| Western Australian emergency of March 1944 | |
|---|---|
| Part of Pacific War | |
| Objective | Reinforcement of Western Australia in response to a feared Japanese attack |
| Date | 6–20 March 1944 |
| Outcome | No attack eventuated, all units involved returned to their normal dispositions |
On 6 March 1944 the Australian Government and military received an incorrect report that two Imperial Japanese Navy battleships had entered the Indian Ocean, possibly to attack Fremantle and Perth. In response, the Allied forces in the state of Western Australia were rapidly reinforced. The threat of attack rapidly passed and the Allied naval units returned to their normal dispositions on 13 March followed by the air units a week later.