The following is a listing of American planes that were shot down or crashed on missions against Yap Island during WWII. The list includes AAF, Navy, and Marine planes. My goal is to continue to buld out this page to make it a comprehensive resource of all planes lost over or near Yap. Throughout the war Yap was a major Japanese communications center and staging area for the Marianas. For more information, please see the following information to better understand the American missions against Yap Island during WWII:
| Date: |
Type of Plane: |
Unit: |
Location: |
More Info |
| 1 April 1944 |
First American raid against Yap Island. US carrier planes raid Yap with no losses. TF 58 under Commander Fifth Fleet (Admiral Raymond A. Spruance). The Yap airfield was found under construction but with no planes yet present.
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| 13 June 1944 |
B-24 |
5th AF, 43th BG, & 67th BS |
Blew up before reached the target. |
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| 14 June 1944 |
B-24J |
5th AF, 90th BG, & 320th BS |
Lost far off Yap. |
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| 23 June 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 5th BG, & 23rd BS |
South of the island |
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| 25 June 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 307th BG, & 372st BS |
9º25'30"N - 138º05'E. Just outside the reef south of the island |
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| 5 July 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 307th BG, & 372nd BS |
150 miles to the south of Yap Island. |
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| 13 July 1944v |
B-24 |
13th AF, 307th BG, & 370nd BS |
Crashed in ocean 30 minutes after bombing Yap. 80 20’N – 139 513E. |
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| 15 July 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 307th BG, & 372nd BS |
5-8 miles south of Yap Island. |
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| 15 July 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 307th BG, & 370nd BS |
5-8 miles south of Yap Island. |
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| 15 July 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 307th BG, & 371st BS |
Ditched south of Yap Island. |
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| 19 July 1944 |
B-24J |
13th AF, 5th BG, & 394th BS |
95 miles south of Yap Island. |
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| 22 July 1944 |
F6F-3 |
From the USS Cabot (CVL-28) |
Enroute to Yap. Crashed on arrested landing at sea. Pilot rescued. Enroute to Yap. |
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| 26 July 1944 |
SB2C-1C
Helldiver |
VB-2 from the USS Yorktown |
Hit by AA fire and crashed near the reef on the west side of the island |
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| 27 July 1944 |
TBM-1C
Grumman Avenger |
VT-31 from the USS Cabot |
Ditched in ocean one mile off the northeast of the southern tip of Yap. |
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| 27 July 1944 |
SB2C-1C
Helldiver |
VB-2 from the USS Hornet |
Dove into the Ground due to aileron failure. East side of Yap near Japanese lighthouse. |
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| 27 July 1944 |
F6F-3
Hellcat |
VF-31 from the USS Cabot |
Returning from the Yap Island strike forced to ditch because of flack damage to aircraft after returning to the task force but was picked up unharmed. |
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| 28 July 1944 |
F6F-3
Hellcat |
VF-31 from the USS Cabot |
Ditched 15 miles from Yap. Ditched because of flack damage to his aircraft after returning to the task force. |
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| August 1944 |
American Catholic Priests (2) |
Civilians |
Taken to the island of Palau with two American POW's (from the Anthony crew) and a Filipino family who ran the weather station on Yap. The Yapese and the church believe all were killed by the Japanese and buried on Palau. |
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| 9 August 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 5th BG, & 394th BS |
Never made the squadron rendezvous over Sorol Island on mission to Yap. |
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| 10 August 1944 |
B-24 |
13th AF, 307th BG, & 371nd BS |
Crashed near the mouth of the Yap Island harbor. |
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| 13 August 1944 |
Four UDT Men
|
US Navy UDT men from the Submarine USS Burrfish |
All four men lost on Yap. |
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| 6 September 1944 |
F6F-5
Hellcat |
VF-20 from the USS Enterprise |
Crashed just west of Yap Town (now called Colonia) on land. |
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| 6 September 1944 |
F6F-5
Hellcat |
VF-20 from the USS Enterprise |
Somewhere in the vicinity of Yap Town (now called Colonia). Land or water.
|
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| 6 September 1944 |
F6F-5
Hellcat |
VF-20 from the USS Enterprise |
Somewhere in the vicinity of Yap Town (now called Colonia). Land or water. |
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| 6 September 1944 |
SB2C Helldiver |
VB-20 from the USS Enterprise |
Takeoff crash from the USS Enterprise. |
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| 8 September 1944 |
F6F-5
Hellcat |
VF-13 from the USS Franklin |
Ditched off off Yap. |
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| 13 September 1944 |
September 13 Admiral Halsey recommended that the proposed invasions of Yap and Mindanao be cancelled, in favor of a direct strike on Leyte (closer to Manila, and to Tokyo). With General MacArthur's concurrence, Halsey's bold new plan went up the chain to General Marshall, President Roosevelt, and other top Allied planners, then in conference at Quebec. They agreed as well, and 5 weeks later, the Americans waded ashore on Leyte - two months earlier than in the original plans.
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| 24 October 1944 |
F4U Corsair |
VFM-122 |
Shot down by antiaircraft fire over Yap. Crashed about a mile in from the southern end of the island. |
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| 31 October 1944 |
FG-1A
Corsair |
VMF-121 from station at Peleliu |
Shot down while attacking the Gagil-Tomil Airfield. |
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| 12 November 1944 |
FG-1
Corsair |
VMF-121 from station at Peleliu |
Crashed at sea due to engine failure. |
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| 18 November 1944 |
FG-1
Corsair |
VMF-121 from station at Peleliu |
Ditched 10 miles off southern tip of Yap after being hit by AA fire. |
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| 21 November 1944 |
FG-1
Corsair |
VMF-121 from station at Peleliu |
Hit water or ground while strafing off of Map Island while attacking a barge. |
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| 22 November 1944 |
F6F-5
Hellcat |
VF-20 from the USS Enterprise |
Shot down over airfield while making a strafing run. Plane lost tail and exploded near east end of the airfield. |
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| 22 November 1944 |
F4U-1
Corsair |
VMF-114 |
4000 yards due east of the southern tip of Yap Air Strip and just over the barrier reef. |
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| 3 February 1945 |
F4U-1D
Corsair |
VMF-122 from Peleliu Island |
Crashed landed at sea due to AA hit. 29 Deg. 30 Minutes North Latitude and 138 Degrees 11 Minutes East Longitude. |
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| 11 February 1945 |
F4U-1D Corsair |
VFM-122 |
Crashed at sea due to engine failure 5-8 miles off Yap. |
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| 23 February 1945 |
PBM-3D Martin Mariner |
VPB-22 from Ulithi Island |
Sunk off the east side of Yap island close to shore. |
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| 16 March 1945 |
TBM-3
Grumman Avenger |
VMTB-232 From Ulithi Island |
Lost left wing and crashed near the east end of airfield. |
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| 21 March 1945 |
F6F-5 Hellcat |
VF-12 from Marine Air Base, Ulithi due to damaged USS Randolph |
Hit ground while strafing due to AA fire |
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| 22 March 1945 |
F4U-1D
Corsair |
VMF-122 |
Crashed at sea due to engine failure. |
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| 25 March 1945 |
F6F-5P
Hellcat |
VF-86 from the USS Wasp |
Lost due to weather. |
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| 3 August 1945 |
F6F-5P
Hellcat |
VMD-354 from Guam |
Crashed 5 miles SW of Yap Island. |
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| 5 September 1945 |
Japanese surrender Yap Island in ceremony on board destroyer Tillman (DD-641).
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