I wonder how many of the aircraft that were over the Japanese convoy on March 3rd 1943 still exist?

Thats an interesting question?

I have to confess I havent seen any serious research of that issue, but here’s some thoughts?

RAAF Survivors?

The Catalina A24-14 was sold after the war to KSAS but certainly doesnt exist anywhere today.

I dont know the details of the 8 Beauforts from 100 Sqn RAAF, but clearly they are numbered A9-300 or earlier to have been delivered into service by then, and only two survivors have numbers prior to that, A9-13 had left 100 Sqn for 1 OTU long before it went to NG, and A9-141 did not fly with 100 Sqn, so it would seem no Beaufort participants could survive?

The 30 Sqn Beaufighters would need to be numbered A19-102 or earlier to have been in service by then, and only one survivor exists within that number block, being the mark IC A19-43 now in the NMUSAF, which I understand is a 30 Sqn veteran, so it “may” have participated?, but I havent seen any reference to its involvement?, and I thought its operations were documented somewhere?

There were 22 Sqn Bostons involved in diversionary ground attacks of nearby Japanese airfields and later attacks against the remnants of the Convoys.

In March 1943, these would only have been the original ex Dutch DB-7’s so the only survivor from those is A28-8 “Jessica” at the RAAF Museum, so it “may” have participated?, (and I would have thought it likely to have?) but again I havent seen any reference to its involvement?

USAAF Survivors?

The US 5th Airforce had:

B-24 shadowed the fleet on the 1st of March, unless this aircraft is one of the partial wrecks left in PNG its probably safe to say its long gone.

B-17’s participating (only PNG survivors being Swamp Ghost and Black Cat Pass) but I dont think either of those are recorded as being involved?

B-25C1 Commerce Destroyers, with their skip bombs, – I am not aware of any of these surviving?, even as derelict wrecks in PNG?

A-20 Bostons – These supported the RAAF Beaufighters and B-25’s in the main attack.

There are a number of Bostons recovered from PNG including one from Tadji in the mid 1970’s and the BigNig etc recovered by the RAAFM, to my understanding all of these PNG survivors are A20G models (excluding the RAAF DB-7 above) and I understand these may have been delivered into service after the Battle of the Bismarck Sea?

So I suspect other than wrecks none of the US B-24, B-17s, B-25s or A20’s survive today?

P-38 Lightnings – These provided aircover to the bomber force over the convoy.

A few P-38s have been recovered from PNG and perhaps one of these did participate?

Japanese Survivors?

I’m not sure its well documented “which” aircraft participated let alone “survived” the battle itself? (50 to 60 zeros were claimed to have been shot down), but I understand air cover was provided to the convoy from both Rabaul and Lae?, and there seems few if any survivors ever recovered from those two locations (other than the two seat Zero of Kookaburra Publications came out of Rabual Harbour?), perhaps there is a wreck remaining in northern PNG that holds a secret or two?

So perhaps one or two aircraft do survive, subject to examination of squadron operational records, with the most likely being the RAAF Museum DB-7 from 22 Sqn?

regards

Mark Pilkington