Australian Spitfires

[Graham Boak]

In the interest of obtaining more real information in this matter, could Richard or others please clarify the following matters?

How many successful Japanese recce flights were carried out over the Darwin area before the arrival of the Spitfires?
How many Dinahs were lost to Allied fighters during these missions? (Or other recce aircraft, if such were used.)

How many successful Japanese recce flights were carried out over the Darwin area after the arrival of the Spitfires?
How many Dinahs were lost to Spitfires during these missions?

How many Japanese fighter sweeps were carried out over the Darwin area before the arrival of the Spitfires?
If so, how many such sweeps were carried out before the arrival of the Spitfires?
How many such sweeps were carried out after the arrival of the Spitfires?
Was it normal to have a Dinah accompanying fighter sweeps? Before the Spitfires came? After the Spitfires came?

How many Japanese night bombing raids were carried out on the Darwin area before the arrival of the Spitfires in Darwin?
How many Japanese night bombing raids were carried out on the Darwin area after the arrival of the Spitfires?

Did anything occur in the Darwin area to make it less strategically important to the Allies (and hence to the Japanese) after the arrival of the Spitfires?
Did anything occur in the Darwin area to make it more strategically important to the Allies after the arrival of the Spitfires?