Warbird Information Exchange

I saw the film and noted that the Japanese aircraft depicted appeared to be CGI of single engine aircraft (presumably VAL's, etc). HOWEVER, I was always under the impression that the Japanese attacks on Darwin were made by long range multi-engine bombers (e.g. Betty, Nell etc.) operating from bases in the Dutch East Indies.

Perhaps our 'down under ' friends can shed light on the issue....

On 19 February 1942 mainland Australia came under attack for the first time when Japanese forces mounted two air raids on Darwin. The two attacks, which were planned and led by the commander responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbour ten weeks earlier, involved 54 land-based bombers and approximately 188 attack aircraft which were launched from four Japanese aircraft-carriers in the Timor Sea. In the first attack, which began just before 10.00am, heavy bombers pattern-bombed the harbour and town; dive bombers escorted by Zero fighters then attacked shipping in the harbour, the military and civil aerodromes, and the hospital at Berrimah.
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The air attacks on Darwin continued until November 1943, by which time the Japanese had bombed Darwin 64 times.

Most of the attacking planes came from the four aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Carrier Division 1 (Akagi and Kaga) and Carrier Division 2 (Hiryū and Sōryū). Land-based heavy bombers were also involved. The Japanese launched two waves of planes, comprising 242 bombers and fighters.[citation needed]
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A total of 81 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers then attacked shipping—at least 45 vessels—in the harbour, while 71 Aichi D3A "Val" dive-bombers, escorted by 36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter planes attacked Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bases, civil airfields, and a hospital. Ostreicher shot down two Vals and managed to survive the attack, but no Allied planes took off - all were destroyed or rendered unable to fly after the first attack. By about 10:40 a.m. the first wave of Japanese planes had left the area.

Just before midday there was a high altitude attack by land-based bombers, concentrated on the Darwin RAAF Airfield: 27 Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" bombers flew from Ambon and 27 Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" from Kendari, Sulawesi. This second raid lasted for 20–25 minutes.