Technical Air Intelligence Unit

A Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service made a forced landing in June 1942 on Akutan Island, off Alaska.

The aircraft (known later as the "Akutan Zero") was recovered by the USN and shipped to NAS North Island, California, where it was repaired and made a number of test flights to determine its performance and capabilities.

In order to consolidate and co-ordinate these different operations, the Technical Air Intelligence Unit was formed, based in Hangar 7 at the RAAF/USAAF Eagle Farm Airbase, in Brisbane, Australia, during November 1942.

In late 1943 the aircraft was shipped to the United States aboard the escort carrier Copahee, and sent to Wright Field where it was flown and evaluated.

[5] Further success came in late December 1943, when US Marines captured the airfield at Cape Gloucester on the north coast of New Britain, finding many wrecks and several nearly intact aircraft.

[1] One of the biggest problems faced by the TAIU teams was Allied troops, who commonly stripped enemy aircraft for "souvenirs".

The TAIU had to recruit local men to cut a trail to the crash site with machetes, and then carry out the engine on a cradle woven from tree bark.

[5] A joint RAF/USAAF unit, known as the TAIU for South East Asia (ATAIU-SEA) was formed in Calcutta in late 1943, and disbanded at Singapore in 1946.

However, lack of funds, storage space and interest meant that only six aircraft were restored, flown and evaluated by the Army and only two by the Navy.

A Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Oscar") (often confused with the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" ) flying over Brisbane, Australia in 1943. The Ki-43 was reconstructed from several captured aircraft, by the Technical Air Intelligence Unit (TAIU), at Hangar 7 at Eagle Farm, Brisbane.
Japanese Mitsubishi J2Ms with ATAIU-SEA markings in flight over British Malaya in December 1945, during evaluation by Royal Air Force officers from RAF Seletar .
A6M2 (left) and A6M5 Zero in Malaya being tested and evaluated by Japanese pilots under the supervision of RAF officers. The A6M5's cockpit survives today at the Imperial War Museum Duxford . [ 4 ]
Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton , Ohio. This aircraft was found near Kavieng on New Ireland , Papua New Guinea, and probably operated by the 6th Kokutai (Squadron) and later by the 253rd Kokutai . It is painted to represent a section leader's aircraft from the aircraft carrier Zuihō during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943. [ 6 ]
One Aichi B7A Ryusei tested for the ATAIU-SEA.