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| IJN Mikuma Sanyo Maru |
Aircraft History Built by Mitsubishi. At the factory, painted with dark green upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. True serial number 269. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 0 Observation Seaplane / F1M2 Pete manufacture number 5269. Wartime History Assigned to Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma. Next, assigned to seaplane tender Sanyo Maru with tail code P2 (likely P2-?? last two digits unknown). During late 1942 until at least early 1943, assigned to the 938 Kōkūtai with tail code L-2-20 and operated from Shortland Islands Seaplane Base. Mission History This Pete force landed or crashed on Magusaiai Island. On impact, the center float broke off, and the engine was torn from its mount. According to locals, the crew survived and returned to base. Possibly, this Pete crashed sometime prior to March 1943 when the L-2 tail code was used, or other markings weathered off the tail. Wreckage This Pete remained in situ largely intact with the center pontoon and engine broken off during the crash. By the 1970s, the machine guns, ammunition and instruments were removed, possibly during the war by the Japanese. Traces of original green paint remained on the upper services and gray on the lower surfaces. During the late 1970s, Charles Darby photographed the wreckage and noted manufacture number 5269 and tail code P-2. He later revised his observations that the tail was P-2 and also had tail code L2-20. Bill Davies visited the wreck in early July, 2003: "You can walk to it from the village of Maleai, but it takes an hour." Until at least October 2005, this Pete remained in situ until it was removed by local people under the direction of Australian Craig Turner / Solomon Islands National Museum Project and transported to Maleai. This Pete was reportedly sold for the sum of $20,000 Solomon Island Dollars (roughly $2,646 USD). The chiefs claimed they never received any payments for this or any aircraft wrecks removed and the salvage was halted due to a dispute with locals. On November 6, 2007 Craig Turner with Gary Spoors / GJD Services Ltd returned returned to complete the salvage reported to be a $220,000 USD deal to pay landowners and remove aircraft wrecks from the Shortlands. The chiefs and local people claimed they never received any payments for this or any aircraft wrecks removed. On November 8, 2007 this aircraft was loaded aboard Solomon Islands Government barge MV Tina plus other aircraft from the area. Footage of this Pete appeared in OneNews: Shortland & Ballalae Aircraft Salvage" aired on November 20, 2007. The salvage included: A6M3 Zero (no. 1), A6M3 Zero (no. 2), A6M2 Zero 2487 and A6M2 Zero 7434 from Ballale Island plus F1M2 Pete 1250 and F1M2 Pete 5269 (this aircraft) from Magusaiai Island and Poporang Island. The salvaged aircraft were transported to Honiara and stored briefly before being exported to Australia. Afterwards, this Pete was stored in a suburb to the west of Sydney. References Pacific Aircraft Wrecks (1979) page 38 (top photo) manufacture number listed as 5269 and tail code PO-2 Hostages To Freedom (1995) page 435-436 YouTube "OneNews Shortland & Ballalae Aircraft Salvage" November 20, 2007 GJD Services - Solomon's via WaybackMachine.org February 25, 2008 Thanks to Charles Darby and Ryan Toews for additional information Contribute
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