IJN
705th Kokutai

Rust In Peace 1970


1978



Jessie Owens 2002

Phil Bradley 1997

Justin Taylan 2000

Yamamoto Museum 2001

Pilot  Warrant Officer Takeo Koyani
Passenger  Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Passenger  Cdr Ishizaki (C-in-C's Secretary)
Passenger Cdr Toibana (Senior Air Staff Officer)
Passenger Rear Admiral Kitamura (Fleet Financial Officer)
Passenger Rear Admiral Takata (Fleet Medical Officer)
Shot Down  April 18, 1943

Aircraft History
Built by Mitsubishi at Nagoya during March 1943.

Mission History
Admiral Yamamoto, Commander in Chief of the Combined Japanese Fleet planned an inspection tour of forward airfields to boost moral after the Japanese losses on Guadalcanal. He planned to land at at Buin Airfield (Kahili) and make an inspection, then travel by boat to Shortland. (Allied intelligence incorrectly thought his destination was Ballale Airfield). Knowledge of this flight was gleamed from intelligence in the Japanese Naval cipher code, which the United States had secretly broken. Secret plans were made to intercept his flight and shoot down his bomber.

This bomber along with G4M Betty T1-326 took off from Vunakanau near Rabaul. Escorted by six Zeros departed on schedule, the formation proceeded as planned. Meanwhile, American P-38 Lightnings of the 339th Fighter Squadron had taken off from Figher 2 (Kukum) on Guadalcanal. Flying with auxiliary fuel tanks for the six hundered mile round trip flight.

Yamamoto's fligtht came under attack with the P-38s splitting up to take on the escorting Zeros while others attacked the two bombers. Shot shot down around 8:00am, this bomber crashed into the jungle on southern Bougainville.

The pilots responsible for the kill were Thomas Laphier and Rex Barber flying P-38G "Miss Virginia" 43-2204. The second bomber in his flight, G4M1 T1-326 was also shot down, force landing into the ocean.

At the nearby Japanese Army post at Aku, Japanese Army Lt. Hamasuna observed the smoke from the crash.  At first, the Army beleived it is was an American airplane. He and a group of twelve found the crash site. Next, a Navy patrol was dispatched ot the site to recover the Admiral's body.

Recovery of Yamamoto's Body
Yamamoto's body was brought to Buin to the 1st Base Command, where an autopsy was preformed on April 20th, and then immediatly cremated, including his uniform, to keep his death a secret. His ashes were transported aboard a Betty bomber from Buin to Rabaul.  Then back to Japan aboard the Musashi.

Recovery of Remains
The day after the crash, April 19th, Japanese Army Lt. Hamasuna, who first discovered the crash site. The Japanese retrieved Yamamoto's body and transported it to Buin. There, a secert autopsy was preformed and afterwards, he was cremated and returned to Japan for a state funeral and honors at Yasukuni-Jina in Tokyo.

Reporting
During the war, the news of the shoot down was repressed in the United States, as part of the deception and so as not to reveal that Japanese codes had been broken. Aproximately two months after his death, Yamamoto's loss was reported in the Japanese press as "having died in combat aboard an aircraft."

Unresolved Controveries
On the American side, both Thomas Laphier and Rex Barber claimed to shoot down Yamamoto's bomber, and it is unresolved which actually brought it down. On the Japanese side, Yamamoto's sword and Admiral rank insignia (shoulder bars) were missing when his body was recovered and are missing to this day.

Contrary to many published accounts that describe how Yamamoto died in his seat with a bullet thru his chest prior to the crash. According to the the Navy doctor who examined his body at the crash site and performed his autopsy, Yamamoto's had no visible wounds aside from a small cut above the eye. This caused speculation that in fact he survived the crash, but died in the hours afterwards of wounds.

Crash Site & Recovery of Artifacts
This wreck is without question, one of the most historically significant wrecks of WWII. After the war, the wreck was all but forgotten, until the late 1960's. Since then, Japanese delegations have visited the site, and erected a memorial plaque on the admiral's seat. The fuselage door, a section of the outer wing and Yamamoto's seat were recovered by the PNG Museum in Port Moresby. The outer wing panel and admiral's seat are on permanent loan to the Isoroku Yamamoto Memorial Hall & Museum. Other smaller relics, including one of the control columns, and the aircraft's constructor number were once in the posession of RAAF 183rd Reconnaissance Flight, Pacific Island Regiment at Lae.

Visiting the Yamamoto Wreck
The wreck is located in the jungle near Moila Point, a few km off the Panguna-Buin road. Signposts near the village of Aku, 24 km outside Buin. A path has been cut through the jungle, a hour walk from the road. Japanese memorial sticks are occasional left at the wreckage. Today, the wreck is closely guarded from theft or any souveniring.

Josh Mcdade visited the site on September 1999. He found some updated info on the Yamamoto crash site. This notice has been passed around to the local PMG members that have been around that area. This notice has been amended by us (PMG members) because the charge has now increased to K25, as of 2002.

Richard Rudd recalls visiting the site in October 1968:
"While on an aerial mapping project, based out of Buin in October.1968 and the 'kiaps' at the time, (Australians), whilst imbibing and in conversation at the Buin Club, mentioned that a couple of weeks prior to our arrival, they had escorted a group of Japanese, complete with maps and WWII drawings to try and relocate the crash site. Which they did. We asked if it would be possible to be guided there again and when their time permitted, we drove up the coast/ inland track, getting permissions from various villages, until we quit the road and hiked off into the jungle for an hour or so. First sight was a wing, with hinomaru leaning against a forest tree, a flap? and then the bulk of the rear fuselage and engines. Much forward was all crushed and burnt and the Admirals seat by the rear door. In the jungle quiet, it was a sad scene to contemplate. Author Terry Gynne-Jones did a comprehensive article, with excellent color pics in GEO magazine in the late 1970s"

References
Yamamoto Autopsy details the crash site, remains recovery and autopsy

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