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  M Freeman 1944 |
Location Lat 3° 19' 60S Long 154° 45' 0E The Nuguria Island Group (Nuguria Atoll) is located at the northernmost tip of the Solomon Islands chain. Includes Nugarba Island (Nugava, Paobau), Peiti Island (Wreck Island) and the Malum Islands. At the center is Nuguria Lagoon surrounded by a fringing reef and islands. Roughly 184 miles to the southwest is Rabaul. Wartime History Nuguria was located along the aerial ferry route for Japanese aircraft flying from Truk to Rabaul. The Japanese did not maintain a garrison at this location. During 1942-1943 several Japanese aircraft crashed or force landed in the vicinity. On February 20, 1942 damaged G4M1 Betty ditched off Nugarba Island in Nuguria Atoll returning from an attack on Task Force 11 (TF-11) including USS Lexington (CV-2). On April 27, 1943 a formation of twenty-seven Ki-61 Tonys from 68th Hiko Sentai (68th Flying Regiment) depart Truk on a ferry flight to Rabaul flying in two groups, each lead by a Ki-46 Dinah flying as a pathfinder. Of the first group's 13 planes: 2 returned to Truk, 2 went MIA, one landed at Kavieng and the remaining eight ditched at Nuguria Atoll. The second group arrived at Vunakanau Airfield safely, while the first group never arrived. Later, the Navy send a vessel to the atoll, all they found was only one of the pilots [identity unknown] in bloodstained clothes. On April 9, 1944 US Navy PT Boats patrolled Nuguria. During July 1944 PT-124 visited Nuguria and investigated the crashed Betty for intelligence value. Today Nuguria Atoll is a remote location rarely visited by outsiders. John Douglas adds: "Kevin Baldwin, has a dive boat, and went to Nuguria to find them [in 1990s]. He said that the planes seem to have landed outside the atoll in deep water. They couldn't find any trace of them. The locals remembered the incident. When I told him about one survivor. he agreed with me, but said that the locals had killed the rest, leaving one survivor who was also beaten up by the locals." Nugarba Island (Nugava, Paobau) Small island in the Nuguria group G4M1 Betty Pilot Ono ditched February 20, 1942 Peiti Island (Wreck Island) Small island in the Nuguria group Malum Islands Small island in the Nuguria group References The Lost Squadron by Alfred Weinzierl Contribute
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