posted
RE: Large Japanese Plane Found Near Old Runway
The pictures at the following link were taken of a large Japanese plane we found near the location of the old airstrip used by the Japanese on Yap Island during WWII. We found the plane while searching for an American Avenger that crashed near one of the ends of the old runway. We found a very large tail with a gun turret and part of the fuselage sitting on a slope. On the hill above the tail we found one 18 cylinder engine, a prop, and one wing. The Japanese rising sun could still be seen on the wing once we removed some of the jungle growth. This was a very interesting airplane considering it had a turret in the tail and was likely some type of Japanese light bomber or transport plane. We also have to take into consideration the fact that the tail, engine, and wing could all be from different airplanes if the site was used as a dump after the war. My impression of the site was that the parts are all from the same plane that was likely destroyed on the ground by an American bombing raid..
Please help me try and identify this Japanese plane.
Schubert
Senior Missing Air Crew Member
Member # 26
posted
My first inclination was a Japanese G4M "Betty". But the arrangement of the windows at the tail seem wrong. Was the tail gun a turret or just a plexiglass gun position? Now I had heard when I was on the island that a "Tabby" was at the end of the runway. That would be the licensed version of a DC-3. This was an Nakajima L2D2 and your nameplate data has a D2 on the upper left. I'm puzzled. Like I said, first thought was a Betty, but I also don't have a Tabby listed as having a tail turret. Tim
Posts: 20 | From: Albany Oregon | Registered: May 2006
| Logged: 67.171.195.28
We found the Tabby last year and revisited the site this year. The Tabby (Nakajima L2D-License-built version of Douglas DC-3) is at the other end of the old airport. Here's a link to the pictures from last year of the Tabby:
The tail might be a plexiglass gun position and not a turrent. It does not seem big enough to fit a man therefore, it must of had gun in the plexiglass. This plane seemed about the same size as the Tabby we found last year but the tail is completely different.
You might be right about the Tabby. Checkout the picture I took this year of the inside of the tail area of the new plane and the picture below I took last year of the inside of the Tabby. The inside structure looks the same for both planes:
Schubert
Senior Missing Air Crew Member
Member # 26
posted
Here is a list of all the single rudder land based planes with a tail position Ki-21 Sally Ki-67 Peggy Ki-49 G4M L2D2 (possible)
Posts: 20 | From: Albany Oregon | Registered: May 2006
| Logged: 67.171.195.28
Schubert
Senior Missing Air Crew Member
Member # 26
posted
Here is a list of all the single rudder land based planes with a tail position Ki-21 Sally Ki-67 Peggy Ki-49 G4M L2D2 (possible) The book I have talks about some possible mods at the end of the war. But I don't have any pictures that show a tail position.
Posts: 20 | From: Albany Oregon | Registered: May 2006
| Logged: 67.171.195.28
posted
Per Yukitoshi from the Japan. The L2D2 Tabby likley belonged to the 1021st Ku. The 1021st Ku was a transport unit.
Posts: 682 | From: Cameron, Wisconsin | Registered: Dec 2004
| Logged: 24.245.16.11
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