Due to Australia's geographic position there were relatively few attacks on Australia during World War II. Axis

Axis Powers

The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...

 surface raiders and submarines periodically attacked shipping in Australian waters from 1940 to early 1945 and Japanese aircraft bombed towns and airfields in Northern Australia

Northern Australia

The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...

 on 97 occasions during 1942 and 1943.

Naval attacks

Six German surface raiders operated in Australian waters at different times between 1940 to 1943. These ships sank a small number of merchant ships and the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney

HMAS Sydney (1934)

HMAS Sydney , named for the Australian city of Sydney, was one of three Modified Leander class light cruisers operated by the Royal Australian Navy...

. The German submarine U-862

Unterseeboot 862

German submarine U-862 was a German Type IXD2 U-boat of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was the only German submarine to operate in the Pacific Ocean during World War II...

 also carried out attacks in Australian waters in late 1944 and early 1945.

Japanese submarines operated in Australian waters from January 1942 until July 1944. Major submarine offensives were carried out against shipping off the Australian east coast from May to July 1942 and January to July 1943. A small Japanese reconnaissance party also briefly landed in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in January 1944.

Air attacks

The first air raid on Australia occurred on 19 February 1942 when Darwin was attacked by 242 Japanese aircraft. Occasional attacks on northern Australian towns and airfields continued until November 1943.