This was originally going to be the default Betty. However I changed my mind as the brown and green scheme, which was originally designed for operations over China, was only in production for the first six months or so of the Pacific war. So I figured the all green scheme would be more in keeping with most scenarios.
This particular aircraft is F-348 from the 4th Kokutai based in Rabaul in February 1942 and was flown by the group's CO Lt Cdr. Takuzo Ito. On the 20th the 4th Kokutai were ordered to attack the USS Lexington. The mission was a disaster for the Japanese. They had to use bombs as their torpedoes had yet to be delivered to Rabaul. There was also no fighter escort available as the Zeroes' drop tanks hadn't been delivered either. The G4M1s were badly mauled by the USN fighter CAP and did no damage to the enemy ships. During the bomb run F-348 had its left hand engine blown clear off by Lt Edward "Butch" O'Hare's F4F-3. Lt Cdr Ito somehow managed to recover the aircraft from the resultant spin and attempted to crash his crippled bomber into the Lexington. However the combined AA of the Lexington and her escorts shot him down half a mile short of his target.
