705 Kōkūtai (705 Air Group)
Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)

Background
On November 1, 1942 the Misawa Kōkūtai was redesignated 705 Kōkūtai (705 Air Group) or 705 Ku of the 26 Koku Sentai operating the Type 1 Attack Bomber / G4M1 Betty at Vunakanau Airfield near Rabaul.

Wartime History
On November 12, 1942 seven G4M1 Bettys from the 705 Kōkūtai plus others from the 703 Kōkūtai and 707 Kōkūtai took off from Vunakanau Airfield near Rabaul escorted by A6M2 Zeros on a torpedo mission against American shipping off Guadalcanal. The bomber force suffered 14 out of 19 shot down with the loss of ten crews.

In December 1942, G4M1 Betty 5749 Tail 336 force landed at Munda Airfield on New Georgia.

On March 8, 1943 a formation of G4M1 Bettys from 705 Kōkūtai and 751 Kōkūtai attack an Allied convoy off New Guinea. One group targets an AK (transport) and corvette, but scored only near misses. The second group targets s'Jacob and scores a bomb hit on the number 3 hatch causing major structural damage, listed to starboard then rolled over sinking bow first with the loss of five aboard.

On March 22, 1943 five G4M1 Bettys took off from Buka Airfield on a patrol mission and return safely.

On March 23, 1943 three G4M1 Bettys conduct a night bombing mission against Henderson Field and dropped 60kg and 250kg bombs on the northwest dispersal area. A bomb hit B-17E "Buzz King" 41-9124 that was fully loaded and triggered the bomb load to explode. Momnets later, another bomb hit B-17E "Zero Six Zero" 41-9060 destroying it. The resulting explosions caused a crater 40' wide by 30' deep. Also destroyed was B-24D "Flying Gator" 41-23898 plus two B-24D Liberators and a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Hudson from No. 3 Squadron.

On April 18, 1943 two 705 Kokutai bombers G4M1 Betty 2656 Tail 323 and G4M1 Betty Tail 326 were used to transport Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander in Chief of the Combined Japanese Fleet and his senior staff on a flight bound for Ballale Airfield. Knowledge of this flight was gleamed from a coded Japanese message sent on April 13, 1943 which American intelligence intercepted and had broken the Japanese Naval code allowing the message to be decoded. The intercepted message outlined Yamamoto's itinerary and timetable and a secret mission was planned to intercept and shoot down the bombers. Over southern Bougainville, both bombers were in intercepted and shot down by P-38 Lightnings from 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) on the "Yamamoto Mission".

On May 13, 1943 seven G4M1 Bettys took off from Buka Airfield on a night mission to bomb Guadalcanal. Over the target, intercepted by P-38 Lightning piloted by Lt. William E. Smith from 12th Fighter Squadron (12th FS) who claimed an aerial victory over a Betty at 7:46pm and claimed a Betty probable at 7:47pm.

On June 30, 1943 in the early morning, G4M1 Betty piloted by PO Rokuro Saito from 705 Ku spots a U.S. force of transports, destroyers and landing craft 10 miles south of Rendova and reports them and afterwards is shot down by F4F Wildcats from VF-21. In the early afternoon participated in the second Japanese air raid against U.S. invasion force off Rendova. The formation included twenty-six G4M1 Bettys armed with torpedoes (seventeen from 702 Kokutai led by Lt Cdr Genzo Nakamura and nine G4M1 Bettys from 705 Kokutai) escorted by twenty-four A6M Zeros from 251 Kokutai. They spotted the U.S. transports in Blanche Channel. The Japanese were intercepted by U.S. fighters from the "Rendova Patrol" including F4F Wildcats and F4U Corsairs and targeted by anti-aircraft fire from the ships that decimated the formation. Only about ten Bettys managed to release their torpedoes that resulted in only a single hit damaged USS McCawley (APA-4) amidships, although two more torpedoes passed nearby. In total, 19 Bettys and 17 crews were lost on the mission (including 6 Bettys from 705 Ku).

Sometime in the first half of 1943, G4M1 Betty 1570 Tail 377 crashed on Guadalcanal. During July 1943, the crash site was investigated by Allied intelligence and documents recovered.

On September 5, 1943 withdrawn from Rabaul to Tinian Island. On November 11, 1943 began operating from Taroa Airfield. In November 1943 to Padang Airfield on Sumatra Island. During December 1943, the unit's bombers participated in a bombing mission against Calcutta in India.

Markings and Tail Codes
The 705 Kokutai used different tail codes at various dates. Stripes on the tail divide the flights into the various hiko chutai/buntai. These varied in width and location by time period. The wider stripes indicate the early period while the 705 Ku was based at Rabaul.

Tail Code 'T1-XXX' (three digits) used during middle 1943
Tail Code 'XXX' (three digits) used during middle 1943
Tail Code 'U-XXX' (three digits) used during middle 1943

References
Kodochosho, 705 Kōkūtai, September 6, 1942
Kodochosho, 705 Kōkūtai, September 8, 1942
Kodochosho, 705 Kōkūtai, September 10, 1942
Kodochosho, 705 Kōkūtai, October 2, 1942
Kodochosho, 705 Kōkūtai, November 12, 1942
Kodochosho, 705 Kōkūtai, March 22, 1943
Kodochosho, 705 Kōkūtai, May 13, 1942

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