According to the narrator of this short news clip from the NHK collection dated January 26, 1944:
"On January 7 Mr. Subhas Chandra Bose arrived by aircraft to Burma. Another piece (in the chess game) for the liberation of Asia has been moved together with Japan. With Ba Maw, the two Heads of State are working to change the battle conditions in the Burma front. Mr. Bose feels in his heart that the day to advance to Delhi is coming close and he is visiting the Indian Citizen Army.
On the same day Capt. Lakshmi, the leader of Indian women, and others came to Burma and met with Prime Minister Ba Maw who congratulated them for their relocation to his country and pledged to defeat their common enemies. Prime Minister Tojo has also repeatedly pledged to give his support in the liberation of India. At long last the battlefield is moving to the Burma front."
Of interest is the Mitsubishi Ki-21-II Otsu "Sally" bomber Bose is travelling with. It is not an MC-20 or Ki-57 transport as it still has the glazed nose and no fuselage windows for the passengers. Note that the dorsal turret has been removed and faired over. Note also the heavy camouflage and the tail marking that could be of the headquarters section of the 5th Air Division (Hikoshidan Shireibu Hikohan).
2 comments:
Very interesting, George.
Does any other image exist of a "transport" Ki-21 and of the tail marking?
The Ki-21 used in the raid against US airfield in Okinawa is another example.
For the tail marking see "setting Suns" p. 12. I know I've seen better photo elsewhere but can't remember now.
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