The following are Pasages from Japanese Naval Aces and Fihter Units in World War II
p.43
" on the 24th , the Shokaku particapated in the Sceond battle of the Solomons ( The battle of the Eastern Solomons)." after this battle in which only one Zero was lost she dispatched " Fifteen Zero Fighters to Buka Base from 28th of Augast through 4th of september, they were used in the daily atack on Guadalcanal."
They were operating A6M3's.
At this same thie p49:
Planes from the Zuikaku(A6M3's)
"From 28th of Augast through 4 September 30 carier fighters of the 1st Carier Divishion proceaded to Buka Island. The Unit particapated in a Number of attacks on Guadalcanal; Fifteen Aircraft under the comand of LT Hidaka also Participated."
So with group from the Shokaku, that brings the total to 60 A6M3's operating out of Buka at this time.
Later:
p.50
" the squadron (Zuikaku Fighter Squadron) then In January Moved to Buin"
P. 150
"Lt. Kofukuda, led eighteen aircraft, guided by two land atack planes and advanced to Rabaul on 1 Augast; all jis aircraft arrived safely....In early september, the advanced detachament of the 6th air group sortied in atacks aganst Rabi, Port Morsby, and Guadalcanal. With the compleation of the airfield at Buin the detchament moved in and provided direct civer for the 6th Cruser Divishion Warships....the main force of the 6th Air Groupe consisting of 27 Aircraft arived at Rabaul on 7th october, soon after the entire group moved to Buin."
The 6th air group was reorganised and renamed the 204th airgroup in October.
p.151
"Air group 204 contunied to use Buin as it's Base; duties were atacking Guadalcanal, providing air cover for Guadalcanal reinforcement convoys, air defense in the Buin area....Fighter untis that were active in the -same area were the 252,253,582nd, at one point even the fighter Squadron aboard the Hiyo particapated in the Guadalcanal operation, in many cases these fighter units would particapate in large scal actions operating in unison"
Air Grope 252:
p.114
"by 9th of Novemebr they had advanced to rabaul. Over the perioud of almost 5 months untill Febuary or March 43, it particapated in the fierce aerial battles going on in the south east at this time. The Baptism of fire was during an atack on Guadalcanal on the 11th, with the coordination of Air group 253 and Air group 582...next day on the 12 they escorted torpedo bombers to guadalcanal"
These were A6M2's operating out of Rabaul.
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