Although the Japanese could
replace their aircraft losses with new replacements from Japan, which was only
a day's ferry from factories on the home islands, they could not replace their
pilot losses. Novice Japanese aviators were thrown in the air against experienced,
fresh and well equipped Allied opponents who were able to out fly and out fight
them.
Beginning of the End: November 1943
During November, the Japanese were able to launch 50 - 70 interceptors
against incoming raids. They had radar detection equipment to war them of incoming
raids, and Japanese observers on adjacent islands to report over flights.
Previously,
only Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) aircraft were based in Rabaul. In December 1942 Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) aircraft arrived including Ki-43 Oscars and later Ki-61 Tonys plus bombers and transports. Anti-aircraft defenses were regard as heavy over airfields,
where a combination of heavy, medium and light anti-aircraft guns plus small arms fire defended targets. Warships and transports in the harbors contributed additional anti-aircraft fire.
As
the months progressed, fewer and fewer interceptors were encountered, and also
their willingness to engage in combat declined. It was obvious from the "easy"
kills some pilots were getting that many of their opponents were green. Despite
this, a tough contingent of crack Zero pilots who aggressively engaged bomber
formations and escorting fighters remained until the end.
During the night of February 17, 1944 to February 18, 1944 a force of U.S. Navy (USN) destroyers steamed all the way up to St. George's Channel to shell the Rabaul area and fired 3,868 five
inch shells at Rabaul and shore installations at Praed Point. This daring attack revealed the Rabaul was vulnerable and signaled to the Japanese a larger Allied assault or amphibious landing was likely.
Aircraft Withdrawal
On February 20, 1944 at dawn the Japanese ordered the withdrawal of all flyable aircraft from Rabaul area airfields northward to Truk. That same day, all Japanese surface ships and transports were ordered to depart Rabaul. The withdrawal spanned several days as the last flyable fighters and bombers departed. In total, roughly 30 Zeros, 6 Bettys, 8 Vals and 10 Judys and 5-6 Kates were evacuated from the Rabaul area. By February 25, 1944 the withdrawal was completed and this date effectively marked the end of the air war over Rabaul. After the withdrawal, only occasional Japanese aircraft or seaplanes would make the dangerous flight into or out of Rabaul.
105th Naval Base Unit becomes the reborn "Rabaul Air Force"
After the withdrawal, roughly 30 aircraft remained behind at Rabaul area airfields that were damaged or had mechanical problems and were unable to be withdrawn. Over time, these derelicts were repaired by ground crews to flying condition by the 105th Naval Base Unit and became part of the reborn "Rabaul Air Force" that remained operational and continued to fly reconnaissance and a limited number of strike missions.
Japanese ground crews managed to repair several A6M2 Zeros and A6M5 Zeros, B5N2 Kates. Also, several seaplanes and floatplanes remained serviceable including several E13A1 Jakes and F1M2 Petes that were used for liaison flights to Japanese forces on Bougainville. These aircraft were carefully hidden and dispersed around Vunakanau Airfield and elsewhere to avoid being damaged or detected.
Although bypassed and in a hopeless strategic situation, the Japanese continued to preform reconnaissance missions and even mounted several offensive missions.
On April 22, 1945 an A6M2 Zero modified two seater pilot Shimbo with Ensign Chuhei Okubo overflew Seeadler
Harbor off Manus Island at 14,000' and observed two "aircraft carriers" that were actually floating dry docks. Back at Rabaul, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) 105th Naval Base Unit dubbed the "Rabaul Air Force" planned to strike the two "aircraft carriers" with two repaired Kates including this aircraft.
On April 27, 1945 at 8:10pm pair of Kates armed with aerial torpedoes including B5N2 Kate pilot Nagai and B5N2 Kate pilot Takahashi each armed with an aerial torpedo on a night mission to attack the two "aircraft carriers" in Seelder Harbor and made a successful attack damaging Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock 2 (USS ABSD-2) and Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock 4 (USS ABSD-4). After the attack, Nagai's Kate failed to return, likely lost returning in bad weather. The other Kate returned safely.
Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) aircraft at Rabaul
Although the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) had moved most of their aircraft to New Guinea several Army fighters and reconassiance aircraft remained at Rabaul. Notorious for not cooperating with the Navy, the Army also managed to keep a small force of Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft / Ki-46-II Dinah flyable that operated from Lakunai Airfield and later Vunakanau Airfield near Rabaul.
During December 1943, Ki-46 Dinahs operated from both Wewak and Hollandia
until March 1944 when they returned to Rabaul and operated from Lakunai Airfield. On the ground, this Dinah was parked in a revetment and covered with camouflage.
Starting in March 1944, the Rabaul Ki-46 Dinahs were tasked to perform high altitude reconnaissance and photographic missions over Torokina on Bougainville. During these missions, the Dinah took off at dawn from Rabaul flying via Cape Saint George at 11,000' and sometimes overflew Green Island (Nissan) and the Treasury Islands in addition to the Torokina area and flying at altitudes between 26,000' to 30,000' and never encountered any Allied anti-aircraft fire nor did any fighter interception them, although sometimes fighters were observed trying to climb to their altitude. By the end of March 1944, these patrols ceased due to Allied fighter patrols over Rabaul.
Starting the middle of April 1944 the Dinah operated between Lakunai Airfield and later Vunakanau Airfield due to Allied bombing attacks. On March 28, 1944 a Dinah from Rabaul was flown to Hollandia with two pilots as passengers to ferry two additional Dinahs back to Rabaul. Returning that same day from Hollandia, while landing, Ki-46 Dinah 2783 was damaged when it landed in a bomb crater.
By September 1944, Ki-46 Dinah 2783 was repaired and became the only Dinah in flying condition at Rabaul. Each month flown on roughly three test flights or local training flights, in addition to the reconnaissance missions required. This Dinah
was possibly flown by Captain Nario Iwanaga likely with radio operator Warrant Officer Kodama Norio on a ferry flight from Japan southward via Formosa (Taiwan), Clark Field, Davao, Ambonia, Hollandia, Momote before finally arriving at Rabaul on September 20, 1943.
Wither on a Vine
At Rabaul, the huge garrison of Japanese Navy and Japanese Army personnel were left to fend for
themselves with no air cover or hope of reinforcement or resupply. As a result, most engaged in subsistence agriculture to feed themselves. Meanwhile, the Japanese anticipated an Allied amphibious landing in the area and worked to improve fortifications and tunnels in hopes of defending the area indefinitely. In fact, the Allies decided to to bypass Rabaul, leaving the area to wither on a vine with landings elsewhere.
From the Allied perspective, attacking pilots were not told about the withdrawal and even in the absence of fighters, missions against Rabaul still encountered anti-aircraft fire and search lights. For the remainder of 1944 U.S. bombers and fighters continued to attack Rabaul and later Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) aircraft continued the campaign until the end of the Pacific War. Training missions were flown over Rabaul to give new air crews experience over a neutralized target and to test new weapons on the bypassed target.
Surrender of Japan
At the end of the Pacific War, the "Rabaul Air Force" had at least six flyable aircraft that were surrendered including A6M5 Zero 4043, A6M5 Zero 4444, A6M5 Zero 4379, Ki-46 Dinah 2783, B5N2 Kate Tail 302 and E13A1 Jake 4326. When the Australian Army occupied Rabaul, the Japanese requested permission to surrender their remaining aircraft to the Allied Air Force. Their request was granted and Japanese pilots were allowed to fly the aircraft to the nearest Allied airfield at Jacquinot
Bay Airfield.
On September 18, 1945 a group of four Japanese aircraft including A6M5 Zero 4043, A6M5 Zero 4379, A6M5 Zero 4444 and Ki-46 Dinah 2783 took off from Vunakanau Airfield flown by Japanese pilots on a flight bound for Jacquinot
Bay Airfield escorted by RNZAF Corsairs. After landing, the pilots saluted, made a report then were flown aboard a RNZAF Catalina to Rabaul and became Prisoners Of War (POWs). Due to mechanical problems, B5N2 Kate Tail 302 was not able to join the flight and afterwards was repaired.
On October 14, 1945 the last two Japanese aircraft including B5N2 Kate Tail 302 piloted by piloted by P.O. Goro Kataoka took off from Vunakanau Airfield with E13A Jake 4326 on a surrender flight to Jacquinot Bay Airfield, escorted by four Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) F4U Corsairs from No. 16 Squadron led by Bryan Cox. This was the last flight of Japanese aircraft on New Britain or anywhere in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
References
The Crusaders A History of the 42nd Bombardment Group (M) (1946) page 67
"[February 20, 1944] There was no interception this day, nor were there any unidentified aircraft seen over any portion of the Gazelle Peninsula. It is interesting to note that from this day on, the Crusaders [42nd BG] met no more enemy interception for the duration of the time they were destined to remain in the Northern Solomons."
The Siege of Rabaul (1996) by Henry Sakaida details the Japanese withdrawl from Rabaul
South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 535
