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}}
| commander1  = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} Suzuki Minoru
| commander2  = {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Clive Caldwell]]
| strength1   = 27 [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Zero]] fighters<br>25 bombers
| strength2   = 33 [[Spitfire]] fighters<br>Darwin anti-aircraft guns
| casualties1 = 6-10 aircraft destroyed<br>8 aircraft damaged
| casualties2 = 2 pilots killed<br>1 soldier killed<br>14 Spitfires destroyed or damaged<br>Minor damage to buildings
| notes       =
}}
The '''Japanese raid on Darwin of 2 May 1943''' was a significant battle in the [[North Western Area Campaign]] of [[World War II]]. During the raid a force of over 20 [[Japan]]ese [[bomber aircraft|bombers]] and [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Zero]] [[fighter aircraft|fighters]] attacked the [[Australia]]n town of [[Darwin, Northern Territory]], inflicting little damage on the ground. This attack was the 54th Japanese airstrike over Australia.
The [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF) unit responsible for protecting the town, [[No. 1 Wing RAAF]], intercepted the Japanese force after it had completed its attack, and suffered heavy losses from the Japanese fighters, aggravated by fuel shortages. The results of the battle led to public concern, and No. 1 Wing adopted new fighting tactics which proved successful in countering later raids.
==References==
* {{cite web|last=Department of Defence|title=Enemy Air Raid No 54 on Darwin - 2nd May 1943.|date=1943–1946|url=http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=640669|work=Record A5954, 524/2|publisher=National Archives of Australia}}
* {{cite journal|last=Alexander|first=Kristen|year=2005|title=The day the planes "all fell into the sea": Darwin Raid 54-2 May 1943|journal=Sabretache|publisher=Military Historical Society of Australia|location=Canberra|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb271/is_1_46/ai_n29171999/?tag=content;col1}}
* {{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Kristen|title=Clive Caldwell, Air Ace|publisher=Allen & Unwin|location=St. Leonards|year=2006|isbn=1-74114-705-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fR4-DykV8goC&q=Kristen+Alexander}}
* {{cite book|last=Cooper|first=Anthony|year=2011|title=Darwin Spitfires : The Real Battle for Australia|publisher=University of New South Wales Press|location=Sydney|isbn=978-1-74223-227-0}}
* {{cite thesis|last=Helson|first=Peter|title=The forgotten Air Force : the establishment and employment of Australian air power in the North-Western area, 1941-1945|publisher=Australian Defence Force Academy, UNSW|location=Canberra|year=1997|series=Masters Thesis|doi=10.26190/unsworks/18038 |hdl=1959.4/38719 |url=http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/38719|type=Thesis }}
* {{cite book |last=Odgers |first=George |authorlink=George Odgers |title=Air War Against Japan 1943–1945 |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070210/ |series=Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3&nbsp;– Air|volume=2|year=1968|origyear=1957|edition=reprint |publisher=Australian War Memorial |location=Canberra|oclc=1990609}}
* {{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Andrew|title=Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=Botley|year=2009|series=Osprey Aircraft of the Aces|isbn=978-1-84603-422-0}}
{{Coord|12|27|S|130|50|E|region:AU-NT_type:event|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darwin, Raid on 1943}}
[[Category:Military attacks against Australia]]
[[Category:Darwin, Northern Territory in World War II]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Australia]]
[[Category:1943 in Australia]]
[[Category:World War II aerial operations and battles of the Pacific theatre]]
[[Category:Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving Australia]]
[[Category:Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving Japan]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1943]]
[[Category:Air-to-air combat operations and battles]]
[[Category:Airstrikes conducted by Japan]]
[[Category:May 1943 events in Australia]]