
Site 1
Nakajima
B5N Kate
Primary Survey Site
In June 2006, The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) conducted an archaeological survey of four Japanese WWII aircraft on Yap Island in the central Pacific. Craig Fuller, the principal and founder of AAIR, and a TIGHAR member since 1993, was selected to be one of the four members of the TIGHAR expedition team.
The survey was conducted under a US National Park Service Grant for the Yap Historic Preservation Office (HPO). Yap falls within the Federated States of Micronesia. As a former US Trust Territory it is still supported by the US National Park Service. The primary purpose of the survey was to provide the Yap HPO with enough information to come up with and decide on a management plan for the WWII aircraft. Specifically we were to document:
Due to budget and time constraints we were asked to focus on four specific sites. After completion of the four site surveys, we found time to document three more sites in less detail and briefly visit several others.
I want to specifically thank Pat Ranfranz for supporting the team with background information on Yap. Pat’s uncle was shot down in a B-24 over Yap. In the process of his research of the incident, Pat has come across a tremendous amount of information on Yap during WWII which he has graciously shared with us. Pat publishes the website www.missingaircrew.com. Rather than restating information from his site, I recommend visiting it for further information on Yap.
For general information and the location of Yap, go to:
www.missingaircrew.com/yap.asp
For the history of air battles over Yap, go to:
www.missingaircrew.com/yapsum.asp
Primary Survey Site
Primary Survey Site
Primary Survey Site
Primary Survey Site
Secondary Survey Site
Secondary Survey Site
Secondary Survey Site
Primary Survey Site
Visited Site
Visited Site
Visited Site