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| IJN 1st Carrier Division Zuikaku
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Aircraft History Built by Aichi during late October or early November 1942. Uncoded serial number 41. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 99 Carrier Bomber Kanbaku / D3A2 Model 22 Val manufacture number 3041. Wartime History Assigned to the 1st Carrier Division aboard Zuikaku. Tail number 1-2-204. Mission History On April 7, 1943 took off as part of Operation I-Go Sakusen on a dive bombing mission against American shipping in Tulagi Harbor off Tulagi. Over the target, likely shot down by an American fighter and crashed on the the northwest coast of Florida Island (Nggela Sule). A total of three Vals went down in the jungle within sight of USS Niagara (AGP-1) and USS Rail (AT-139). Wreckage Later, the crash sites were investigated by American forces. The wrecks of three dive bombers were found: this aircraft, D3A2 Val 3018 and D3A2 Val 3014. One of the dive bombers had two rolls of exposed 35mm film. These contained numerous views of the new Type 99 Model 22 Dive Bomber dive bomber and allowed the U.S. to make a detailed visual comparison with the earlier Type 99 Model 11. At the crash site, the American intelligence noted manufacture number 3041 and tail number 1-2-204. This Val was deemed to have been shot down by an American fighter based on .50 caliber strikes. Possibly, shot down by F4F Wildcat 12084 pilot 1st Lt. James E. Swett who was credited with seven aerial victories and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role that mission. References "Serial Number & Production Sequence D3A2 Carrier Bombers" by Jim Long X Attack of I-Operation by Richard Dunn pages 39, 44 Contribute
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