// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Bombing of Katherine say to the map? You're always targeting me.

Bombing of Katherine
Part of Japanese air raids on Australia
Off-duty military personnel outside accommodation, Katherine, Northern Territory c. 1942
Date 22 March 1942 (1942-03-22) Location Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia Result Japanese victory
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.

Following the Bombing of Darwin, nine Mitsubishi G4M1 "Betty" bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy under Tokao Kokutai dropped approximately 90 high-explosive bombs known as "Daisy Cutters" on Katherine's airfield.

The raid resulted in one fatality, an Indigenous man named Dodger Kodjalway, and one or two injuries.

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.