Yokohama Kōkūtai (Yokohama Air Group)
Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)

Background
The Yokohama Kōkūtai (Yokohama Kokutai, Yokohama Ku) was an air group in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) that operating flying boats and floatplanes.

Wartime History
At the start of the Pacific War, operated from Wotje and Roi.

On December 14, 1941 Type 97 flying boats from Yokohama Ku bomb Wake Island and damaged Camp One and Wake Island Airfield and destroy a F4F Wildcat.

On December 15, 1941 Type 97 flying boats from Yokohama Ku bomb Wake Island.

On March 3, 1942 two flying boats, H8K1 Emily Tail Y-71 and H8K1 Emily Tail Y-72 took off on from off Emiej Seaplane Base (Imeji) on an overnight reconnaissance and bombing mission over Pearl Harbor on Oahu. On March 4, 1942 over the target, due to clouds and blackout conditions on Oahu they were unable to find the target. At 2:10am this flying boat drops all four 250kg bombs that exploded near Roosevelt High School on the southern slope of Mount Tantalus (Tantalus, Puʻu ʻōhiʻa) damaging trees and blew out windows in the vicinity. At 2:30am the second H8K1 Emily (No. 2) pilot Ensign Shosuke Sasao released his bombs over the ocean and cause no damage. Afterwards, both flying boats returned safely.

On August 4, 1942 seven A6M2-N Rufe took off from Tulagi Seaplane Base to intercept a formation of B-17s. During the engagement, a Rufe collides with B-17E 41-9218 over the Sealark Channel and both aircraft crash into the sea with no survivors.

References
Kodochosho Yokohama Kōkūtai - December 1941

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