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| IJN ? Kōkūtai |
Aircraft History Built by Nakajima during November 1942. At the factory, this Zero was painted with green upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces with the fuselage Hinomaru outlined with a 75mm white border. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as A6M2 Model 21 Zero manufacture number 5455. This aircraft was assigned a Houkoku Gou (Navy Patriotic Presentation Number). Donated by Japanese company Yan'an spinning operating in China. Assigned Houkoku Gou 1049 (Patriotic Presentation Number 1049) in black on both sides of the rear fuselage. Wartime History Assigned to an unknown Kōkūtai (Air Group). Possibly, assigned to the 201 Kōkūtai (201 Air Group). No known tail code or markings. This Zero operated in the Solomon Islands. Mission History This Zero ditched into the Blackett Strait a few hundred meters off Vila Airfield on Kolombangara Island. Likely, the pilot survived the ditching and happened sometime before late September 1943 when American forces occupied the area. Wreckage This Zero is intact on a sandy bottom at a depth of 56' / 17m. The cockpit canopy is missing. References Yokoi Houkoku List - Houkoku Gou 1000-5887 (List 2) - 1049 not listed Facebook Jack McKee November 30, 2018 "While in Munda last week I had the privilege to dive this Japanese zero wreck, which I posted a different photo of yesterday. What is particularly special about this plane is that when dive guide Sunga was moving sand away from the side of the wreck, he uncovered almost perfectly preserved Japanese text, appearing almost as it would have 75 years ago when the plane crashed in the Second World War. Through the photos I took of the plane the following information has been determined. The plane is a Japanese A6M2 Model 21 Zero Fighter, with the manufacture number 5455. Built by Nakajima in November 1942, the plane was based at the Japanese stronghold of Vila, on the island of Kolombangara in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It is believed that the plane was ditched after running out of fuel on approach to the Vila airstrip, as the plane lies only a few hundred metres from the former runway and the propeller blades are still straight, indicating the engine was not running when the plane crash landed. It is likely that the pilot survived the accident. Some zeros were given patriotic presentation numbers, which were presented by patriotic Japanese organizations during the war. This zero was assigned number 1049, presented by Yan'an Spinning, an organization based in Japanese occupied China. The image below is a stitched mosaic, comprising of five photos which I took shortly before leaving the site. Some of the text as well as a part of the Japanese rising sun insignia can be seen." Thanks to Jack McKee for additional information Contribute
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