Lt. Michio Kobayashi photo #1
On December 7, 1941, Lt. Michio Kobayashi (first squadron) was the leader of Hiryu's dive bomber force with
18 Aichi D3A1, divided in 6 shotai (3 planes unit): 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th. Unable to fly due engine trouble,
Lt. Kobayashi returned to Hiryu and the acting commander was buntaicho, Lt. Shun Nakagawa (second squadron), radioman/gunner of BII-213.
These 17 Vals attacked USS California, USS Helena, USS Maryland, USS Helm and USS Rigel.
Two Hiryu's D3A1 were shot down during the attack. Many suggest that Lt. Kobayashi flew BII-201
but there is no proof of this in Japan.
INFO CREDIT: David Aiken + book Pearl Harbor, 1941, by Carl Smith, Osprey publishing +
http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Pearl_Harbor.htmBII-205 was flown by a wingman. Crew unknown.
BII-207 was flown by a wingman, F1c Sumio Kondo (pilot) and PO3c Tatsuo Itazu (radioman/gunner).
BII-213 was flown by a buntaicho. The crew were PO Toshikatsu Nishimura (pilot) and Lt. Shun Nakagawa
(radioman/gunner). Note the two red buntaicho horizontal stripes. Lt. Shun Nakagawa, the Hiryu D3A1 commander
at Pearl Harbor, also made the topic public in his article "Dive Bombing Cruiser St. Louis" in Mikokai Shashin ni Miru
Shinjuwan Kogeki [Pearl Harbor Attack in Unpublished Photos] (Tokyo: Rekishi Dokuhon, Bessatsu; 1990).
He confirmed that many command aircraft during the Hawaii Operation were in gaudy markings.
The reason given confirms the research by H. Yoshimura and M. Asano, that -based on training and past combat-
dive bombers had become widely scattered and it was difficult to reassemble. Info credit: David Aiken
D3A1 over Oahu photo #1
Photo #: SC 127014 - Two Japanese Navy Type 99 Carrier Bombers ("Val") fly near a U.S. Army 38th
Reconnaissance Squadron B-17E (Serial # 41-2408) that arrived over Oahu from California in the middle of
the Japanese air raid. The B-17 was piloted by First Lieutenant Karl T. Barthelmess. - Photographed by Staff
Sergeant Lee Embree. - Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
BII-214 was flown by a wingman. The crew were PO2c Isamu Kiyomura (pilot) and PO2c Yoshio Shimizu
(radioman/gunner and aircraft commander ). This plane was shot down. Hiryu's BII-214 crashed in the
Koolau Mountains after being hit during its dive on USS Maryland.
INFO CREDIT: Mr. David Aiken via Hyperscale's forum.
"Aiea Heights" crash site photo #1
There are two D3A1s which crashed that have the location as "Aiea". One crashed in a cane field just east of
the harbor...in "Aiea". This site is NOT a plantation, just a sugar cane field...no photo exists.
The other is the subject of this photo...it crashed in the Koolau Mountains just above "Aiea Heights".
The carrier identification for the "Aiea cane field" crash is unknown.
The second crash ("Aiea Heights") is Hiryu's BII-214 that crashed in the Koolau Mountains
after being hit during its dive on USS Maryland.
INFO CREDIT: Mr. David Aiken via Hyperscale's forum.
PHOTO CREDIT: Hawaii State Archives
PO2c Yoshio Shimizu photo #1
PHOTO CREDIT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPOEO0aIOKo&feature=youtube_gdataBII-216 was flown by a wingman. Crew unknown.
BII-217 was flown by a wingman. Crew unknown.
BII-231 was flown by a shotaicho. The crew were PO1c Kishichiro Yamada (pilot) and PO Keijiro Yoshikawa (radioman/gunner).
Note the yellow shotaicho horizontal stripe.
D3A1 low flying photo #1
A close-up view of a Japanese "Val" carrier dive bomber during the attack.
This low flying D3A was photographed over the harbor.
PHOTO and INFO CREDIT: East Wind Rain, page 66, by Stan Cohen, 1986.
BII-233 was flown by a wingman. The crew were PO2c Koreyoshi Toyama (pilot) and F1c Hajime Murao (radioman/gunner).
This plane was shot down by Ken Taylor. BII-233 was his first kill of the day.
America Strikes Back - AVIATION ART CREDIT: artist Robert Taylor.
Ewa beach crash site
Photo #: SC 126996 - Photographed by Staff Sergeant Lee Embree from a U.S. Army 38th Reconnaissance Squadron
B-17E that arrived over Oahu during the Japanese attack. Japanese Navy planes circle an aircraft crash site near Ewa Beach, Oahu, 7 Dec. 1941. - Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
BII-235 was flown by a wingman. F1c Hideo Sakai (pilot).
D3A attacking photo #1