A total of eight Japanese
planes were lost attacking Funafuti. The raids killed one
local man and a dozen Americans but did little damage.
April 22, 1943
(7th AF) During the night of April 21-22, Funafuti Airfield is bombed twice by
Japanese planes. Two B-24's are destroyed and five others damaged.
April 23, 1943
(IJN) Type 96 / G3M2 Nells from 755 Kōkūtai (755 Air Group) bomb Funafuti Airfield. During the raid, 680 islanders took refuge in the concrete walled, pandanus-thatched
church. U.S. Army Corporal B. F. Ladd,
persuaded them to get out of there and into dugouts. Ten minutes later,
a large bomb destroyed the building. Only one
islander, Esau Sepetaina was killed in the air raid.
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