TIL A Japanese Zero Was Found Behind GW

In 1962, a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero shot down during World War 2 was found in a swamp area behind the George Washington High School in Mangilao, Guam.

Here are a few images of the zero found in the swamp behind GW.

The tag on the plane that refers to the type of zero, with its is manufacturing number 4685.

With the following clue and the plane’s tail number the pilot was identified as Lt. Shinya Ozaki. Additionally, war records indicate that the plane crashed on June 19th 1944, which was the first day of the greatest naval air battle known as the “Marianas Turkey Shoot”.

The downed plane was still in pretty good shape that a museum in Shizuoka, Japan wanted it brought to Japan and restored. Today, the plane hangs at the JASDF Hamamatsu-Minami Air Base Collection Museum among other aircraft of the century.

For more detailed information, check out http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/wiggs.html

All photos are courtesy of pacificwrecks.com .