# Yap Planes



## Sweb (Mar 21, 2009)

Well, I thought the PDF file would attach itself but it looks like it didn't. I'll try again.


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## Sweb (Mar 21, 2009)

Yap Planes.pdf - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

This link will take you to a Download/Preview page of pics I took of various Japanese planes that were on the island of Yap in the Western Caroline Islands in January, 1981. There were more but unfortunately I fell into a bomb crater full of water and ruined my camera. There was one Betty in the jungle overgrowth that was intact enough to crawl through and sit in the various crews stations. There were many American unexploded bombs like the one in the link I took with a couple acquaintances I made. They were unearthed when I was there by a Japanese construction company who were putting in a new airstrip on the top of a ridge near the old airstrip.


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## syscom3 (Mar 21, 2009)

Here is that Judy dive bomber that was recovered, restored and placed in the Imperial War Museum @ Yasakuni, Tokyo, Japan.


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## SloDown (Mar 21, 2009)

facinating series of photos Sweb, thanks for posting!


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## Sweb (Mar 21, 2009)

syscom3 said:


> Here is that Judy dive bomber that was recovered, restored and placed in the Imperial War Museum @ Yasakuni, Tokyo, Japan.



Yep. That's the one and only surviving airworthy example. The pics I uploaded here show a Judy engine in one of the revetments. That was a license-built Jumo engine wasn't it? Thanks for posting those pics. This is the plane recovered from Yap some time before I got there.



SloDown said:


> facinating series of photos Sweb, thanks for posting!



Thanks. If nothing else they show a great bit of detail for modelers. The orange color to some of them is the deteriorated brown primer.


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## 109ROAMING (Mar 22, 2009)

Nice shots Sweb! Thanks for sharing mate


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## Milos Sijacki (Mar 22, 2009)

What a beautiful airplane. Thanks for the photo Sweb.


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## muller (Mar 22, 2009)

Great pics! Hard to imagine they were just left lying there for nearly 40 years! Thanks for uploading!

I'd love to see the restored Judy 'in the flesh' 8)


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## Gnomey (Mar 22, 2009)

Yeah it is hard to imagine. Great stuff Sweb.


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## GrauGeist (Mar 22, 2009)

It's a real shame that they don't salvage those frames and parts, seeing as how WW2 Japanese aircraft (in any form) are pretty scare.

Thanks for sharing those, Sweb!


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## Gnomey (Mar 23, 2009)

Here is the PDF file attached to the forum for the convenience of those who want it from here.


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## comiso90 (Mar 23, 2009)

Great photos... i want to go..

.


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## timshatz (Mar 23, 2009)

Great shots Sweb. Thanks for posting.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Mar 29, 2009)

Interesting shots Sweb! Thank you for sharing.


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## RabidAlien (Apr 1, 2009)

Wow! Amazing...thanks for sharing!


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

Many years ago I spent a lot of time bumming around the Pacific. I spent time in the Philippines, on Yap, Peleliu, Palau, Ulithi, Guam and Saipan. Attached are pics of the Zeros Sweb took photos of by the old airfield. These were taken about 1977. There were three fairly intact Zeros there for years.

Continental used to land 727's on the old Japanese airfield before they built the new airport. I landed there many times, a truly horrifying, white knuckle experience. I actually watched a 727 crash there in 1980 (I have photos of the crash, I'll try to find them). Amazingly, no one was killed. Google "727 crash on Yap" and there is a guy with a u tube video of the wreckage of the Continental plane still laying in the jungle.

I also have photos of other war wrecks that I'll scan.


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

forgot the other pics


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

This was a Hellcat that we found in the jungle. Came down hard upside down, didn't find a body so I guess the guy got out.


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

Betty in the jungle Yap


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

KI-61 Hein wreckage Yap


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

Japanese floatplane and anti aircraft gun Palau


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

Jap tank on Saipan (me with hair)


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

US tank on Peleliu


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## Bian (Mar 3, 2017)

me and friends Peliliu 1977


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## Old Wizard (Mar 3, 2017)




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## nuuumannn (Mar 4, 2017)

You could say they are all Yapanese aeroplane wrecks...

Great photos guys; nice to see. Pics of the D4Y at Yasukuni taken many years ago now, here:

warbirds


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## Bian (Mar 4, 2017)

nuuumannn said:


> You could say they are all Yapanese aeroplane wrecks...
> 
> Great photos guys; nice to see. Pics of the D4Y at Yasukuni taken many years ago now, here:
> 
> warbirds





Did the D4Y come from Yap and do you know when it was salvaged? The pictures I posted of what I thought was a KI-61 might actually be that plane. I only thought it was a Tony because of the engine. It was pretty torn up. My pic was taken 40 years ago.


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## Bian (Mar 4, 2017)

Does anyone know if the three Zeros at the airfield were ever salvaged? There was enough there to probably build two planes.


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## nuuumannn (Mar 4, 2017)

Hi Bian, this link gives you a brief history of the Yasukuni aeroplane:

Pacific Wrecks

Useful site.


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## Bian (Mar 4, 2017)

nuuumannn said:


> Hi Bian, this link gives you a brief history of the Yasukuni aeroplane:
> 
> Pacific Wrecks
> 
> Useful site.



Thank you, that is super interesting. I've often wondered what happened to those planes. What I thought was a KI-61 was not at the airfield, didn't see it listed in the link you provided. Forty years ago there was WW2 stuff laying all over the place.


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## Robert Porter (Mar 4, 2017)

From the site mentioned above and a few others I have learned that a lot of the wreckage has been scavenged for scrap value. In fact entire sunken wrecks have been dynamited and lifted to the surface and sold as scrap metal. Which in some cases is disturbing as those ships are often treated as war graves.


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