Crash of an R3D-2 on an island off the Australian coast on 31 January 1942

CRASH OF AN R3D-2
ON AN ISLAND OFF THE AUSTRALIAN COAST
ON 31 JANUARY 1942

visits since 25 November 2010

R3D-2 (a variant of a DC-5), BuNo 1904, msn 609 is widely reported on the internet has having crashed on an island off the Australian coast after being shot down by a Japanese submarine on 31 January 1942. However a few sources claim that it was destroyed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Does anyone have documentary proof as to the actual fate of this aircraft?

R3D-2 #609 was delivered to US Marine Corps (USMC) on 11 September 1940 and was assigned to Marine Utility Squadron Two (VMJ-2) at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, in the Territory of Hawaii. VMJ-2 was redesignated as VMJ-252 on 1 July 1941. The aircraft was reportedly transferred to the Pacific area shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack.

The R3D-2 is a military version of the DC-5 built for the US Marine Corps as 22-seat paratrooper version. Only four R3D-2s were built. R3D-2 was apparently stricken from inventory on 31 January 1942. # 610, #611 and #612 were all retired in October 1946.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Joe Baugher and Geoffrey Luck for their assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

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