| Largely intact floating wreckage of a Japanese Navy Type 1 G4M1 land attack plane, a type later code named “Betty,” which crashed during an aerial torpedo attack on the Allied invasion force off Tulagi Island on August 8, 1942. Photographed from USS Ellet (DD-398). Japanese reaction to the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion was swift, if not initially very effective. At Rabaul, the principal Japanese base in the area, the local fleet commander, Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa (August 29, 1888 – February 25, 1981), pulled together some ground troops, put them in 6 transports and ordered them off toward Guadalcanal, about 600 miles to the southeastward. However, during the night of August 8, 1942, 1 of the transports, Meiyo Maru, had the ill-fortune to pass near the venerable United States Navy submarine USS S-38, which sank her with over 300 men. This forced the cancellation of this 1st of what would be many Japanese efforts to reinforce their embattled troops on Guadalcanal. Meanwhile, Japanese planes from Rabaul were sent off to attack the invaders, or preferably their supporting aircraft carriers. On the afternoon of August 8, 1942, 9 G4M1 (of a type soon to be nicknamed “Betty”) from the Misawa Kōkūtai (“Misawa Air Group”) took off from Vunakanau Airfield near Rabaul each armed with a torpedo on a low level strike torpedo strike against the American invasion force in Iron Bottom Sound between Tulagi and Guadalcanal. The formation also included 17 G4M1 Bettys from 4th Kōkūta and 18 deadly “Zero” fighters. Inbound to the target, 3 Betty bombers aborted the mission. Some 27 twin-engine bombers, not having found the carriers, arrived over the invasion fleet. Making a high-level bombing attack, they achieved no hits and lost 5 bombers and 2 fighters in actions with the United States carrier planes (of which the “Zeros” shot down several F4F-4 “Wildcat” fighters and 1 SBD scout bomber). 5 G4M1 Type 1 “Bettys” returned to Rabaul. Just before noon, 23 G4M1 “Betty” bombers attacked ships from minimum altitude and 8 were shot down by anti-aircraft fire and others were intercepted by Grumman F4F WIldcats. Only a few bombers managed to release their torpedoes. Only 1 scored a hit on USS Jarvis (DD-393). A few hours later 9 single-engine Japanese dive bombers (type “Val”) appeared and scored a non-fatal hit on the destroyer Mugford. All of these attackers were lost, either shot down or ditched on the way home. The Japanese tried again the next day, this time with 27 “Betty” bombers fitted with aerial torpedos and an escort of 15 Zeros. Once more, they failed to locate the United States aircraft carriers, but made a daring low-level torpedo attack on the Vice Admiral Turner’s amphibious force. Turner skillfully maneuvered his ships in the sound between Guadalcanal and Tulagi, throwing off the enemy’s aim. Only 1 torpedo scored, hitting destroyer USS Jarvis (DD-393) in the bow. The transport USS George F. Elliot (AP-13) was struck amidships by a crashing bomber and was set afire. Japanese losses were very heavy, about 17 bombers and 2 fighters, the great majority to the ship’s anti-aircraft guns. The damage done by these Japanese air attacks only inconvenienced the invasion force, slowing supply off-loading by a few hours and taking 3 ships out of the fight. George F. Elliot was a total loss, her fires burned out of control, and she had to be scuttled. Jarvis and Mugford were both able to steam away to seek repairs, but the former, sailing independently, was found by enemy planes on the 9th of August and sunk with no survivors. When USS Ellet approached, the surviving crew of the G4M1 opened fire with pistols, then shot themselves. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1859.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.01 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5707 x 4530 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 8, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Guadalcanal |
| Country | Solomons |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-383 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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