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In the 1990s, the people of Australia were living in fear of their lives. The beginning of the war with Japan made them afraid of a soon invasion. Citizens were evacuated from Darwin, but some of them refused to leave their native town and became randomized victims of the attack. Those who were going to the south of Australia met discontent with the government, as the Prime Minister told that he did not want any of half-caste Aboriginals (Smith 2011).
In 1942 first two air raids from Japan mounted on Darwin. This target was chosen in order to render out of commission the most important and powerful position that could have repelled Japanese aggression. It was prepared to protect not only Australia but also Indonesia and Timor (Grose 2010). All defense strategies were designed, taking into account the forces of Darwin harbor, so its destruction let to a great panic.
The demolition of the major naval base left the country without their main weapon against the invaders. People who survived and stayed in Darwin lost their homes and had no place to go. The feeling of vulnerability settled in the minds for a long time. Civil infrastructure also suffered from air raids and made life in the town even more repugnant (Knightley & Crawford 2013).
Another Pearl Harbor
All those terrible events that took place in Darwin harbor are now considered to be the strongest attack after Perl Harbor. It not only ruined the harbor itself but destroyed airfields. More than 300 citizens were not able to survive, and even more of them were injured (Knightley & Crawford 2013).
The events that happened during the period between 1901 and World War II were not only negative. Under the influence of such a dangerous situation, the sense of security formed in the conscious of Australian people. It was the thing that took its place in the foundation of not only the defense policy but also diplomatic and trade ones (Turcker 2011).
Creating the Danger
The unexpected bombing of Darwin was thought to be the beginning of the invasion of Australia by the majority of the population. However, this assumption was wrong. At that time, Japan also threatened other countries, and as it soon became known that bombing was meant to invade Timor. Still, Australian people were very influenced by the catastrophe, and since that theme, they felt vulnerable to some degree, which made them an easy target (Grose 2010).
The attack led to the destruction of a great number of crafts and weapons that were supposed to be used for defense. With the help of dive bombers, the Japanese ruined eight ships in the harbor, and almost all other gained deteriorations. Only one of ten planes that were in Darwin and protected it survived the attack. They were even not able to crash Japanese planes, as only a couple of them were lost. The Royal Australian Air Force Base was the target of the second attack, but at that time, there was nothing that could have protected it. The Hudson light bombers, 6 American P-40s, and a B-24 Liberator bomber were destroyed (Turcker 2011).
During these events, the army barracks were ruined as well as the oil store. Darwin was thought to be strategically important, and this destruction threw it off the stride, as the resources that supported the economy and industry got under the detrimental effect (Turcker 2011).
Reducing the Danger
As the citizens gave in to panic when the attack began, and the government was afraid to create a more brittle situation. Taking into account that Japan had just captured Singapore and was only growing in strength, the government tried to hide the real number of killed people to calm down the city. But as soon as almost 300 servicemen left their stations, and this news caused the panic again. A Commission of Injury led by Mr. Justice Lowe was hurriedly appointed and prepared the reports (Scates 2013). Due to the fact that for several years the population did not know that the situation was worse than they thought, the government was able to reduce disorders and prevent a split within the country.
Being aware of the possible threat, the Administrator produced an official document that issued to evacuate women and children from the town (Cooper 2013). Air Raid Precautions made sure that everything was going right. Thus, about 2000 people were evacuated from Darwin by ship, plane, road, and train before the first attack. This helped to protect the citizens and gave the opportunity to restore the town within several days. The military defenses also soon came back in order and were now ready to perform all needed actions (Grose 2010).
Mostly Darwin was defended by Royal Australian Air Force and Allied fighters, but a number of Australian Army anti-aircraft batteries were also involved in dealing with the threat of Japanese air raids (Turcker 2011). Of course, it was too late to save the dead people and destroyed machinery, but it ensured citizens that they had a chance to get through the war and rallied the representatives of the territories at threat.
Reflection
The attack from Japan was not really unexpected as their submarine was seen in the harbor before. However, this did not prepare the defense forces for immediate and organized actions. The danger was reduced to some extent, but the irreparable harm was done. Fortunately, at that time, Australia was not the main target, so it got an opportunity to reconsider their strategies and survive (Cooper 2013).
Reference List
Cooper, A 2013, Darwin spitfires, Pen and Sword, Barnsley. Web.
Grose, P 2010, An awkward truth: the bombing of Darwin, February 1942, Griffin Press, Crows Nest. Web.
Knightley, P & Crawford, R 2013, Australia, Random House, London. Web.
Scates, B 2013, Anzac journeys: returning to the battlefields of World War II, Cambridge University Press, New York. Web.
Smith, G 2011, Shadows of war on the Brisbane line, Boolarong Press, Salisbury. Web.
Turcker, A 2011, The bombing of Darwin, Scholastic Australia, Gosford. Web.
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