Yet another video from the NHK collection. The date of this one is July 27, 1944 and features Nakajima Ki-44 "Shoki" of the 87th Sentai.
The narrator says:
"The day starts and ends with combat at the air base in the India-Burma border front. The pilot enjoys a modest and quick meal at the shadow of his beloved plane, during the short time between combat. There are no words to describe the hardship of the wild eagles flying in the areas where the enemy aircraft run wild. When the order to take off is given, the immediately respond and look for the enemy. Now in the India-Burma area it's the height of the rainy season and our fierce fight is becoming even more harder. On July 7 our Burma based air units attacked the enemy airfield of Myitkyina in North Burma. 23 P-40s, 16 transporters, a total of 39 enemy aircraft were destroyed.
When one unit returns from combat, immediately another unit is taking off and yet the faces of our courageous pilots are bright. Following fierce combat the wild eagle is talking dispassionately about his aerial encounter."
The 87th Sentai relocated from Sumatra's Gelumbang airfield, 50km from Palembang, to Meiktila in Burma to support the Operation U-go, the attack against Manipur in India, on May 8, 1944. The unit suffered heavy casualties with six dead and 3/4 of their operational aircraft and returned to Sumatra on May 27 to refit and recuperate. So this video was probably shot either during the time in Burma or in Sumatra. Note the monkey!
3 comments:
You never cease to surprise us with these wonderful finds.
Please keep looking. Maybe Floatplanes again soon. Thanks.
Wow! I hadn't known there was actual video of a Shoki that showed it had been armed with the caseless shell firing 40mm cannons!!!!! The very large fairings for the 40mm are plainly obvious- unfortunately it appears that the 40mm cannons have been removed and over-sized fairings retained (it's likely that the 12.7mm MG or 20mm cannons had been reinstalled at that point).
Also, the mini-doors and mechanism for the gear retraction mechanism are also visible behind the main-gear wheel wells. (I don't recall this important feature being modeled on the 1/72 Hasegawa Shoki I built as a youngster).
Such an awesome find!! Thank you!!
P.S.- are there any Japanese publications that show the workings/mechanism of the combat flap system of the Ki-44 & Ki-43?? Thx!
>P.S.- are there any Japanese publications that show the workings/mechanism of the combat flap system of the Ki-44 & Ki-43?? Thx!
- Do you have the relative Maru Mechanic titles or the Model Art Profile #5?
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