Buin

The crew left Carney Airfield in the early morning to attack the Kahili Airfield in Buin. Following a successful mission, the aircraft christened 'De-Icer' was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in flames 5 miles northwest of the airfield. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew (5th BG):
1st Lt Karl G. Stubblefield, pilot,
2nd Lt William E. Nevling, copilot,
1st Lt Walter C. Witherspoon, navigator,
1st Lt Robert J. Jones, bombardier,
M/Sgt Lowell E. Symons, flight engineer,
T/Sgt John L. Larson, assistant engineer,
T/Sgt Thomas H. Shadrick, radio operator,
Sgt Don E. Christenson, assistant radio operator,
Sgt Ranier P. Payton,
S/Sgt Louis Penven Jr.

The airplane named 'Tokyo Taxi' departed Carney Field in the evening of July 18 to attack the Kahili Airfield (Buin). Over the target area, it was shot down by a Japanese fighter and crashed about 15 km north of Buin. All 10 occupants were killed.
Crew (23rd BS):
1st Lt Rex A. Eckles, pilot,
2nd Lt David C. Jones, copilot,
Sgt Herbert J. Kelly, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Raymond H. Greene, assistant to flight engineer,
2nd Lt William H. Fox, navigator,
2nd Lt Richard H. Knop, bombardier,
Sgt Charles D. Savedge, radio operator,
Cpl William T. Davis, assistant to radio operator,
Cpl Edmund O. Hill, tail gunner.
Passenger:
Sgt Paul L. Hensley.

The airplane departed Rabaul-Vunakanau Airport in the early morning bound to Balalae Island with an intermediate stop in Lakunai to pick up passengers. The twin engine airplane was flying together with another Mitsubishi G4M and an escort of six Mitsubishi Zero. It departed Lakunai Airfield at 0610LT and while approaching the south of the Bougainville Island, the formation was attacked by a squadron of 12 USAAF P-38. The G4M was shot down and crashed into the sea off Moila Point, some 15 km southwest of Buin. Two passengers and the captain were found alive while all other occupants were killed, among them several high rank Navy Officers who were performing an inspection of the Japanese installations in the area of the Solomon Islands and were accompanying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto who was in the second airplane.
Crew (705th Kōkūtai):
F/O Hiroshi Hayashi, pilot,
Cdr Hiroaki Tanimura +6.
Passengers:
Vice-Admiral Matome Ugaki,
Cpt Motoharu Kitamura,
Cdr Rinji Tomoro,
Cdr Kaoru Imananka,
Cdr Suteji Muroi.

The airplane departed Rabaul-Vunakanau Airport in the early morning bound to Balalae Island with an intermediate stop in Lakunai to pick up passengers. The twin engine airplane was flying together with another Mitsubishi G4M and an escort of six Mitsubishi Zero. It departed Lakunai Airfield at 0610LT and while approaching the south of Bougainville Island, the formation was attacked by a squadron of 12 USAAF P-38. The G4M was shot down and crashed in a jungle located some 25 km north of Buin, killing all 12 occupants, among them Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and several high rank Navy Officers who were performing an inspection of the Japanese installations in the area of the Solomon Islands.
Crew (705th Kōkūtai):
W/O Takeo Koyani, pilot,
W/O Takeo Kotani, pilot,
F/S Akiharu Ozaki, copilot,
P/O Haruo Ueda, flight engineer,
P/O Nobuo Hara, radio operator,
P/O Minoru Tanaka, air gunner,
F/S Mitsuo Ueno, air gunner,
F/S Harumasa Kobayashi, air gunner.
Passengers:
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto,
Admiral Takata,
Cdr Kurio Toibana,
Cdr Noburu Fukusaki.