Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily", 8 Sentai / Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally", 14 Sentai - video

Another NHK video, dated December 18, 1942, featuring Kawasaki Ki-48s from the 8th Sentai. The narrator explains that now that the rain season is over the bombers have resumed their missions against the British in India. The base is very close to the border and the planes while in-flight can see the mountains of Arakan below them.

Note the 14 Sentai Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" taking off before the "Lilies".

 

 

 

We tried to pinpoint the exact date and location and the best we could come up with was December 5 when the 8th and the 14th Sentai were ordered to relocate to the airfield of Taungoo in Burma since enemy ships were located in the bay of Chittagong the previous day and they were ordered to attack them. It seems though that only the 14 Sentai bombed Chittagong on that day escorted by fighters from the 50 and 64 Sentai. The 8 Sentai relocated to Heho airfield on that day.. 

 

Below are some stills from this unfortunately too dark movie.

 

 

Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa", 25 & 33 Sentai - video

Another NHK video today dated June 16, 1943, featuring Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" fighters.

We posted a similar video a few years back, here, from the net (now the link's gone) while we were preparing to attend the Shizuoka show; so, not much info there. Allow me to repost the stills and what we have discovered.

 

 

 

 

The narrator mentions that the target of their attack was the city of Lingling in the Hunan Province.
Although the date of the video release is a bit too close to the event I believe it shows an attack dated June 10, 1943.
According to Monograph No. 76 "Air Operations in the China Area", on that day:

"At 15:25, 16 light bombers from the 90th Sentai, eight Ki-43s from the 25th Sentai and 19 Ki-43s from the 33rd Sentai attacked the air base at Hengyang and bombed five aircraft on the ground. This force also engaged about ten P-40s in the air, shooting down and destroying five of them."

Hakans, here, adds that:
 "Ten P-40s from the 23rd Fighter Group (US) intercepted about 25 aircraft over Hengyang between 13:15-13:45. The 74th FS claimed one enemy bomber shot down."

This information is confirmed as correct as according to "Shenshi Shosho #74 one 90 Sentai "Lily" was lost on that day.

The problem with the location mentioned in the video and shown in the map is explained as the US air forces were based in the three cities of Kweilin (present day Guilin) - Hengyang - Lingling District in Hunan, and the Japanese attacked and engaged with US aircraft in the general area of all three. Unfortunately I was unable to confirm the five or any at all P-40s shot down on that day. If you have something, do share.
 

 

Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" & more - video

Another video from the NHK collection, dated November 2, 1944, featuring in the first part a visit by Admiral Toyoda Soemu to front line units. According to Wikipedia:

"After the death of Admiral Mineichi Koga, Toyoda was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet on 3 May 1944. In June of the same year, he drafted and implemented "Plan A-Go" which resulted in the decisive defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy under the command of Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He followed with "Plan Sho-Go", which again resulted in another major defeat at the Battle of Surigao Strait. Toyoda was aware that both plans were major gambles, but as the Imperial Japanese Navy fleet was running out of fuel and other critical supplies, he felt that the potential gain offset the risk of losing a fleet that was about to become useless in any event. In the end, however, Toyoda's aggressive defencive strategy did not pay off. Nonetheless, Toyoda continued with the same strategy, approving "Plan Ten-Go" to send the battleship Yamato on its one-way final mission to Okinawa."

 

In the second part the narration mentions that on October 24 the enemy combined fleet was spotted in the east Philippines and the "Pacific War has become really serious." The "Sea Wild Eagles" (Umi no Arawasi) take off one after another. Ironically the narrator says that "they take off with the determination not to return alive from their mission (unless they are successful)".

 

The "Betty" Admiral Toyoda is getting on is a G4M2A Model 24. Note the antenna of the Type 3 Air Mark 6 Model 4 Airborne Ship-Search Radar (H6 Airborne Ship-Search Radar) (N6 Airborne Ship-Search Radar) on the fuselage side.

Did you notice the Zero and the Showa L2D transport?

 

Japanese Aviation SIG Scale ModelWorld 2018 #7

Below is a photo with four Japanese, Gary Wenko in the middle and Paul Bebbington on the right.  They are a group of retired men in or around Tokyo who formed a modelling club, Silver Wing and brought with them a display to Scale ModelWorld. They are really a good group.

 

Below are the names of the winners of the three awards we have from the Japanese Aviation SIG.

Award for the Best Model of a Japanese Aviation Subject in the Halls: 

Mike Thompson, Night Fighter SiG, 1/48 J1N1 Gekko 'Irving' 

In the photo are Paul Bebbington, Mike Thompson and Gary Wenko

 

Meisei "Honour" Award - The Dennis Earth Memorial Trophy (for the best hand painted model of a Japanese aviation subject) 
[a joint presentation by the Japanese Aviation SIG and Fenland IPMS and Spalding Scale Model Club]

Phil Hughes, Wirral Scale Model Club, 1/72 Ki-27 Nate

In the photo are Mike Condra, Phil Hughes, Gary Wenko and Bill Pickering

Winner of the JASIG Trophy in the IPMS (UK) Competition

Tze Lim, 1/72 JASDF F-15J

Thanks a lot Gary for all the wonderful photos and presentation. Much appreciated!

Japanese Aviation SIG Scale ModelWorld 2018 #6

The photos below are of the JASIG display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Japanese Aviation SIG Scale ModelWorld 2018 #5

 

 

 

 

 

Japanese Aviation SIG Scale ModelWorld 2018 #4