Japanese crash sites on Oahu

[John Dupre]

Has anyone ever done a survey of the 29 or so crash sites of Japanese aircraft shot down over Oahu on December 7th 1941? There are photos of 3 or 4 of them after the attack and there is the infamous Niihau Island wreck but where did the rest of them come down? Are there any remains to be viewed in situ? (I remember hearing from post war Navy veterans that there was a popular hiking trail that featured the wreck of a "Zero" from the attack but never really gave it much credence.)

[Chappie]

That's a good question. I just read about the Niihau Island shoot down less than a year ago.


Chappie

[David_Aiken]

Aloha John,
Yes, the rumor of a "Zero" on Oahu was everywhere on 7 Dec 1966 when I began my 'survey'...and now after FORTY SIX years...that VAL wreckage is the SOLE headstone for the crew still buried next to it. Folks who hike continue to take pieces without knowing of the importance...and soon the wreckage will be no more and that crew burial will be lost. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPOEO0aI ... tube_gdata

All 29 Japanese and the US aircraft lost that day are accounted for...crash sites recovered (sans one D3A above and two B5N IN the harbor). It took decades to sort the US crashes FROM the host of "Japanese aircraft crash" sightings...and more decades to decypher the Japanese crashes by TYPE, then carrier, then pilot.

"Torpedoing Pearl Harbor", MILITARY HISTORY, Dec 2001, detailed ALL FIVE B5N losses...in order of loss.
"Hirano's Zero", AVIATION HISTORY, Jan 2009, gives the moment Zero AI-154 entered Oahu's air space until the plane arrived at Dayton, Ohio.
"Pearl Harbor's Lost P-36", FLIGHT JOURNAL, Oct 2002, also cites the crash locations of Lt Fusata Iida's two wingmen.
"Ghost's of Pearl Harbor" FLIGHT JOURNAL, June 2007, gives the combats of Taylor/Welch/and Dains...and the crash locations for their victories.

The 'mysteries' are no more..."research is endlessly seductive, the writing is hard work!"-Barbara Tuchman
HTH,
David Aiken