Anyone ever seen any camo/markings of the "high altitude" level bomber Kate that destroyed the USS Arizona? Were all the Kates at pearl painted in what I assume was the torpedo bomber scheme?
I assume that one plane was so credited?
Among the Japanese Carrier Aviators, it was a Kate with PO 2/c Naburo Kanai off of Hiryu that was credited with sinking the Arizona. He was said to be the best bombardier in the carrier arm, but he and his crew were KIA during the Battle of Wake Island on 21 Dec 41, according to Gordon Prange.
Most sources seem to agree that the aircraft which dropped the fatal bomb was a B5N from the carrier Hiryu.
As such, it would have been overall light gray with a blotchy mottled green/brown upper surface camouflage, a black cowling/forward fuselage, two medium-blue stripes on the fuselage aft of the hinomaru, and the aircraft identification number BII-XXX on the tail fin/rudder - where "XXX" is a three digit Arabic numeral aircraft ID number.
I think the B5N "Kate" a/c ID numbers all began with a "3" (and A6M2 "Zeroes" with a "1" and D3A1 "Vals" with a "2") but I'm not positive on that.
I don't know that the specific aircraft has ever been positively identified - at least none of my sources seems to do so.
Cheers,
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