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| USAAF 13th AF 347th FG or 18th FG |
Aircraft History Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39 Airacobra, model and serial number unknown. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Fiji and reassembled at Nadi Airfield. Wartime History Assigned to the 13th Air Force (13th AF). The precise unit assignment is unknown. No known nose art, nickname or markings. This aircraft was armed with four .30 caliber machine guns in the wings, two .50 caliber machine guns in the cowling and a 37mm cannon in the propeller spinner. Likely, assigned to the 347th Fighter Group (347th FG), to either the 67th Fighter Squadron (67th FS) or 68th Fighter Squadron (68th FS). Alternately, this Airacobra might have been assigned to the 18th Fighter Group (18th FG) to the 12th Fighter Squadron (12th FS) or 70th Fighter Squadron (70th FS). Mission History This Airacobra ditched into Rendova Harbor (Rendova Lagoon) with the engine was running and propeller blades were bent on impact with the sea. The precise date of the ditching is unknown but presumed to be sometime during the middle of 1943 or early 1944 at latest. Wreckage During the 2000s, this aircraft was discovered by SCUBA divers intact and upright on a sandy bottom at a depth of 92 feet / 28 meters. Generally underwater visibility in this area is excellent. Since the discovery, this Airacobra is a dive site SCUBA dived by tourists from Dive Munda. The ends of the three bladed steel propeller blades are damaged during the ditching causing the ends to fold over. The right rear fuselage section has holes that might be damage caused by anti-aircraft fire or gunfire from enemy aircraft. The tail section is damaged with the tail section missing and the right stabilizer missing. The left stabilizer is broken off and pointing downward. Possibly, the tail damage was caused by anchor damage from a ship that anchored nearby during the war or postwar when an anchor dragged over the tail section. Contribute
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 P-39  92' / 28m |
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