The Strand Anti-Aircraft Gun Station

Strand Park

Type

Fortifications

Region

Townsville

The Strand, Townsville 4810

History

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941, Australia’s focus in the war turned to the Pacific. After the raid on Darwin in February 1942, many felt that as Townsville was the second largest city in Queensland, it could be the next to experience a large scale raid by the Japanese. Townsville was already designated as a staging point, with a significant United States build-up underway and the best port facilities in North Queensland.

Due to Townsville’s distance from the front line, it could not be raided by the land-based bombers that had added to the devastation in Darwin. Any air raid would be restricted to carrier-based aircraft or long range flying boats. Between March and July the Japanese conducted regular reconnaissance missions over Townsville using long range aircraft.

In May 1942, the Department of the Army provided 3000 Pounds to construct eight anti-aircraft (AA) emplacements for guns at Charters Towers. This work ceased in July 1942 after the Townsville air raids. All eight guns were then diverted to Townsville. Four were sent to Aitkenvale to protect Hubert’s Well power station on Ross River Road. The remaining four were installed at a Townsville City Council public reserve on The Strand.

Two factors decided this change. Aircraft carrier losses in the Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway meant Japan could no longer fulfil its objective of launching a carrier-based raid against Townsville. Secondly, Charters Towers would decline in importance as an operational base by July as the need to disperse aircraft to the west of Townsville was no longer necessary due to Japanese naval losses. By late July 1942 the 14^th Kokutai based in Rabaul set out to attack Townsville with long range flying boats over five nights, with three raids actually occurring. Even after recent defeats, the Japanese were still capable of striking far from their operational bases.

Prior to July 1942, elements of the United States 208^th Coastal Artillery AA unit were based in the reserve with mobile AA guns. This unit was later transferred to New Guinea.

Known as a 'class A gun station', The Strand AA contained four 3.7 inch guns, manufactured in Australia. These were developed shortly before World War Two and were the standard medium anti-aircraft gun for the British Army from 1938 to 1956. Effective range was around 9100 metres. The octagon-shaped emplacements with surrounding shell store housed a sandbagged entry point with more bags placed on the roof. Rooms contained rifle racks and anti gas equipment and 280 rounds of ammunition for the AA gun.

In total there were four emplacements, four shell stores and a command post. All were built of reinforced concrete. The guns were controlled by the centrally located command post. Sightings of suspicious aircraft were relayed to the post for action by Fighter Sector Headquarters which communicated with observer units.

The Strand reserve AA was later named 395 Australian Heavy Gun Station which was part of 16 Heavy AA group based in Townsville.

The site was manned by both Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) and Volunteer Defence Corp (VDC) personnel from mid 1943. By March 1944 there were twenty-four 3.7" guns in Townsville consisting of six separate AA stations. In late 1944 a review of Townsville’s AA sites recommended a reduction of one third.

In 2011 this reserve is known as the 'Strand Park'. Given the example of other comparable AA sites across Townsville, it is likely that partially demolished sections of the AA station remain underneath.

Source/comments

Ray Holyoak (contributing author).

The North Queensland Line: The Defence of Townsville in 1942. 1998 Thesis by Ray Holyoak held at James Cook University Library North Queensland Collection.

Coast and anti-aircraft defences - Townsville and Cairns: Agendum Number - 65/1944: Date of meeting - 12 April 1944 ACT.

Scale of manning coast and AA [anti-aircraft] defences - Townsville and Cairns [1 map 'The Southern Pacific Area'. Illustrates ranges of enemy land-based bomber and fighter aircraft, November 1943 and March 1944][sub-item] MP729/6. 16/401/671 VIC.

[Camouflage - methods:] Camouflage Works, Volume 2, Townsville Fort Areas [Photo album] [Oversize item] AWM 54 161/3/2.

[Camouflage - methods:] Camouflage Works, Volume 2, Townsville Fort Areas [Photo album] [Oversize item] AWM 54 422/7/7.

[Camouflage - methods:] Camouflage Works, Volume 4, Anti-Aircraft Aerial Survey [Photo album] [Oversize item] AWM 54 161/3/4.

[Camouflage - Methods] Camouflage, Anti Aircraft Guns and Machine Gun Posts, 15 April 1942, AWM 54, 161/3/27.

Army Coastal Fortification - Townsville (Kissing Point), SP 110/6, 88 ACT.