(236 people) due to the presence of capital ships and the catastrophic loss of a single battleship, the USS Arizona, and its 1,177 men. A frequently repeated myth is that the Australian government downplayed the damage from the bombing raids on Darwin, in a "cover-up". The newspapers of the day disprove this claim. On the day of the attack the prime minister is quoted on the front pages of most newspapers: "Damage to property was considerable", he said, "but reports so far to hand do not give precise particulars about the loss of life." "The Government regards the attacks as most grave, and makes it quite clear that a severe blow has been struck on Australian soil." Further Japanese raids After the 19 February 1942 Japanese raid, the Northern Territory and parts of Western Australia's north were bombed approximately 100 times between 4 March 1942 and 12 November 1943. One of the heaviest attacks took place on 16 June 1942 when a Japanese force set fire to the oil fuel tanks around the harbour and inflicted severe damage to the vacant banks, stores and railway yards. The Allied navies largely abandoned the naval base at Darwin after the initial 19 February attack, dispersing most of their forces to Brisbane, Fremantle, and other, smaller, seaports. Conversely, Allied air commanders launched a build-up in the Darwin area, building more airfields and deploying many squadrons. The four IJN aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Hiryū, and Sōryū) that participated in the Bombing of Darwin were later sunk during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Commemoration and depictions in popular culture A memorial ceremony has been held every year since at least 2009. On 19 February at the Cenotaph in Darwin, at 9:58 am, a World War II air-raid siren sounds to mark the precise time of the first attack. A fictionalised version of the raid features prominently in the 2008 film Australia. See also Axis naval activity in Australian waters Battle for Australia Christmas Island Invasion Darwin Military Museum Gunner (dog) Hajime Toyoshima List of shipwrecks in February 1942 Proposed Japanese invasion of Australia during World War II Fujita salvage operation Naval Base Darwin References Citations Sources External links Bombing of Darwin, Northern Territory Library online feature ABC Bombing of Darwin audio tour City of Darwin educational resources on Bombing of Darwin Federation Frontline: A secondary school education resource on the bombing of Darwin