The story
Starting this date and into the next date, 40 A6M, 21 D3A, 4 D4Y, 13 G4M, and 7 B5N aircraft were withdrawn from Rabaul, New Britain. As a part of the same transfer, 400 ground troops and support personnel departed Rabaul aboard Kokai Maru and Kowa Maru; the convoy was escorted by submarine chaser CHa-48, submarine chaser CH-38, and repair tug Nagaura. When the transfer was complete, Rabaul would only have 10 operational A6M fighters and 2 B5N operational bombers.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.