Did you know the Japanese bombed Townsville?

Although it escaped the carnage inflicted on Darwin, Townsville still came under direct fire three times during World War II. The city was targeted because of its port facilities and air base, which allowed for the delivery and storage of essential military equipment.

Seventy-nine years have passed since the bombings, but they remain etched into Townsville’s memory. 

The First Attack

Soldiers search for bomb fragments in waters off Townsville.

The first raid occurred on 26 July in 1942. Under cover of darkness, two Japanese Kawanishi H8K1 "Emily" flying boats closed in on Townsville at 11.30pm after taking off from Rabaul, a village on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea.

The pilots moved stealthily through the night sky, in search of the bright lights of the port and air base. According to a translation of their flight log, the Japanese circled the city for around half an hour before anyone on the ground realised something was wrong.

As soon as the military presence in Townsville raised the alarm, the port was plunged into darkness to make it less vulnerable. The enemy planes were spotted with search lights before they managed to get away by heading out to sea.

But the Japanese weren’t going to give up that easily. The planes reappeared above Townsville at 12.40am and dropped several bombs on the port. Thankfully, all of them fell into the ocean and no one was injured.

The Second Attack

Townsville locals building an air raid shelter. 

Involving a single Kawanishi H8K1 "Emily" flying boat, the second attack on Townsville unfolded just a few days later. The aircraft reached the outskirts of the city at 2.25am on 28 July, but this time Townsville was ready for them.  

The No. 104 RAAF Radar Station at Kissing Point picked up the plane on radar, giving the military time to prepare for the impending attack. In response to the threat, six American Airacobras from the 8th Fighter Group took off from Garbutt airfield to intercept the Japanese in the air.

As it approached Townsville, the plane was caught in search lights and fired on by the Airacobras. It dropped eight bombs, but all of them landed safely in the foothills of the Many Peaks Range.

Despite coming under heavy fire, the flying boat was able to escape and return to Rabaul.

The Third AttacK

Airacobras were used to pursue the Japanese bombers.

The Japanese returned the following night for a final showdown. Two flying boats were supposed to make the journey, but one ran into engine problems and had to turn back to Rabaul. The other pilot carried on alone, reaching Townsville at 12.27am.

The enemy plane was picked up on radar as it approached, allowing for around half an hour’s warning. Four American Airacobras took to the sky to intercept it, reaching the required altitude within 15 minutes of the plane’s arrival.

With the help of search lights on the ground, the Airacobras were able to locate the Japanese aircraft and attack it in unison. HMAS Swan also joined the fight, firing on the enemy plane with its machine guns. A small fire started in the tail of the aircraft but went out quickly before doing any damage.

The Japanese plane dumped eight bombs, seven of which landed in Cleveland Bay. One of the bombs landed in a paddock, blowing out the windows of a nearby farmhouse and splitting a palm tree in half. The Airacobras pursued the plane but eventually had to turn back due to diminishing supplies of ammunition and fuel. Despite the damage done to his aircraft, the Japanese pilot was able to get away and fly back to Rabaul.

Although the Townsville bombings didn’t result in any loss of life or significant damage, they still traumatised locals and exposed vulnerabilities in Australia’s anti-aircraft cover. On the 50^th anniversary of the bombings, a memorial was built to commemorate the attacks. 

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