CRASH LANDING OF A JAPANESE ZERO
ON MELVILLE ISLAND
ON 19 FEBRUARY 1942
On 19 February 1942, an Imperial Japanese Navy A6M2 "Zero", Serial No. 5349, coded BII-124, was hit in the oil tank by a single .303" rifle bullet over Darwin Harbour during one of the largest Japanese bombing raids on Darwin.
A6M2 "Zero", BII-124 on Melville Island
When the engine seized and the propeller sheared off, the pilot, Flight Sergeant Hajimi Toyoshima, crash landed his damaged aircraft on Melville Island, north-west of Darwin whilst returning to his aircraft carrier, Hiryu.
|
|
Toyoshima under the watchful eye of Sergeant Les
Powell. Les was using Toyoshima's .32 calibre Belgian pistol to guard his prisoner |
There appears to be some confusion regarding the Japanese casualties in this first bombing raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. From a number of sources I have now come across details of the loss of 4 Japanese aircraft:-
| Aircraft No 1 | "Val" dive bomber crashed in the sea, north of East Point after it was hit by a cone of gunfire from the town's defences. |
| Aircraft No. 2 & 3 | Lieutenant Bob Oestricher shot down two D3A "Vals" during the first air raid on Darwin. |
| Aircraft No. 4 | Imperial Japanese Navy A6M2 "Zero" crashed on Melville Island after it was hit in the oil tank by a single .303" rifle bullet over Darwin Harbour. (covered on this home page) |
A number of sources indicate that only two Japanese aircraft were shot down during the first raid on Darwin. Is it possible that Aircraft Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are actually the same aircraft or did Lt. Oestricher only shoot down one aircraft not two and that aircraft is the same as Aircraft No. 1 above. Or some other combination. Access to Japanese military records may possibly help to solve this problem. Can anyone help me unravel this mystery?
REFERENCE BOOKS
"Darwin's Air War - 1942 - 1945 An
Illustrated History"
By Bob Alford
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
|
|
© Peter Dunn OAM 2020 |
Please
e-mail me |
|
This page first produced 17 October 1999
This page last updated 21 February 2020
