Pacific Wrecks

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 641

IJN
Tainan Kōkūtai

Pilot P. O. 1st Class Toshiaki Honda or PO1c Tooru Oshima
Crashed May 13, 1942 or May 14, 1942

Aircraft History
Built by Nakajima, estimated assembly date February 1942. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 0 Carrier Fighter / A6M Zero manufacture number 641. Assigned to the Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group). Tail Code V-1?? (last two digits unknown).

Mission History
On May 13, 1942 or May 14, 1942 took of from Lakunai Airfield at Rabaul on a mission against Port Moresby. Over the target, crashed into "Wirraway Valley" near Port Moresby.

Afterwards, the crash site was investigated by by Advance Echelon, Fifth Air Force and reported to Allied Technical Intelligence Unit (ATIU) as having crashed May 12, 1942 [sic] and assigned the code "AD 7", and the date of crash estimated as May 12, 1942. This estimated date of crash is incorrect, as the Japanese lost no Zeros were lost over Port Moresby on either date. The code AD identified airplanes inspected by the Advance Echelon, Fifth Air Force. The code letters were followed by a number which identified an individual wreck."

Two Zero losses over Port Moresby are possibilities during this approximate , both from the Tainan Kōkūtai: A6M2 Zero piloted by Honda crashed May 13, 1942 or A6M2 Zero piloted by Oshima crashed May 14, 1942.

References
Japanese Aircraft Makers Plates and Markings: Life of Japanese Combat Airplanes, Report No. 68
SWPA Technical References to Inspected Enemy Airplanes" ATIU, September 27, 1943
Winged Samurai "Tainan Kōkūtai Pilot Casualties" page 88
Thanks Jim Sawruk and Jim Long for additional information

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Last Updated
May 11, 2021

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