Location
Nivani Island is roughly 10-15 acres in size and 94.5m high, small and partly wooded island. Situated about a half mile south of Panapompom Island at Deboyne Lagoon.

Prior to the war, the island was leased to Mr. G. Munt who cleared the island and planted palm trees on the island, and harvested copra and operated a trade store. He was evacuated before the war.

Wartime History
The Japanese occupied the area with 10 ships, including the Kamikawa Maru, a destroyer, cruiser, and transports. The Japanese capture 8 POWs in the area (3 Australian Army Signalers and 5 natives). They established a forward operating seaplane base at Deboyne Lagoon.

On May 7, 1942 at the start of the Battle of the Coral Sea a seaplane operating from this location managed to located the US Navy support Group (one battleship, two cruisers three destroyers), 78 miles south of Deboyne at 12:40.

On May 7, 1942 A6M2 Zeros and one A5M4 Claude from Shoho ditched near each other in this vicinity. On May 8, 1942 one A6M2 Zero piloted by PO2c Okura Shigeru from the 14th Shotai from Zuikaku ditched at Deboyne.

On May 10, the Japanese withdrew from Deboyne Lagoon, but Americans continued to bomb the area for nearly a week after the withdrawal.

An Allied patrols visited this area in late May-early June aboard the MV Laurabada including Lt Mac Rich and Ivan Chapman. During July 1942, an Australian Technical Rece Party investigated the Deboyne area, including: Lindsay Smooker, and photographed the wreckage.

Allied Missions Against Deboyne
April 10 - May 16, 1942

Deboyne Seaplane Base
Used by the Japanese during the Battle of the Coral Sea

F1M2 Pete Tail Number R-16
Abandoned on Nivani after Battle of Coral Sea

A6M2 Zero
Ditched May 7 or 8, 1942 after Battle of the Coral Sea

References
The First Team, pages 205, 207, 257, 268, 341
The number of aircraft the possibly ditched in the lagoon varies in several sources. The First Team page 262 states that four were lost (+ one ditched at Deboyne?)]. "The Campaigns of the Pacific War" (p. 53) says 10 of the torpedo aircraft were shot down, and quotes the war diary of 25th Air Flotilla as one of its sources.

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009