Bombing of Katherine
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| Bombing of Katherine | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Japanese air raids on Australia | |||||||
 Off-duty military personnel outside accommodation, Katherine, Northern Territory c. 1942 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Japan |
 Australia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Tokao Kokutai | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 9 aircraft bombers | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None reported |
1 killed 1–2 wounded | ||||||
The Bombing of Katherine was a Japanese air attack on the town of Katherine, Northern Territory, conducted on 22 March 1942. As part of the Japanese air raids on Australia, it marked the southernmost point reached by air raids in the Northern Territory.[1][2]
Following the Bombing of Darwin, nine Mitsubishi G4M1 "Betty" bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy under Tokao Kokutai[3] dropped approximately 90 high-explosive bombs known as "Daisy Cutters" on Katherine's airfield.[2][3]
The raid resulted in one fatality, an Indigenous man named Dodger Kodjalway,[2] and one or two injuries.[3][4]
Wing Commander Shane Smith described the raid's legacy:
While damage to infrastructure was limited and just one life lost, the attack changed Katherine in many ways and it continues to impact people's lives to this day.[2]
