Deboyne Seaplane Base

 

Location
Located at Deboyne Lagoon, off Panniet Island. This base was assigned the Japanese code designator, RXE.

Construction
Seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru arrived on May 6, 1942. The next day, launches several floatplanes at 06:30 for search. At 08:20 on spots enemy cruisers 150 miles SSW of Deboyne. Kamikawa Maru departed on May 10th. The Japanese establish a small forward base off Panniet Island. Several Japanese aircraft ditch in the area during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Japanese Units Based
Yokusuka Kokutai Detachment (F1M2 Petes, A6M2-N Rufes)

Allied Missions Against Deboyne
April 10 - May 16, 1942

Withdrawal
Japanese abandoned the base by May 10, 1942 after the Battle of the Coral Sea. Americans continued to bomb the area until May 16th, unaware they had departed.

After the battle, Australian forces investigated the base in July 1942. Lindsay Smooker, Technical Rece Party and photographed the wreckage.

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