Warbird Information Exchange

The attack on the Franklin killed 724 sailors, and was not a kamikaze. It was a pair of 500 pound bombs dropped by a dive-bomber. It happened on March 19, 1945.

The kamikaze attack on Franklin killed 56 sailors, and occurred Oct. 30, 1944.

I have seen more detailed photos of the two G4M's on Ballale, and they are real gems. While a lot has been taken from them over the years, the airframes are still relatively intact. I am sure there is more corrosion on them than I could see in the photos, but the aotake on the surfaces visible was mostly intact, not showing any signs of intergranular. I would really like to see one of those get out and be restored. The politics in the Solomon Islands are full of intrigue and I don't think they will support any real attempts at export without more cash than those things are worth. I would guess those G4M's are worth $750,000 to $1.2M delivered, with legal title. More than that has been spent in total over the years just trying to get them and others out, so they will continue to rot.

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