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| IJN 4th Kōkūtai 1st Chutai   Freeman July 1944 |
Pilot PO1c Kosuke Ono (survived) Co-Pilot 飛 Kenji Toyama (survived) Observer PO3c Kiyoshi Mikuni (survived) Radio PO2c ? Sato (survived) Radio 飛 Kazuo Hirano (survived) Mechanic PO2c Ginji Okamoto (survived) Mechanic PO2c Yoshi Uenishi (survived) Ditched February 20, 1942 at 6:25pm Aircraft History Built by Mitsubishi at Nagoya No. 3 Work. At the factory painted with dark green upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 1 Attack Bomber Hamaki / G4M1 Model 11 Betty manufacture number unknown. Wartime History Assigned to the 4th Kōkūtai (4th Air Group), 1st Chutai (1st Company). Tail code F-??? three digits unknown. Mission History On February 20, 1942 at 12:20pm took off from Vunakanau Airfield near Rabaul piloted by PO1c Kosuke Ono armed with two 250kg bombs on a mission to bomb the U.S. Navy (USN) Task Force 11 (TF-11) northeast of Rabaul. This bomber was flying in the 1st Chutai, 1st Shotai led by G4M1 Betty F-348 aircraft commander Ito as the no. 3 bomber. At 1:35pm, the 2nd Chutai located the enemy and began their attack. At 2:00pm the 1st Chutai found the enemy and began their attack but were intercepted by USS Lexington (CV-2) Combat Air Patrol (CAF) of F4F Wildcats from VF-3 including Lt. Edward "Butch" O'Hare who claimed five shot down and faced heavy anti-aircraft fire from the warships and carrier. Despite the fighters and gunfire, this Betty released both bombs at USS Lexington CV-2 but missed. Returning, this Betty was chased 150 miles westward for 45 minutes by SBD Dauntless pilot Allen from Scouting Squadrons 2 (VS-2). His rear gunner Rountee fired his twin .30 caliber machine guns at Betty inflicting further damage. Aboard this Betty, the right engine was damaged and fuel tanks punctured resulting in a fuel to leak. Aboard, two of the crew were killed. At 6:25pm the damaged Betty ditched in shallow water off Nugava Island (Nugava, Paobau) in Nuguria Atoll. The rest of the bomber formation witnessed the ditching and noted the location as "Sugaaba Island". In total, eighteen Betty bombers were shot down and two others crash landed, including this bomber. A total of 88 Japanese airmen were Missing In Action / Killed In Action on this mission. Also lost was G4M1 Betty F-348 Lt Cdr Ito. Fates of the Crew The entire crew survived the ditching. Later, they were rescued by a Japanese barge and transported back to Rabaul. Wreckage This Betty ditched in shallow water roughly 50 yards off Nugarba Island (Nugava, Paobau) in Nuguria Atoll. By early 1944, the rear fuselage was broken behind the cockpit with the tail behind. The left wing was above the surface with the right wing and engine submerged in shallow water with one propeller blade pointed upward. On April 9, 1944 a pair of U.S. Navy (USN) PT Boats from Nissan Island (Green) patrolled Nuguria Atoll and found the wreckage of this bomber in shallow water. According to locals, three of the crew [sic entire crew] survived and were later rescued by a barge and were the only Japanese they had met. When they returned from the patrol, they reported the Betty. During July 1944, investigated by a team from Air Technical Intelligence Unit (ATIU) including Captain Tolbert and Michael J. Freeman that arrived aboard PT-124 "Who Me". While the PT Boat loitered nearby, the pair uses two dinghies to paddle up to the bomber, took at least three photographs and recovered a bag with documents found inside the fuselage above the water level. Today, only a few pieces of wreckage remain visible. John Douglas adds: "I made a visit to Nuguria several years ago and photographed the remains of a Betty near the shoreline. There were scraps of fuselage and wings buried, with obviously more under the sand." References Kodochosho, 4th Kōkūtai, February 20, 1942 translation by Minoru Kamada Japan Times & Advertiser "Ono's Account of the mission" March 9, 1942 apparently only three of his crew survived to be rescued, as natives on Nuguria later reported a barge took off the three, The First Team (1984) pages 118, 130-131, 636 At Close Quarters (1962) page 154 Airpower Magazine Volume 24, No. 4 July 1994 "Spying Behind Japanese Lines with the Coastwatchers in the South Pacific" by Michael Freeman "The one to this downed Mitsubishi G4M Betty bomber was made aboard an eight foot Elco PT boat [PT-124]. The Betty lay in shallow water off a remote coral atoll near Nuguria Island. The author took these photos and checked the inside, while an Air Force captain inspected the outside. During their investigation in April, 1944, they were strafed by a Japanese Zero." Behind Enemy Lines (1997) pages 210-214 (July 1944 wreckage investigation), 210-211 (photos) Mitsubishi Type 1 Rikko 'Betty' Units of World War 2 (2001) page 37 Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated October 16, 2025 |
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