| Japanese Nakajima B5N2 Type 97 “Kate” carrier attack aircraft wrecked on Indispensable Reef, in the Coral Sea, at the time it was inspected by a Patrol Squadron 71 (VP-71) crew. The plane is from the Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku and bears the tail marking EI-306. It went down during a Battle of the Coral Sea search mission a month earlier and has its cockpit area burned out. On May 7, 1942, Kidō Butai (“Mobile Force”), launched 12 Nakajima B5N2 carrier attack aircraft at 0600 Hours to search in pairs a sector bearing 180 to 265 degrees, out to 250 miles (330 kilometers) from the carrier force. At 0722 hours, the radioman of 1 Shokaku’s B5N2 Type 97s reported American ships: 1 carrier and 1 cruiser. He was wrong, because these ships were oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) and the destroyer USS Sims (DD-409). These 2 planes, tail codes EI-306 and EI-302 from Imperial Japanese Navy carrier Shokaku, made a search to find the American carriers in the area. At 1051 Hours these Japanese crews had no fuel to reach the Japanese carrier force. They flew for Indispensable Reef and ditched there. Japanese destroyer Ariake rescued the 2 crews on the next day. VP-71 flew Consolidated PBY-5 Catalinas out of Nouméa, New Caledonia starting on May 1, 1942, supported by the seaplane tender USS Tangier (AV-8). Antishipping and antisubmarine patrols were conducted daily. On June 7, 1942, VP-71 spotted 2 Japanese aircraft down on Indispensable Reef. They were 50 yards (45 meters) apart and were headed west when they ditched in 1 foot (30 centimeters) of water. They were strafed when VP-71 returned and landed on 0940 Hours on June 9. Lieutenant James E. Johnson (November 19, 1910 – May 30, 1996), United States Navy, surmised that any survivors rigged their life rafts with a parachute silk sail with an oar for a mast. Johnson, with 2 crewman, rafted a mile and a half to the wrecks for examination. The 2 Kates landed with wheels retracted; the tail of 1 plane broke off upon landing and was 200 yards (away 180 meters) behind the wreck, but they were mostly intact. The wrecks drifted about 50 yards to their present position in the month since the crash landing. They set fire to the cockpits and destroyed all instruments. Some of the radio parts were built by the Eclipse Corporation of Elmira, New York. Johnson appreciated the simple but effective design of the torpedo director. The VP-71 crew found no guns, but found 7.7 millimeter (0.303 caliber) pans for the Lewis gun in the water around the aircraft. They also recovered binoculars, a helmet, parachute harnesses and packs, and brown coveralls. Johnson didn’t know that Pilots Petty Officer 1st Class Yoshio Saito and Petty Officer 1st Class Akira Akao; Observers Warrant Officer Masanobu Shibata and Petty Officer 1st Class Noriyoshihiro Otake; and Radio Operators Petty Officer 3rd Class Seikaku Tsunemae and Seaman 1st Class Kazuo Sakahita were all rescued by the destroyer Ariake on May 8, 1942. Lieutenant Johnson was 1 of 17 United States Navy observers sent to the Royal Air Force (RAF) to train their pilots and aircrew in the operation of Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina aircraft in 1941. He was the observer in RAF Number 240 Squadron Catalina on May 26, 1941, that shadowed the Kriegsmarine (“Nazi German Navy”) battleship Bismarck in the Atlantic that led to her destruction the next day. On January 20, 1945, he took command of Patrol Air Group 2 at Pottery, United Kingdom. After the war, he became a math teacher. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2055.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.33 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5629 x 4593 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 9, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Indispensable Reef |
| Country | Coral Sea |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-7661 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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