Existing comment:
Mitsubishi G4M2 Betty (1943). The G4M was Japan's most widely used bomber throughout World War II. Officially designated Navy Type I attack bomber, it was better known by its Allied code name BETTY. Sharing its fame and success with the Zero fighter in the first years of the war, its limitation in numbers was offset by its long striking range. When American forces went on the offensive in mid-1942, the limited armor and unprotected fuel tanks that were necessary to achieve its range made it vulnerable to Allied fighters. Produced in larger numbers than any other Japanese bomber, BETTY remained in first-line service throughout the war. This BETTY nose section, its tail cone, and its engines are all that remain in the world today of this famous bomber except for those in the jungles of the Pacific. This aircraft was damaged beyond economical repair after being evaluated in the US and was transferred to the National Air Museum by the US Air Force in 1948. These remaining sections were cut from the damaged airframe in 1951 to take advantage of the last available shipping space from Park Ridge, Ill to Silver Hill [where the restoration facility is].
As a side note, during the war, the US Air Force shot down a Betty carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Yamamoto was
commander in chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, the planner of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the most formidable and charismatic Japanese naval leader of the war. Through intercepted Japanese cables, American intelligence had found his travel flight plans and decided to intercept him. In 1943, they did so, shooting down his plane and killing him. This caused a major controversy for the intelligence community which felt that this action would lead the Japanese to realize their secret codes had been compromised and cause them to change them. Ultimately, the Japanese refused to believe their codes could be broken, attributing the American success to coincidence. |