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| IJN Kamikawa Maru |
Aircraft History Built by Mitsubishi completed August 19, 1942. At the factory painted with green upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces with fuselage Hinomaru insignia outlined in white. True serial number 190. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 0 Observation Seaplane / F1M2 Pete manufacture number 1190. Wartime History Assigned to the Kamikawa Maru with tail code YII-3 painted in white. The rear fuselage had two vertical white stripes. This aircraft was transported aboard Kamikawa Maru to the the Solomon Islands. Wartime History This Pete operated from Rekata Bay Seaplane Base on Santa Isabel Island. During late 1942 or early 1943, abandoned in Rekata Bay Seaplane Base near the beach on the western side of Suavanao (Suavanau). Over time, sank onto the center float and became embedded into the sand from wave action or storms pushing it ashore. Wreckage During late 1942 or early 1943, this Pete was abandoned at Rekata Bay Seaplane Base leaning on the right wing, with the smaller wing floats missing. The engine cowls were removed and the fuselage riddled by shrapnel and bullet holes, indicating it was likely strafed and damaged on the ground. During August to September 1943 a team from Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit (ATAIU) visited Rekata Bay and studied and photographed this aircraft. This wreck was given crash code SU 2042 and inspected by "CR". The manufacture number of 1190 and tail number YII-3 were noted. The aircraft was deemed to be unserviceable or disabled as of August 12, 1943. Most of the fabric was missing, and the right 7.7mm machine gun removed from the nose. This aircraft was reported in (CEAR) Crashed Enemy Aircraft Report (CEAR) #17, released on February 15, 1944. During March 1944 this aircraft was photographed with the main float embedded in the sand with Flight Lieutenant J. Beattie the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during a visit to the area. On August 28, 1945 visited by Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) personnel and photographed. At that time it was in virtually the same condition, only the center pontoon had sunk deeper into the sand and the right lower wing was submerged underwater. The ultimate fate of this wreck is unknown, scrapped or otherwise removed sometime later. References Crashed Enemy Aircraft Report #17 (CEAR), February 15, 1944 Type 0 Float Plane PETE - Aircraft captured at Rekata Bay Thanks to Richard Dunn, Jim Long and Robert Rocker for additional information Contribute
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