The Japanese air raids on Darwin on 19 February 1942 are well known to most Australians, but what happened afterwards? For almost two years the airspace over north-west Australia was routinely penetrated by Japanese air raids, tallying about 70 in total. The 1942-43 air raids on Darwin constituted the only sustained and intensive direct assault on Australian territory in the whole of World War II. Telling the story of the RAAF's No 1 Fighter Wing, composed of both Australian and British spitfire pilots, Darwin Spitfires explores the little-known 1943 season of air combat over the top end, recovering this important aspect of Australian history. 'This fascinating book reclaims an important, little-known aspect of our war history.' -- Brisbane News 'It is a real pleasure to read Cooper's careful dissection of each dogfight, a display of unselfconscious expertise.' -- Peter Stanley, The Canberra Times 'Detailed and engrossing' -- The Newcastle Herald 'For anyone with an interest in Australian aviation and/or military history' -- Sunday Tasmanian
- | Author: Anthony Cooper
- | Publisher: NewSouth
- | Publication Date: Sep 01, 2022
- | Number of Pages: 568 pages
- | Language: English
- | Binding: Paperback
- | ISBN-10: 1742237789
- | ISBN-13: 9781742237787