Pilot  CPO1c Takeo Harada
Co-Pilot  Hidetoshi Tokuda
Observer  Yoshitaka Shirai
Observer  Toshiho Nishida
Radio  Kanichi Shudoh
Radio  Sadakane Watanabe
Mechanic  Goro Seino
Mechanic  Asakichi Miura
Crashed  March 31, 1942

Crew History
This crew of had been involved in an attack by 18 G3M2 Nell bombers on Clark Field, December 12, 1941. They bombed from lower altitude due to cloud cover and the Nell piloted by Harada was hit in its left engine by anti-aircraft fire and force landed near the target.

Back at their base, they were listed as missing in action and according to naval custom given a one rank promotion and listed as killed in action. Instead, the crew had all survived the landing. As the Japanese Army overran the Philippines, the crew were liberated. It is unclear if they were captured, or lived with Filipino people during that period.

Officially, the men were dead, but here they were back with their promoted rank. They represented a bad example to the other services and 'no surrender' doctrine. Segregated from other aircrews for morale purposes, this crew was continually placed in the most vulnerable position on missions against Australian targets. But, despite the fury and danger of the battles in which it patricipated, the crew just kept coming back to base alive.

Mission History
Admiral Takajiro Onishi issued an instruction that the bomber crew was to fly over Port Moresby, with no escort, and a last order: “Do not return”. The crew shared cigarettes and drinks, then took off from Lae Airfield.

At 12:45 (local time) a message was received from the bomber back at Rabaul: “Finished bombing. All bombs hit mark”. Fifteen minutes later, another message came on the radio: “We will go in. All around is clear. Thank you for your kindnesses during our lifetime. Banzai for the Emperor (Tenno heika).”

It appears that even though the aircraft was armed, those bombs – reported as released at 12:45 – were never dropped. Or had been harmlessly salvoed?

George Johnston writes in War Diary 1942:
"Jap Bomber falls to pieces! An extraordinary incident this afternoon. A big Japanese bomber was overhead on reconnaissance in cloudy weather - the same plane that tried unsuccessfully to drop bombs yesterday. None of our fighters went up and the AA never fired a shot, but suddenly the bomber was seen to be falling after losing part of a wing or tail plane. It crashed into the hills in a big cloud of smoke. The bodies of the crew were found in the wreckage - including the body of a high ranking Japanese officer in full uniform and wearing his sword!"

(Japanese Side) Research by Tatsuo Kamino:
"The attack-bomber made a vertical dive at Waigani Airfield, Port Moresby, and crashed. Seven of the crewmen were discovered and recovered. It was a real suicide dive and crash. The bomber crew's plane was hit on a bombing mission to Clark Field, Luzon in the Philippines, and made a forced landing on the way back on 12 December 1941. They were captured but rescued later when the Japanese occupied the islands, but they were not allowed by the command and were forced to fly suicide missions during the succeeding operations. Ironically, they survived every time they flew. On this date, they determined to kill themselves on a single-plane mission."

References
Kodachosho, 1st Kokutai, March 31, 1942
Kamikaze Mystery by Bob Piper
The Decisive Factor RAAF pilot Turnbull pointed a stick at the plane, did a mumbo jumbo dance and was dumb founded when the plane crashed.
Samurai! Saburo Sakai also mentions this incident
Ôzora no samurai bomber heroic crash is depicted

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