Aichi E13A "Jake", Saeki Kokutai 愛知 E13A 零式水上偵察機, 佐伯海軍航空隊 - video

Although the tail markings on most seaplanes are not visible, on the trailer of one of them the katakana "サヘ" can be seen confirming that the unit is the Saeki Kokutai.

The Saeki Kokutai, tail marking "サヘ" (SaHe), was established on December 1, 1934, under the Kure Naval District, dedicated to patrolling the Bungo Channel, where ships sail from Kure Naval Port to the Pacific Ocean.

Initially, it was equipped with various types of bombers. On June 5, 1943, a US submarine entered the Bungo Channel, and two planes from the unit bombed it. After that incident, there were frequent encounters with submarines in the area, and the unit engaged in anti-submarine sweeps, including preemptive bombing and guiding surface ships.

On January 1, 1944, the unit dispatched its bombers in preparation for the establishment of the 931st Kokutai, and was reorganized with 32 floatplanes in its strength.

Around September, Kyushu Q1W "Tokai" (Lorna) anti-submarine aircraft and flying boats were introduced to improve patrol capabilities.

On December 22, "Operation S1" (anti-submarine sweeps in the East China Sea area) was launched. Three floatplanes, four flying boats, and six "Tokais" participated under the command of the Sasebo Naval District Force.

From March 18, 1945, air raids against Saeki Airfield commenced.

On March 27, "Operation Ten-go" was launched. SaekiKu performed forward patrols and anti-submarine sweeps in preparation for battleship Yamato's departure. Similar missions were conducted when the operation was carried out on April 6.

On June 1, "Tokai" and flying boat squadrons were reorganized as independent floatplane squadrons.

The clip is dated June 25, 1945, so we're not sure if this is stock futage or what mission the unit is engaged in.

Illustration by Nohara Shigeru featured in FAOW#47.

Of special interest are markings featured on some (not all) "Jake" floatplanes, consisting of a thick white (I think) line starting from the cockpit side and extending on the wing, perhaps to help during formation flying.

Another interesting detail is the repetition of the individual seaplane's number on the cowling lip.

Note the Kato Tractor we discussed in previous posts.

In this still we can make out the tail marking of one more "Jake; "サヘ-38". All Japanese sources mention that only the floatplanes equipped with jikitanchiki (磁気探知機, "Magnetic Detector") had a yellow band on the tail; however, curiously, in this still, "SaHe-38" doesn't seem to be equipped with MAD.

The "Jakes" that were assigned to anti-submarine duties were split into two "groups": the "detectors" with MAD and the "killers" with bombs. When the "detectors" spotted a submarine the "killers" started attacking. Perhaps both groups in SaekiKu had yellow bands on their tail.

Nakajima Type 91 fighter, Aikoku #84 & #86 - 中島 九一式戦闘機, 愛国号 #84, #86 - video

On May 7, 1933, in the Parade Ground in Joto, Osaka, three Nakajima Type 1 Fighters were donated to the IJAAF; Aikokugo #84, #86 and #87. The donors were Tamura Komajiro, "Osaka Prefecture, City, and other industry-related parties" and the "Osaka Association of Honmon Butsuryū" respectively.

In the clip we can see the donation ceremony of #84 and #86 taking place with the Shinto Priest permorming a Harai Ceremony before the two pilots are taking the fighters for a spin.

2025

2025, the year of the snake

White snakes are known as particularly auspicious creatures. They are considered messengers of Benzaiten, who is believed to bring fortune and prosperity.

明けましておめでとうございます。
今年もよろしくお願いします。
ARAWASI　Facebookにたくさんの方々が来てくれてくれて本当に嬉しく思っています。皆様のコメントなどに続ける力をもらっています。これからもARAWASIをお願いいたします。

This year our FB page reached 10K followers! A big thank you to all of you who contributed, left a message or even a thumbs-up that encouraged us so much.

As always, a HUGE "thank you" to our good friends:
Sinang Aribowo, James Boyd, Devlin Chouinard, Jan Kaňov, Zygmunt Szeremeta, Eric Vogel, as well as Kevin Bade, Jean Barby and Harold K. Also to: Kevin Watanabe, Patrice Fresnel, Michael Thurow, Lukáš Ondák and everybody else who supported us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5gQSfUywas

COMIKET 2024, Winter

Yesterday, we had great time at the Comiket. Too busy with many visitors and sold-out all the Arawasi publications we brought along (YEAH!). Very special thanks to our good friend "Sayabu-san".

Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia", unidentified unit markings 九九軍偵, 分からない部隊マーク

九九軍偵の尾翼マークからどんな部隊か分かりますか？
Can you identify the units of these "Sonias" with the undocumented tail markings?

The location in the photo above, is said to be the Kanemaruhara Airfield in Tochigi Prefecture. Note that the aircraft next to the second from the left with a tail marking or fifth from the front, has the very old style canopy that opened sideways. 場所は金丸原飛行場です。

"Rising Decals" has included decals for the previous badly destroyed Ki-51 in its "Unknown and Less Known Units" set.

Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia" In Action, tokkotai/shimbutai (special attack units) 九九軍偵, 特攻隊/振武隊, 大村 - video

ビデオの軍偵の部隊わかりますか？

尾翼の漢字は何書いているだろう？
A short color (not colorized) video, shot at Omura airfield in Nagasaki Prefecture after the end of the War, features a Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia" of an unknown unit. The skull and crossbones tail marking or similar patterns were common among tokko units.
A photo of another "Sonia" from the same unit can be found in our Eagle Eye #1, p.55.

"Rising Decals" has included decals for an aircraft of this unit in their set "Flight of no return" in 1/72.

Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia" In Action in China 1944, 九九軍偵 一号作戦, 長沙衡陽作戦 - video

From April 1944 until December of the same year, the IJA launched "Operation Ichi-Go" with the main goal to capture air bases in southeast China from which American bombers were attacking the Japanese homeland and shipping. A part of this operation was the Campaign of Changsha-Hengyang during which the attached video, dated July 6, 1944, from the NHK collection was shot.
It features a flight of Mitsubishi Ki-51 Assault Aircraft flying over the Chinese mainland with the narator explaining that they take part in the Battle of Changsha. 
Three "Sonia" equipped IJAAf units took part in this operation; the 6th Sentai, the 44th Sentai and the 54th Dokuritsu Chutai (Independent Company).

A tail marking is no visible on this aircraft so we can't say with certainty which unit it belonged to. Prior to and in preparation for the operation, the 5th Air Army responsible for the air operations at that time and place, was receiving 50 aircraft per month and the flight crews in China had to go to Japan to fly them back to their Chinese bases. So, perhaps what we see in the video are newly arrived aircraft on a training flight over China just before the begining of the "Ichi-Go Operation".

The 54th Sentai used a small hinomaru for its tail marking, so perhaps the "Sonias" in the video belonged to that unit.

The NHK collection includes a second video featuring Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia" active during the "Operation Ichi-Go", and more specifically, the Changsha-Hengyang Campaign, and this one is dated August 3, 1944.

The three "Sonia" equipped IJAAf units, the 6th Sentai with 18 Ki-51s, the 44th Sentai with 11 Ki-51s and 14 Tachikawa Ki-36s "Ida" as well as the 54th Dokuritsu Chutai (Independent Company) with about a dozen aircraft (mixed Ki-51s and Ki-36s?), formed the Provisional Air Units within the 5th Air Army. They were based in Pailochi airfield (present-day Bailuqi?), northeast of Yueyang, and Xiangtan Airfield and 

"they were assigned the mission of cooperating directly with the Eleventh Army. They did cooperate closely with the front line divisions in locating the enemy and also acted as liaison between the different ground units during the intervals between enemy attacks.

At first the Provisional Air Unit used Puchi and Pailochi airfields but, with the development of the operation, it advanced to Changsha and Xiangtan. As soon as the Army occupied Hengyang airfield, the Air Unit, disregarding the strong enemy resistance still in the streets of Hengyang and the fact that the field was still under enemy fire, landed and closely cooperated with the Army in the battle of Hengyang.

At all times, this air unit advanced to airfields as close to the front line as possible and closely cooperated with ground operations." 

 

In the clip the Ki-51s do not seem to have any clear unit markings but small hinomarus on the tail are sometimes barely visible. If this is true then this would mean that they belong to the 44th Sentai.

In the background we can probably see Dongting Lake and this would mean that the planes in the clip were operating from Pailochi Airfield.

Questions about Ishibashi's Spad

プラモデルを作りたい人が聞いてる質問は、
石橋氏の飛行機の色は何色でしょうか？
また、写真の黄色の丸の部分は何でしょう？
Ishibashi Katsumi was a star pilot in Japan in the 1920s. After serving in the French Army as a flying officer in WWI, he returned to Japan and on August 25, 1920, bought three Spad XIIIs. At a cost of 11,700 Yen, the purchase went through the French Embassy and the three aircraft were on board the Russian warship "Maguryov" which had taken refuge at the end of the war in the Japanese port of Moji in the strait between Kyushu and Honshu. Ishibashi shipped the aircraft to the Nihon Hikoki Seisakusho (later Nakajima Aeroplane Co) hangars at Ojima Airfield near the Ohta factory. 
In November 1920, Ishibashi took part in the Second Airmail Competition from Osaka to Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurume ). The event was spensored by the Imperial Aviation Asociation and coming in first place, Ishibashi won the first prize of 11,000 Yen. During that competition, Ishibashi flew a Spad registered a J-TAEF. His other two Spads were registered J-TAFG and J-TAST.
Unfortunately, on August 18, 1921, a fire in the hangar destroyed all three of them. 
Undaunted, Ishibashi built his own version of the type by using salvaged parts and manufacturing drawings. Unable to replace the 220hp Hispano-Suiza engine, he bought a 180hp Hispano as a substitute. A larger fuel tank was installed in the under-fuselage of this single-seat aeroplane to extend the range for his planned competitions. This gave the aeroplane a much fatter appearance than the standard SPAD XIII.

Our good friend Yannis Trypitsis is asking:
"Regarding the plane's overall exterior color, is it: a) natural linen dope, b) very light green dope we meet on other Japanese planes of that period, or c) aluminum dope???
There is also a device or case of some sort (visible in the photos) attached to the right cabane struts, which I cannot guess what it may be.

Do other enthusiasts from the group, have any further information on that airplane?"

I would also add, does anyone know more about the "Russian warship "Maguryov" that we cannot seem to locate on the net?
The two attached photos are from the collection of the "Japan Aeronautic Association".

Answer

A flight of Yokosho (Yokosuka) E1Y seaplanes. 

Correctly identified by David Brizzard and Marcus Z.

Here's a collection of photos of past posts and a few new ones.

A Navy Type 14-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane or Yokosho E1Y3 powered by a Lorraine-Dietrich 3 engine of the Kasumigaura Kokutai. The seaplanes in the clip were probably from the same unit.

A Takuma Kokutai E1Y3. 102 were built by Aichi between 1931-1934. It has a 4-blade propeller and a 450hp Lorraine 3 engine.

Two photos of a Yokosho E1Y probably an E1Y2 belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai. Note the two blade propeller.

Photos from a vintage publication of a Navy Type 14-3 Reconnaissance seaplane or Yokosuka E1Y3, carried aboard the battleship "Kongo" as indicated by the katakana on the tail and fuselage.

Note also the beautifully colourised photo on top.

Bottom, is an early photo of the same seaplane without the red tail seen in the middle photo.

Yokosho E1Y Hokoku #6

Donated by citizens of Aichi Prefecture on July 10, 1932.

A photo of one of the experimental versions, the Yokosho E1Y2-D or Type 14 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model Kai-1-D. It was a completely different design than the rest of the E1Y series and was basically the prototype for the Type 90-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane or Kawanishi E5Y. Main differences were the Jupiter Model F8 450hp engine, installed for the first time, the extensive use of steel piping and the installation of a ventral machine gun position.

Data

Engine: Jupiter F-8, 450hp air cooled radial 9-cylinder

Hp during take-off: 520

Propeller: wood, fixed pitch, 2-4 blades, diameter: 3.55m

Span: 14.50m

Length: 10.552m

Height: 4.10m

Wing area: 55.00sqm

Weight: 1,800kg

Load: 1,200kg

Fully equipped: 3,000kg

Wing load: 54.5sqm

Power loading: 6.67kg/hp

Max speed: 96kt

Cruising speed: 70kt

After the Yokosho (Yokosuka) E1Y Reconnaissance Seaplanes were retired from service with the IJNAF, a number was released to civilian operators and some of them were converted to carry three to four passenger while the pilot still remained in the open cockpit. They were usually used for sightseeing, commercial or photo flights and others.

One such converted E1Y1 was operated by Nihonkai Koku Kaisha (Japan Sea Air Company) and received the civilian registration J-BEHH. The attached photo, is quite rare. Note the overall blue colour of the fuselage.

The "Japan Sea Air" was a very small airline founded in July 1931 by the major of Kinosaki, Hyogo prefecture Nakajima Kyutaro(?) and operated at least two aircraft one Mitsubishi MC-1 equipped with floats flying from Kinosaki to Osaka and later from Kinosaki to Matsue, Shimane prefecture and the converted E1Y1. The airline merged with other smaller ones to form Dai Nippon Koku (Imperial Japanese Airways).

In the 1942 movie "Nankai no hanataba" (Japanese title: 南海の花束, English title: Bouquet in the Southern Seas), a Yokosuka E1Y of Nippon Hikoki K.K., registration J-BFHJ, appears briefly.

A second Yokosuka E1Y, registration J-BFHA, also makes a brief appearance, with a Kawanishi E7K1 facing the camera.

AFAIK Choroszy is the only model manufacturer that has released kit(s) of this Japanese seaplane type.

Quiz

Can you identify the type of these Japanese seaplanes taking off and flying in amazing precision in this short clip taken in 1934?

この昭和９年（1934年）の映像に出てくる飛行機は、どんな水上機でしょうか？