Pacific Wrecks

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

D3A2 Model 22 Val Manufacture Number 3105

IJN
582 Kōkūtai
or 552 Kōkūtai

Ray Fairfield 1967

Circa 1970s

Barry Flood 1970s

Nimitz Museum 2000

Justin Taylan 2006

Aircraft History
Built by Aichi, estimated date of assembly January 17, 1943. At the factory, painted with green upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as D3A2 Model 22 Val manufacture number 3105.

Wartime History
Assigned to either 582 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group) or 552 Kōkūtai (552 Air Group) or a Japanese aircraft carrier unit operating land based. No known tail code.

While parked or already damaged on the ground at Gasmata Airfield, this Val was damaged by a nearby bomb blast damaging the tail and forcing the aircraft onto the nose.

Wreckage
Until the early 1970s, this aircraft remained in situ until at Gasmata Airfield.

Salvage
In 1973, salvaged by Douglas Hubbard, Jr. for the Nimitz Museum. Locals felt the wreck was stolen from them without permission. The Val was taken from Gasmata by landing craft then transferred aboard HMAS Melbourne (R21) and transported across the Pacific to Long Beach Naval Base then trucked to the Nimitz Museum.

Display
Since at least 2000, this Val displayed unrestored outdoors in the museum extension (annex) at the National Museum of the Pacific War.

References
"Serial Number & Production Sequence D3A2 Carrier Bombers" by Jim Long
Pacific Aircraft Wrecks page 17 (center) and 37 (center)

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Last Updated
January 11, 2022

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