IJN
705th Kokutai
Pilot FPO2/c Hiroshi Hayashi (survived)
Commander FPO1/c Hiroaki Tanimura (KIA)
Passenger Vice-Admiral
Matome Ugaki (survived)
Passenger ? (survived)
Crashed April 18, 1943
Mission History
Took off from Rabaul, accompanying Admiral Yamamoto aboard G4M1
Betty 2656. for an inspection of the forward airfield at Buin Airfield (Kahili) escorted by A6M Zeros.
Intercepted on April 18, 1943 by P-38's of the 339th FS on a secret mission to intercept Yamamoto. The Lightnings were fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks for the 600 mile round trip from Figher 2 (Kukum) on Guadalcanal.
Damaged, it belly landed into the sea. The only survivors were Yamamoto's chief of staff Vice-Admiral Matome Ugaki, and pilot Hayashi and one other crewmember waded ashore.
Today
The pilot,
Hiroshi Hayashi is still alive and lives on Yaku Sihima
Island. He declines interviews from Japanese researchers and authors.
Betty
