Japanese Reconnaissance Flight over Broome and Treville, WA on 2 March 1942

JAPANESE RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHT
OVER BROOME AND TREVILLE, WA
ON 2 MARCH 1942

A Japanese Navy Kawanishi H6K4 reconnaissance flying boat was spotted over Broome on 2 March 1942. It flew over the town of Broome at 12,000 feet before turning out to sea. There were no fighter aircraft based in the area, so its passage over the town was not rushed. The local military hierarchy saw this as a prelude to a possible Japanese air raid.

On the evening of 2/3 March 1942, many refugees from Java and the Celebes had started to arrive in Dornier flying boats at Broome in Western Australia. They were then due to be evacuated to the south and east areas of Australia.

At 9:20am on 3 March 1942, nine pale grey Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter aircraft and a single Mitsubishi C5M2 command reconnaissance and navigational aircraft, staged from the Celebes via Timor and carried out a major air aid on Broome.

They destroyed:-

15   Flying boats
2   B-17 Flying Fortresses
2   B-24 Liberators
2   Lockheed Hudsons
2   DC-3's
1   Lockheed Lodestar

One Japanese Zero was shot down.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd also like to thank Bob Livingstone for his assistance with this home page.

REFERENCE BOOKS

Livingstone, Bob (1998), Under the Southern Cross - The B-24 Liberator in the South Pacific", Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, KY, USA

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products