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Home » Themes » Conflict » World War Two
U.S.S. PearyPrint Page 
A plaque presented to the Garrison Church by the Darwin Commemoration Association in memory of the USS Peary.
On 19 February 1942 Darwin experienced a massive Japanese air attack. Peary was attacked by Japanese dive bombers, and was struck by five bombs. The first bomb exploded on the fantail, the second, an incendiary, on the galley deck house; the third did not explode; the fourth hit forward and set off the forward ammunition magazines; the fifth, another incendiary, exploded in the after engine room. As she went down by the stern, her machine guns continued to hammer away. Ninety one crew went down with the ship, the US Navy's greatest loss of life in Australian waters.
Location
Address: | Argyle & Lower Fort Streets, The Garrison Church, Millers Point , 2000 |
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State: | NSW |
Area: | Foreign |
GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.858434 Long: 151.205546 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
Monument Type: | Plaque |
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Monument Theme: | Conflict |
Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
Actual Event STart Date: | 19th-February-1942 |
Actual Event End Date: | 19th-February-1942 |
Dedication
Actual Monument Dedication Date: | January, 1994 |
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The American Destroyer U.S.S. Peary was sunk with all guns
firing in Darwin Harbour in the first enemy air raid on the
Australia mainland on 19.2.42. Eighty crew including the
Captain were killed.
Presented to the Garrison Church February 1994 By the Darwin Commemoration Association, Sydney