Yokohama Air Group History . The Yokohama Air Group was formed in Yokohama , Japan on October 1 , 1936 as a patrol unit equipped with six Navy Type 91 Hiro H4H flying boat s . On December 1 , 1941 it was re - equipped with 24 Navy Type 97 Kawanishi H6K flying boat s and assigned to support Japanese IJN 4th Fleet operations in the central Pacific as part of the 24th Air Flotilla . Wake Island operations . Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor , and start of hostilities against the United States , Japanese forces attempted to seize strategically located Wake Island . The initial Japanese landing attempts were repelled by the island ’ s United States Marine Corps defenders before the Japanese troops were able to land , with the loss of the Japanese destroyers and . In response the Japanese sent two Kawanishi H6K ’ s on a reconnaissance flight from their forward operating base at Majuro , arriving at Wake at 0500 hours on December 12 . Each plane dropped four 250 - kg and twelve 60 - kg bombs , but one was shot down by a USMC Grumman F4F Wildcat . This mission was followed by a second night sortie of ten Kawanishi H6K ’ s launched from Wotje , of which half turned back due to various mechanical difficulties before reaching their target . The remaining five aircraft ineffectually bombed Wake , with damage limited by poor visibility . On December 15 , a third sortie was attempted with seven Kawanishi H6K ’ s launched from Wotje , of which six reached their targets at 1730 hours , each dropping four 250 - kg and twelve 60 - kg bombs and returning to Wotje without losses . A final mission was undertaken by eight aircraft on December 18 , arriving over Wake at 1752 hours and dropping a total of five 250 - kg and seventy - eight 60 - kg bombs , encountering little opposition . Wake Island surrendered to Japan on December 23 . Southwest Pacific operations . On February 14 , 1942 , a detachment of seven Kawanishi H6K ’ s was sent to Rabaul , New Britain and assigned to the 25th Air Flotilla , where they conducted reconnaissance and bombing missions in support of Japanese offensives in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands . On April 1 , 1942 the unit gained twelve Navy Type 2 Nakajima A6M2 - N fighter seaplanes , which were tasked with defending Japanese bases in the same area from Allied bombing raids from June 2 , 1942 . The Yokohama Air Group also established small detachments at forward bases at Buin and the Shortland Islands , as well as a large detachment at Tulagi in May 1942 . All was quiet during the month of June . On July 9 , the unit ’ s fighters intercepted two USAAF B - 24 Liberator bombers on a reconnaissance mission , and shot down one of them . The was followed by the successful downing of a USAAF B - 17 Flying Fortress on July 17 , and again on July 23 , but with the loss of one A6M2 - N fighter . On August 1 , in a major engagement , six A6M2 - N fighters intercepted a flight of seven B - 17s , damaging three but failing to down any aircraft . This was followed by twelve separate engagements the following day , with both sides claiming unconfirmed victories . During the Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu – Tanambogo on August 7 , aircraft from the aircraft carrier dive - bombed Japanese installations on Tulagi , Gavutu , Tanambogo , and Florida Island and strafed and destroyed 15 Yokohama seaplanes floating in the anchorages near the islands . Several of the seaplanes were warming their engines in preparation for takeoff and were lost with their aircrews and many of their support personnel . The survivors , commanded by Captain Shigetoshi Miyazaki , joined the detachment of the 3rd Kure Special Naval Landing Force ( SNLF ) and fought as infantry until they were annihilated to the last man . On October 1 , 1942 , the remainder of the unit which had not been deployed to Tulagi returned to Japan and were re - equipped with sixteen Navy Type 2 Kawanishi H8K flying boats . On November 1 , 1942 the flying unit was redesignated as the 801 Air Group .