Severe weather in the Solomons causes the loss of seven Zeros. Two H6K5 Mavis flying boats are sent to rescue their pilots. For one of the Mavis, the rescue mission becomes dramatic when they face sharks, a surprise attack by a pair of Airacobras and sinking after returning to base.
Six Zeros ditch due to bad weather
On January 25, 1943, eighteen A6M Zeros from 252 Kōkūtai (252 Air Group) took off from Rabaul bound for Guadalcanal. On the way to the target, they encounter severe weather. Six were forced to ditch, their pilots were 1) Koichi Yoshida, 2) ????, 3) Mashouiro Chicanami, 4) Saichi Matsumoto, 5) Abichi Nishizawa and 6) ???? Sukahara. A seventh piloted by Takesuburo Ikeada went missing. The other eleven Zeros manage to land at Ballale Airfield.
Search and Rescue Mission by Flying Boats
On January 26, 1943 two Mavis flying boats from 851 Kōkūtai (851 Air Group) took off from Shortland Seaplane Base to search for and rescue the downed pilots.
The first, H6K5 Mavis found a ditched Zero but were unable to locate the pilot.
The second, H6K5 Mavis pilot Mashio Kira took off at 6:45am to search for a Zero pilot ditched off eastern Choiseul Island. Aboard was radio operator Sachio Hirayama. Fifteen minutes earlier at 6:30am, six A6M Zeros from the 252 Kokutai took off from Kahili Airfield 1st Shotai: 1) Izu Isakamoto 2) Yohichi Hanatusa 3) Sonichi Kosaka plus 2nd Shotai: 1) Tsuzu Kojima 2) Yokiyo Myayohi 3) Sahio Hiyama to escort and aid in the search.
When the flying boat arrived off eastern Choiseul Island, they spotted a pilot on the beach waving. The Mavis landed in the sea nearby and yelled for him to swim to the flying boat, but he refused because of sharks in the water. One of the escorting Zeros swooped down and strafed the sharks with his 20mm cannons. Crew members of the Mavis climbed up onto the wing of their plane and threw a buoy [life ring] towards the shore. The pilot was still nervous about the sharks and fired his Nambu pistol at a few before finally agreeing to grab the buoy. The flying boat crew pulled the line and got him aboard safely.
As the flyingboat began to take off, it was suddenly attacked by two P-39 Airacobras. Aboard the Mavis the guns were stowed and the crew cursed their carelessness for not having them ready to return fire. Several of them hurried to mount their heavy 20mm cannons. Just as the Mavis began to lift off, the P-39s attacked from very low, hitting the underside of the Mavis and damaging the mount for the rear 20mm cannon. One of the Mavis crew members was severely wounded in the right leg and later died. Looking out a side window, Hirayama saw the U.S. star insignia on one fighter as it pulled up past them.
The escorting Zeros had not noticed the low approach of the American fighters but dove down to intercepted the Airacobras, claiming one shot down while the other escaped. The Mavis returned to base where it sank upon landing due to damage inflicted by the American fighters, although some gear was salvaged from the flying boat, it was a total loss. The Zero pilot rescued was unharmed.
American Side
On January 26, 1943 in the morning P-39 pilot 1st Lt. Lawrence R. McKulla and
P-39 pilot 2nd Lt. William F. Fiedler Jr. took off from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal to escort B-17 Flying Fortresses on a bombing mission against Ballale Airfield. Returning, the pair flew to Choiseul Island to search for a man in a life raft spotted two days earlier by a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) No. 3 Squadron Hudson.
They encountered an enemy four engine flying boat at Lat 7° 30' S Long 157° 40' E [View location on Google Earth]. The Airacobras made one firing pass before they were jumped by five Zeros. Fiedler claimed one "Zero Mark 2" (Hamp)
shot down south off Wagina Island to the east of Choiseul Island.
Fiedler returned to Guadalcanal. He was the only American pilot to be credited with a total of five victories while flying the Airacobra.
P-39 Airacobra pilot 1st Lt. Lawrence R. McKulla bailed out before his plane crashed into the sea. He was later rescued by USS Grouper (SS-214) on February 10, 1943.
References
Kodochosho 252 Kōkūtai, January 25, 1943
Kodochosho 252 Kōkūtai, January 26, 1943
Kodochosho 851 Kōkūtai, January 26, 1943
Interview with Sachio Hirayama, translation by Yoji Sakaida
P-39 Airacobra Aces of World War II page 34
Thanks to Jim Sawruk and Edward Rogers for additional research into the Amercian side.
