In early March 1942 Allied forces in the Netherlands East Indies surrendered and the lightning Japanese conquest of South East Asia was complete. Amid fears of a Japanese invasion of Australia, two understrength RAAF squadrons of Lockheed Hudsons began a brave fight back against the enemy from the Darwin area. These modest initial efforts were the beginnings of an unwavering campaign by Allied bombers waged from Northern Australia until the end of the war in August 1945. As the Hudson squadrons were rebuilt throughout 1942, they were joined by a unique Dutch squadron operating B-25 Mitchells. From 1943 USAAF Liberators joined the fight, and their great range enabled them to attack targets deep within the NEI. From 1944 they were replaced by RAAF Liberators. Other RAAF squadrons used an assortment of aircraft including Vengeances, Beauforts, Mitchells, Venturas and Catalina flying boats. The last type waged an important mining campaign against Japanese held ports in the NEI and later to the Philippines and beyond. Drawing on a wealth of new sources, Bombers North presents for the first time the full story of a little-known bomber offensive waged from remote northern Australia. Table of Contents Acknowledgements About the Author Glossary & Abbreviations Maps Introduction Chapter 1 Overview Chapter 2 The Bombers Chapter 3 The Opponents: Fighters and AA Guns Chapter 4 The Allies Strike Back Chapter 5 The End of the Beginning Chapter 6 A Turning of the Tide, and the Dutch arrive Chapter 7 Bigger, Better and Faster Chapter 8 The Catalinas arrive; the Allies Apply Pressure Chapter 9 A New Wing and New Aircraft Chapter 10 Trading Hudsons for Beauforts – and the Black Cats fly Chapter 11 The Americans and the Dutch depart; Lucky 13 returns Chapter 12 No. 2 Squadron operations and the RAAF‘s heavies take over Chapter 13 The RAAF heavies move forward Chapter 14 The Cats fly to China, and the war’s end Conclusion Appendix 1 No.18 NEI Squadron and its Australian roots by Elmer Mesman Appendix 2 Flying in RAAF Bombers – Brian Winspear’s Story Main Sources Index of Names “Enjoyed it.” Historical Miniatures Gaming Society “Superbly researched and illustrated throughout with rare images and colour artwork, it describes the offensive operations of the USAAF and RAAF against the Japanese in the East Indies. Well written and informative, this is an important addition to the history of the air war in the Pacific.” Flypast "Well written and informative, this is an important addition to the history of the Pacific air war." The Aviation Historian Dr. Tom Lewis served for 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy, during which time he saw active service in Baghdad, where he led American forces, and East Timor. As a museum director he led two museums to new success; the Royal Australian Naval College Historical Collection at HMAS Creswell – for which services he received an Order of Australia; and the Darwin Military Museum, where he was Director for five years. He holds a master’s degree in Cold War Politics from University of Queensland and a Ph.D. in Strategic Studies from Charles Darwin University. Tom was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2003 for services to naval history. Further decorations include the Australian Active Service Medal; the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the United States Army Commendation Medal. Tom is in popular demand from radio and television stations across the globe for his insightful comments on military history and how it intersects with modern-day life. He is a regular speaker to community groups, and appears often in TV documentaries, including lately with Neil Oliver in Coasts, and in Sir Tony Robinson’s Tour of Duty. He produced with Military Myths Defeated the documentary of The Borella Ride, the Anzac Centenary commemoration of Lieutenant Albert Borella VC, who rode 1000 kilometers in the Northern Territory Wet Season to sign up for the Great War. Tom was the Lead Historian for the Ride. Albert Borella VC, an Incredible Journey screened nationally in Australia on Channel 9. He was also Historian for the 2017 Northern Territory Government project The Territory Remembers, the commemoration of 75 years since the first enemy attacks on Australia. He lives in Darwin, Australia with his wife.