Pacific Wrecks - Japanese aircraft captured at Munda Airfield

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

Japanese aircraft captured at Munda Airfield
Photos of Japanese aircraft were captured at Munda August 1943–November 1943

During late 1942 until the middle of 1943, many Japanese aircraft were abandoned at Munda Airfield. Some crash landed while others were damaged on the ground by Allied bombing and bombardment. During early August 1943, when the area was captured by the U.S. Army, at least thirty Japanese plane wrecks were captured, some completely wrecked and others largely intact.

The following Japanese aircraft were surveyed at Munda in August 1943 by U.S. Army Technical Air Intelligence Unit (TAIU): 1 x Ki-48, 4 x D3A Val, 14 x A6M Zeros 4 x Ki-43. Some of the wrecks were loaded onto barge and transported to Lunga Point on Guadalcanal.

The remaining wrecks deemed too difficult to repair or otherwise useless were buried at Munda, to repair bomb craters as land fill material. Photographic evidence shows the presence of some of these Japanese wrecks into late 1943 and early 1944.

References
Thanks to Ryan Toews, Jim Long, Jim Lansdale and Richard Dunn for additional informatin

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 2182
Nakajima built.

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 1301
Nakajima built.

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 1302
Nakajima built.

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 8327
Nakajima built.

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 2389
Nakajima built.

A6M2 Model 21 Zero Manufacture Number 5352
Nakajima built.

A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3415
This aircraft was either A6M3 Zero Tail T2-175 or A6M3 Tail T2-1??

A6M3 Model 22 Zero Manufacture Number 3499
This aircraftt was either A6M3 Zero Tail T2-175

A6M3 Model 32 Zero Manufacture Number 3116
This aircraft was possibly A6M3 Tail Code T2-157

A6M3 Model 32 Zero Manufacture Number 3189
This aircraft was possibly A6M3 Tail Code T2-157

A6M3 Model 32 Zero Manufacture Number 3196

A6M3 Model 32 Zero Manufacture Number 3199

A6M3 Model 32 Zero Manufacture Number 3202

A6M3 Model 32 Zero Manufacture Number 3263

Ki-43-I Oscar Manufacture Number 493

Ki-43-I Oscar Manufacture Number 685

Ki-43-I Oscar Manufacture Number 695

Ki-43-I Oscar Manufacture Number 725

Ki-48-I Lily Manufacture Number 534
This aircraft was possibly Ki-48 (square hinomaru) or Ki-48 (white stripe)
Ki-48-I Lily Manufacture Number 205

Ki-48-I Lily Manufacture Number 387

Ki-48-I Lily Manufacture Number 442

Ki-48-I Lily Manufacture Number 479

Ki-48 Lily Tail Number TB 2325

Ki-48 Lily Tail Number TB 2326

D3A1 Val Manufacture Number 3470 Tail T3-261

D3A2 Val Manufacture Number 3029 Tail T2-222

D3A2 Val Manufacture Number 3106 Tail T3-260

D3A2 Val Manufacture Number 3263

G4M1 Model 11 Betty 5749 Tail 336
Force landed June 30, 1943

Munda Airfield captured Japanese aircraft photo archive

Japanese aircraft wreckage pile circa August 1943