{{short description|Former United States Navy Base}} {{Location map|Western Australia|label=Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base |position=top |lat_deg=17|lat_min=42|lat_dir=S |lon_deg=122|lon_min=14|lon_dir=E |caption=Location of Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base in Western Australia<br/> {{flag|United States Navy}} in 1942. }} [[File:Dutch Do 24s taking off from Roebuck Bay 1941.jpg|thumb|Dutch [[Dornier Do 24]]s taking off from Roebuck Bay 1941]] [[File:Broome B-24 destroyed P02039.jpg|thumb|At Broome airstrip a US [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|B-24]] is destroyed in the March 3, 1942 raid]] [[File:Broome Dornier (AWM044613).jpg|thumb|Crews with the [[Dutch Naval Aviation Service]]'s [[Dornier Do 24]] at [[Darwin Harbour]], the Dornier Do 24 would be later attacked at [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]]]] [[File:PBY 5A Catalina.jpg|thumb|Typical US Navy [[PBY Catalina]] and crew during World War II]] [[File:StateLibQld 1 190231 Seaplane S.23, Coriolanus, moored at Pinkenba on the Brisbane River, 1939.jpg|thumb|''Corinna'' and ''Centaurus'' sister ship, ''Coriolanus'' [[Short Empire|Short Empire, S.23]] flyingboat]] '''Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base''', also called '''Broome Seaplane Base''', was located in [[Roebuck Bay]] [[Western Australia]] near the town of [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]]. The base opened in March 1942 and operated [[Consolidated PBY Catalina]] seaplanes during [[World War II]]. The base was used by the [[United States Navy]] starting in 1942.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/provinces/australia_roebuck_bay.html Roebuck Bay seaplane base]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref>
==History== Roebuck Bay, also called Broome Harbor, is a natural bay offering a protected port on Australia's northwestern shore. Following the loss of [[Naval Base Manila]] in the [[Philippines]], the US seaplanes fled to the [[Dutch East Indies]] and then to [[Balikpapan]], [[Indonesia]] until these ports were taken over by the [[Empire of Japan]] in March 1942. By December 19, 1941, ten PBY Catalinas were in Balikpapan: VP-101 had P-2, P-3, P-6, P-8, P-9, P-11 and [[VP-102]] had P-23, p-25, P-26 P-2. The seaplanes at [[Roebuck Bay]] came from [[Surabaya]], [[Java]] after [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies|Japan's occupation of Java]] in 1942. Parts of Patrol Squadrons [[VP-22]], VP-101 and VP-102 of the U.S. Navy's Pat Wing 10 were operating from Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base. By the time the PBYs of Pat Wing 10 arrived at Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base about half of the planes had been lost. The base was also used by the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]] after departing Java, [[Royal Air Force]] and the [[Royal Australian Air Force]]. After the raid on March 3, 1942, PBY operations moved south to [[Seaplane Base Exmouth]]. [[USS Childs (DD-241)|USS ''Childs'']], a [[destroyer]] converted into a [[seaplane tender]], was serving the planes at Roebuck Bay, but departed before the raid. ''Childs'' did leave behind a [[Launch (boat)|launch boat]], that saved the lives of many during the raid. The motor schooner ''Nickolbay'' was at Roebuck Bay acting as a seaplane tender at the time of the raid. ''Nickolbay'' was the only transportation to survive the attack, as such transported some from Roebuck Bay to [[Port Hedland, Western Australia|Port Hedland]], about 300 miles south. Broome was attacked three more times by Japanese aircraft, but with not much damage. Broome Harbor had been a [[Pearling in Western Australia|pearling]] port since 1883. Roebuck Bay and the [[Broome International Airport|Broome Airfield]] was used for 14 days before the raid by the Dutch as a refueling stop for planes evacuating Dutch East Indies refugee and troops to [[Perth]]. In those 14 days over 8,000 Dutch had passed through Broome. The Royal Australian Air Force and US Navy assisted the Dutch in the evacuations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47723722 |title=Fremantle was a big submarine base |newspaper=[[Army News]]|location=Darwin, NT |date=25 August 1945 |access-date=8 February 2016 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>[https://www.ozatwar.com/usnavy/patwing10.htm Patwing-10]''ozatwar.com''</ref><ref>[https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/files/22708909/Thesis_CDU_9264_Jung_S.pdf AUSTRALIA'S UNDERSEA AERIAL ARMADA]''Charles Darwin University''</ref>
==March 3, 1942 raid== {{main|Attack on Broome}} On March 3, 1942, at 9:20 AM nine [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|A6M2 Zeros]] and a [[Mitsubishi Ki-15|C5M2 plane]] strafed the seaplanes at the base. The tide was low so most of the planes were far from shore awaiting to be refueled.<ref>[https://www.tracesofwar.com/articles/2662/Japanese-air-raid-on-Broome.htm Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base raid]''tracesofwar.com''</ref> At the time only two US Navy PBY planes were at Roebuck Bay and no US crews were injured. In the raid 70 people killed and 24 aircraft were destroyed, 15 of the aircraft were flying boats at Roebuck Bay seaplane base. Some of these planes are still in the bay and can be seen about a mile offshore in low spring and [[king tide]]s.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/provinces/australia_broome.html Broome ]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref><ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/airfields/australia/broome/missions-broome.html Broome raids] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015115523/https://pacificwrecks.com/airfields/australia/broome/missions-broome.html |date=2022-10-15 }}''pacificwrecks.com''</ref>
The [[United States Armed Forces]] operating the base at Broome thought the base was out of range of Japanese fighters based in [[Timor]]. But the planes used had extra fuel tanks added to make the attack. The town of [[Derby, Western Australia]] north of Roebuck Bay was also strafed on March 3, 1942.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/03/03/4190415.htm Seventy three years and still more to find from Broome air raids,By Richard Dinnen]''abc.net''</ref>
===Losses=== Not one aircraft was operational at the end of the attack at 10.30 AM. The aircraft lost in the raid were:<ref>[http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Broome.pdf Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base]''museum.wa.gov.au''</ref> *Five [[Dornier Do 24]] of the [[Netherlands Naval Aviation Service]] (MLD) *Four PBY Catalina of MLD, PBY-5 *Two PBY Catalina of the US Navy, PBY-4 # 6 and #7 *Two PBY Catalina of the Royal Air Force, landed from [[Singapore]], by [[Tjilatjap]], Java, PBY-5 *Two [[Short Empire|Short Empire, S.23]] flyingboats, Both owned by [[Imperial Airways]] of ([[British Overseas Airways Corporation|BOAC]]), one operated by [[Qantas]] and one operated by Royal Australian Air Force. **Details: *Dornier Do 24K-1 Serial Number X-1 MLD was sunk.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/do24/x-1.html Dornier Do 24K-1 Serial Number X-1 ]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref> *Dornier Do 24K-1 Serial Number X-20 MLD set on fire and sunk. From Lengkong, [[Tangerang, Banten]] landed before the attack at 9:00 AM.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/do24/x-20.html Dornier Do 24K-1 Serial Number X-20 ]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref> *Dornier Do 24K-1 Serial Number X-23 MLD set on fire and sunk. From East Java, landed before the attack, crew and passengers were ashore, maintenance crew was checking plane.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/do24/x-23.html Dornier Do 24K-1 Serial Number X-23 ]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref> * Short Empire, S.23, ''Corinna'' Empire Flying Boat Registration G-AEUC, the first plane to be sunk in the attack, operated by [[Qantas Empire Airways]] (QEA).<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/short/corinna.html S.23 Corinna]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref> *Short Empire, S.23 ''Centaurus'', Registration G-ADUT Serial Number A18-10, Short Empire, S.23 Centaurus a medium-range four-engined flying Qantas operated by [[Imperial Airways]] of London, the boat caught fire and sank, flight crew on board rescued.<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/short/A18-10.html S.23 Centaurus]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref> *Two [[Royal Air Force]] PBY Catalina sunk<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/pby/raf_broome.html Royal Air Force PBY Catalina]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref> *Two Dutch [[Dornier Do 24]] with the Dutch Royal Marine Airforce, with women and children were hit in the attack. About 35 to 40 Dutch civilians refugees were killed in the raid, they were on their way south to [[Naval Base Perth]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-24/broome-plane-wreck-could-uncover-ww2-air-raid-history/101452196|title=Rescued plane skeleton could reveal secrets of deadly World War II air raid|newspaper=ABC News |date=September 24, 2022|via=www.abc.net.au}}</ref> *Dutch and British PBYs were sunk also in the raid.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/alliesinadversity/japanese/broome|title=Allies in adversity, Australia and the Dutch in the Pacific War: The Japanese raid on Broome | Australian War Memorial|website=www.awm.gov.au}}</ref> *B-24A Liberator Serial Number 40-2374 Number 74 was in the air, caught fire just after take-off when attacked and crashed into Roebuck Bay with some loss of life. One member Sgt. Melvin Donoho swam for 36 hours to shore, a distance of about 16 km (9.9 mi).<ref>[https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/40-2374.html B-24A Liberator Serial Number 40-2374]''pacificwrecks.com''</ref><ref>The Unknown Fate of Sgt. Willard J. Beatty, May 2003, by Charles Jarrells</ref> *At [[Broome International Airport|Broome airfield]], two US [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]], [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]], [[Lockheed Lodestar]] and two [[Lockheed Hudson]] bombers were attacked and destroyed. A Netherlands East Indies Airline's (KNILM) [[Douglas DC-3|DC-3 transports]] was destroyed also. All seven allied aircraft at the airfield were destroyed. There were no injuries at the airfield, as all were able to find cover.<ref>[https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/alliesinadversity/japanese/broome Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base] ''awm.gov.au''</ref>
==March 20, 1942 raid== On March 20, 1942 [[Mitsubishi G4M|Mitsubishi G4M2]] "Betty" medium bombers bombed the Broome Airfield. Attack killed one civilian and did minor damage to the airfield.<ref>Clayton, Mark (April 1986). "The north Australian air war, 1942–1944". Journal of the Australian War Memorial. Canberra: Australian War Memorial (8): 33–45. ISSN 0729-6274.</ref>
==Memorials== Raid memorials at Broome:<ref>[https://www.maritimequest.com/misc_pages/monuments_memorials/broome_air_raid_memorials.htm Broome Air Raid Memorials ]''maritimequest.com''</ref><ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-02/rules-around-diving-on-wwii-wrecks/100402424 You can still see the devastation of WWII in the waters of Broome's Roebuck Bay, By Ben Collins and Vanessa Mills, 1 Sep 2021]''abc.net''</ref> *There are four Broome air raid memorials in Broome: **Broome Air Raid Memorial, town center<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/ww2/display/60166-japanese-bombing-memorial | title=Japanese Bombing Memorial | Monument Australia }}</ref> ** Allied War Memorial Wall in Bedford Memorial Park,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/multiple/display/98880-bedford-memorial-park | title=Bedford Memorial Park | Monument Australia }}</ref> lists those known to have been lost **Broome Air Raid 50th Anniversary Memorial at Town Beach<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.broome.wa.gov.au/Community/Recreation/Town-Beach-Jetty/Town-Beach-Jetty | title=Town Beach Jetty }}</ref> overlooking Roebuck Bay **Memorial to the 76 Dutch civilians lost and who were initially buried there, at Town Beach *Dornier Do24K Engine from Royal Netherlands Air Force plane is on display at the Broome Historical Society museum<ref>{{Cite web | title=Broome Historical Society and Museum - Broome Historical Society & Museum | url=https://broomemuseum.org.au/ | access-date=2025-02-26 | website=broomemuseum.org.au}}</ref> *Dornier Do24K Engines from Royal Netherlands Air Force plane is on display at the departure gate of Broome Airport<ref>{{Cite web | title=Broome International Airport | url=https://www.broomeair.com.au/ | access-date=2025-02-26 | website=www.broomeair.com.au}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Battle for Australia]] *[[US Naval Advance Bases]] *[[Naval Base Perth]] *[[Air raids on Australia, 1942–1943]]
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg29an7cM4o&t=631s youtube World War 2 - Defence of Australia] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120603192100/http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/No.%20170%20FBs%20Broome.pdf Heritage nomination] of the site and wreckage by the [[Western Australian Maritime Museum]] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060822074828/http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/underattack/broome.html Air raids – Broome] *[http://www.awm.gov.au/underattack/bombed/broome.asp Australian War Memorial, "Broome, 3 March 1942"] *[http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/wa12.htm Peter Dunn, 2000, ozatwar.com, "Crash of a Japanese Fighter Aircraft, Destruction of Fifteen Flying Boats, Two B-17 Flying Fortresses, Two B-24 Liberators, Two Lockheed Hudsons, Two DC-3s and a Lockheed Lodestar on 3 March 1942 During a Japanese Air Raid On Broome"] *[http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-web/content/broome WA Museum website on its Broome Aircraft project]
{{US Navy navbox}} {{Western Australia during World War II}} {{US Navy navbox|state=collapsed}} {{MARCOMships}} {{WWII US ships}} {{Warship types of the 19th & 20th centuries}} {{USWWII}}
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[[Category:Military installations established in 1942]] [[Category:Former installations of the United States Navy]] [[Category:1942 in Australia]] [[Category:South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base]] [[Category:Western Australia during World War II|Roebuck Bay Seaplane Base]]