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| IJN 582 Kōkūtai or 552 Kōkūtai |
Aircraft History Built by Aichi. At the factory, painted with dark green upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 99 Carrier Bomber Model 22 / Ku Ku Kamba (Kanbaku) / D3A2 Val manufacture number unknown. The centerline 250kg bomb shackle had a component dataplate with serial number 3383. Wartime History Assigned to either the 582 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group) or 552 Kōkūtai (552 Air Group). No known tail code. This Val operated from Rabaul. Mission History Between December 15-31, 1943 this Val took off from Rabaul on a dive bombing mission against the U.S. Army beachhead at Arawe (Cape Merkus) or U.S. Navy vessels offshore. Over the target, shot down by anti-aircraft fire or U.S. fighters. During these raids, the Japanese lost a total of twenty Vals. Mission History This aircraft crashed near Wako village, near Arawe (Cape Merkus) with at least one bomb aboard, likely prior to bomb release. Likely shot down by anti-aircraft fire or American fighters and crashed between December 15-31, 1943 during Japanese air raids against the U.S. Army beachhead and U.S. Navy vessels supporting the American landing at Arawe (Cape Merkus). Wreckage This Val crashed near Wako to the northeast of Arawe (Cape Merkus). When it crashed, at least one 60kg aerial bomb was aboard. In 2005, the crash site included pieces of wreckage including the propeller, radial engine, one main landing gear leg with the wheel hub and a fragment of the 60kg aerial bomb. References Serial Number & Production Sequence D3A2 Carrier Bombers by Jim Long Kodochosho, 552 Kōkūtai, December 17-31, 1942 Kodochosho, 582 Kōkūtai, December 15-31, 1942 D3A2 Val crew members lost December 15-27, 1943 by Justin Taylan Thanks to Mark Reichman for additional information Contribute
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