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  D3A2 Model 22 Val Manufacture Number 3106 Tail T3-260
IJN
582 Kōkūtai

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Click For Enlargement
USMC August 1943

Aircraft History
Built by Aichi completed during the middle of January 1943. Uncoded serial number 106. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Type 99 Carrier Bomber / Ku Ku Kamba (Kanbaku) / D3A2 Model 22 Val manufacture number 3106.

Wartime History
Assigned to 582 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group). Tail code T3-260. This Val was abandoned at Munda Airfield.

Wreckage
In early August 1943 captured by the U.S. Army at Munda Airfield. Afterwards examined by Allied intelligence that noted manufacture number 3106. Afterwards, the tail section of this Val was buried at the airfield to fill bomb craters. Ultimate fate unknown.

Jim Lansdale adds:
"I do not have comprehensive data on this information. However, most of the IJN aircraft with the square background to the hinomaru had these applied at the factory. During the summer of 1943, most of these aircraft were having their white-square backed hinomaru painted out in the field and, I am sure, the factories were told to stop applying these markings. I would say, with some high degree of certainty, that D3A2 3263 is out of the range for such markings to have been applied and then painted-out. It is far more likely that D3A2 3106 was marked T3-260."

References
"Serial Number & Production Sequence D3A2 Carrier Bombers" by Jim Long
Japanese Naval Air Force Camouflage and Markings, WW II page 190
Thanks to Jim Lansdale and Ryan Toews for additional information

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Last Updated
March 9, 2023

 

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