Seeking help in identifying Japanese WW2 aircraft

[RelicHunter]

Hello,

i'm new to this site and forum. Wondering if other members can help me out.

My grandfather brought a piece of a Japanese plane back from Tinian at the end of WW2. There he witnessed the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. I'm seeking help in determining what kind of plane this piece came from. The Japanese script says:

Mitsubis hi 4538 (then maybe one more number?)
Then "left"

三菱 Mitsubishi
左 left

I am not sure if this was a recent shoot down from the Turkey Shoot or not, but it was retrieved in this condition, very fresh. I believe it to be a navy aircraft by the green color, but not sure. I am also not sure if the 4538 number is a type variant or serial number. I believe zeros traditionally started with a 35 or 36. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you all.

 

[Shinpachi]

There were Zero fighters of the serial number 4000s like Mitsubishi 4685 deployed in the Guam Island.
Looks like a fillet or a machine gun cover of the left wing.

三菱４６８５ from Guam Island.

Source: ＰＫ[航空自衛隊浜松広報館]

 

[RelicHunter]

Thanks for the info and a path to start looking. Are there any sites that would help me trace the serial number to a date and place of manufacture and possibly where this bird was stationed? Again, appreciate the help!

 

[Shinpachi]

You are welcome, RelicHunter.
As you guess, there could have been such lists as showing link of the serial number and the actual deployment till 1945 but all records had been abandoned when the war was over.

There were 4 IJN air corps which were equipped with the zero fighters (mostly A6M5) in the Mariana Islands till July, 1944.
All were equipped with Nakajima's Zeros except the 343rd Air Corps like the picture I introduced in my last post.
In my "simple" calculation, designation number marked on the rudder for your relics would have been around 43-041.
This is all what I can tell you about it at the moment.

 

[RelicHunter]

Thanks for the assist, Shinpachi! Greatly appreciate the effort, math and helping me identify this piece. I have it in a shadow box hanging in my office. This info will be a great add to its history as I pass it down to the Fourth generation.

 

[jetcal1]

There were Zero fighters of the serial number 4000s like Mitsubishi 4685 deployed in the Guam Island.
Looks like a fillet or a machine gun cover of the left wing.

三菱４６８５ from Guam Island.
View attachment 574744
Source: ＰＫ[航空自衛隊浜松広報館]

Funny to see an MU-2 in a museum. The ones in my neighborhood tend to either be freight dogs or pampered pets.

 

[mjfur]

It's difficult to tell if your part is actually five digits (4538?) or four digits and a kanji (4538 k). I'm not saying they don't exist, but I have not seen a Japanese aircraft with a five digit s/n.
Even late war Zero's only had a four digit s/n. If it's five digits it's possible that the number 4538? may not be the s/n for the aircraft.

 

[Shinpachi]

Good point.
In full writing, it is 三菱４５３８號 (or 号 in simple style).
號 (or 号) means number.

 

[Barrett]

Quick sidebar: US forces didn't land on Tinian until late July, about five weeks after the turkey shoot. Just FWIW.

 

[Snautzer01]

A prestine data sheet i found:
Captured Japanese airplanes.

 

[Shinpachi]

自重 5820
重心 MAC 11.7%
搭載量 2340
補修 昭和17-1-10
航空機材工業株式会社

Weight 5820(kg)
CG MAC 11,7%
Payload 2340(kg)
Repaired on January 10, 1942
(Workshop) Kokukizai Kogyo Co., Ltd.