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U.S.S. PearyPrint Page 
![USS Peary [Peter William]](https://monumentaustralia.org.au/content/directory/full/USS_Peary-91981-80192.jpg "USS Peary [Peter William]")
![USS Peary [Peter William]](https://monumentaustralia.org.au/content/directory/thumb/USS_Peary-91981-80192.jpg "USS Peary [Peter William]")
The plaque commemorates the U.S.S. Peary and is dedicatedto her crew who died in service or were killed in action in World War Two.
The first enemy attack on Australian soil in the history of the Commonwealth of Australia occurred at 9.58am on Thursday 19 February 1942. The small Northern Territory town of Darwin suffered an air-raid attack by 188 Japanese aeroplanes.
At the time of the attack the civilian population numbered less than 2000. The main target for the first attack was Darwin`s harbour. There were upwards of 45 ships in the port, including the US destroyer Peary. Within minutes Peary had been sunk with a loss of 91 killed or missing.
Location
| Address: | Esplanade, Bicentennial Park, adjacent to Cenotaph, Darwin, 0800 |
|---|---|
| State: | NT |
| Area: | Foreign |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -12.466696 Long: 130.840137 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 19-February-1942 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 19-February-1942 |
Dedication
U.S.S. Peary DD 226
Commissioned Oct. 22, 1920 at William Cramp and Son Shipyard Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
Sunk by Japanese aircraft Darwin, Australia Feb. 19. 1942
Dedicated to those who gave their lives
Donated by
Dallis E. Widick U. S. N.
John H. Patterson U. S. N. R.
