Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I te Hōngongoi 1942, i tohua a Lieutenant Kofukuda hei "Hikōtaichō" o te 6th Air Group, i whakaarohia hei whare hoia mo Midway Island engari mai i te wa i riro ai a Japan i a ia
kāore i taea te hopu i a Midway. I taua wa i tu te waahanga ki Kisarazu i Hapani ka whakahaua kia neke ki Rabaul i New Britain i te 21 o Akuhata. I arahi a Lieutenant Kofukuda i te rererangi rererangi 5,000-kilomita mo te 18 nga kaiwhaiwhai Zero mai i Japan ki Rabaul ma nga motu motu (Iwo Jima, Saipan, Truk me Kavieng), kaore ano kia kitea mo te rererangi kotahi-noho i taua wa.