RAAF
11 Squadron
February 28, 1942
Aircraft Assignments
Constructors Number 189. Delivered to Qantas as VH-AFG July 5, 1941. Assigned to 11 Squadron August 7, 1941. Assigned to 20 Squadon August 14, 1941. Received STF September 6, 1941. Reassigned to 11 Squadron on January 15, 1942
Wartime History
Sunk by strafing Japanese Zeros of the 4th Kokutai that raided Port
Moresby, and strafed this Catalina while moored at Napa
Napa, in Fairfax
Harbor.
Discovery
Although the wreck was known since the war it was rediscovered in the
first half of 2003 by the
POMSAC - a Port Moresby Sub-Aqua Club, when the InterOil Refinery was being
constructed. The
wreck has not been positivily identified, but is either A24-3 or
A24-6,
one of the two Catalinas sunk during the air raid. Twelve 250kg live bombs
were still aboard, and were removed by Australian MilSearch. The bombs
were taken 10 miles out to sea and dumped. They also located
fragments of another wreck, probably the other Catalina near
where the dock was constructed for InterOil.
PBY
Diving the Catalina off Napa Napa
