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Mitsubishi A6M2b 'Zero' BII-124
557 Stuart Hwy, Winnellie
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Description
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Status
Permanent Declaration
Type
Object
Nominated
12/NOV/15
Nomination Accepted
04/DEC/15
Assessment Report Considered
04/MAR/16
Provisional Declaration
02/NOV/16
Recommended
07/MAR/17
Signed By Minister
11/APR/17
Gazetted
26/APR/17
Publish Notice Of Declaration
29/APR/17
Statement Of Heritage Value
BII-124 was a Mitsubishi A6M2b "Zero" aircraft (Allied codename ‘Zeke’) that formed part of the Imperial Japanese Navy attack force during the 19 February 1942 air raid on Darwin; the first enemy attack on the Australian mainland during World War II.
BII-124 sustained damage from Australian defensive fire during the raid, ultimately causing the engine to seize and forcing pilot Petty Officer First Class Hajime Toyoshima to execute a controlled crash landing on Melville Island. Toyoshima was subsequently captured by Tiwi Islander Matthias Ulungura and delivered to Sergeant Leslie Powell of the Royal Australian Engineers. Upon being taken into custody (under the false alias Tadao Minami), Toyoshima became the first Prisoner of War taken by Australia during World War II. The wreck site of BII-124 was discovered by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in early March 1942
BII-124 was manufactured in October 1941 and assigned to the Imperial Japanese Navy as a carrier-based fighter in the 2nd Carrier Division of the 1st Air Fleet. During its short service life, BII-124 participated in the IJN attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941, followed by IJN air raids at Wake Island and Palau, and IJN involvement in the Battles of Ambon and Borneo.
The wreck of BII-124 was of substantial value to Allied forces, representing the first Zero that was captured largely intact. Various sections of the aircraft, including armament, power plant, instruments, controls and structural portions of wing, body and tail, were thus salvaged for intelligence purposes.
The crash site of BII-124 was rediscovered in 1960 and the surviving aircraft remains were collected and transported to the Snake Bay settlement at Milikapiti. In 1977, the Australian Aviation Historical Society acquired these remains of BII-124 for public display in Darwin.
This collection of parts from BII-124 includes the forward fuselage section, incorporating the cockpit, accessory compartment, and central sections of both wings; the port wingtip and attached interspar section, and a belly fuel drop tank. These elements represent the only known surviving remains of BII-124 in the public record.
BII-124 is one of only twelve located World War II Japanese aircraft wrecks in the Northern Territory, the only identified Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero wreck in the Northern Territory, and one of only two identified Japanese aircraft wrecks associated with the 19 February 1942 attack on Darwin.
Value
Historic & Indigenous
Place Type
Object
Description
Remains of a World War II Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2b "Zero" carrier-based fighter aircraft, tail code BII-124.
Instrument