I have kind of an interesting question that I was hopeing someone here might be able to answer for me.  For quite sometime now, my father has been asking me if it is possible to look up the registration numbers found on the tail of a Japanese aircraft and find some information about it.  He has this photo that his father took during his time in the South Pacific (I believe it was at Guadalcanal but it may have been the Solomon Islands, Philippines, New Guinea) of a Japanese A6M Zero that his platoon shot down with rifle and machine gun fire (I believe it was trying to strafe them).  Anyway, the numbers on the tail are clearly visible as it floated in a lagoon where it crashed.  All I know is it is a standard looking white painted Zero and that the pilot was killed.  This photo was taken three days after the plane was shot down and had remained afloat that entire time.  The numbers visible on the tail are 1130 and it has the typical red circle and a red stripe on the fuslage. 

I'm interested in any information that anyone might be able to find out or point me in the direct of.  I doubt I'll be able to find anything specific out about this plane, but maybe I can figure out what unit it was with or anything else about it.  But any information would be great.

If you can get a date the photo was taken, and a location, you can cross reference it the IJN losses that day (or three days ago, whichever). You may also be able to find Ship Diaries (I don't know if the Japs kept them) but they will record pilots killed and aircraft shot down.

A.