G4M1 Betty
Mitsubishi G4M1 attack bombers of the Kisazaru Kokutai head out to bomb Henderson Field from Rabaul. These missions were dangerous, for 13th Air Force and US Navy fighters took a heavy toll on the bombers. What is little known is that it was the Kisazaru Kokutai which was earmarked to be based at Henderson Field (which the Japanese originally constructed and called Lunga Field), but the US invasion of Guadalcanal on 7th August 1942 put a stop to this plan. Ten days after the invasion the Kisazaru Kokutai was dispatched to Kavieng on New Ireland to be based there, but as the Guadalcanal campaign became more intense, it was recalled once again to Rabaul. Quality aerial photos of G4M1 participation in the Guadalcanal campaign are difficult to find.