The Case:
History Detectives’ first ever Hawaii story takes us to the island of Ni’ihau, the backdrop for a fascinating tale often overshadowed by the enormity of the raid on Pearl Harbor.
This investigation hinges on two engine parts. Our contributor got the parts from his father who served as an army mechanic in Hawaii during World War II. His father said the parts came from a Japanese fighter plane that crash-landed on Ni’ihau during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The pilot survived, but held island residents hostage, setting the stage for a drama of terror and heroism.
History Detectives gains unprecedented access to the “Forbidden Island” to conduct this extraordinary investigation.
More Information
Pacific Aviation Museum
319 Lexington Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96818-5004
(808) 441-1000
Ni'ihua Naval Report
Read an excerpt of the Naval report from 1942 that describes the crash of the Japanese plane on the island of Ni'ihua and subsequent events.
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