The fourth set, again from the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, was taken during a stop of the USS Barnes at Alameda, California. Note the women and children and what I can see as girl scouts among the aircraft.
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| photo #19 |
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| photo #20 |
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| photo #21 |
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| photo #22 |
In front of the Nakajima J5N "Tenrai" (a/c number 1) is another Mitsubishi Ki-46-III "Dinah" which will be a/c number 30.
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| photo #23 |
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| photo #24 |
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| photo #25 |
That looks like the Bay Bridge in the background in the second and third photos, so I would guess that these photographs were taken in the harbor by Alameda Naval Air Station.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Brendan McGovern
Perhaps two of our Georges are Franks? But I couldn't identify any - all that I see have 4 wing cannons. Another possibility is that Mikesh was mistaken about Franks vs. Georges on the USS Barnes.
ReplyDeleteThe plane number 19 doasn't look for me like a standard Shiden. Specialy at the photo number 24 where it is good visible. The engine cowling of this plane is much to rounded. It look rader like ZERO cowling. But the airplane is not a zero....
ReplyDeleteIn this cowling the lower air intake is lacking or (les visible). And the top air intake looks a litle different for me, than in a standard George. The cowling splits into two parts on the sides at the center .... and in the standard George there is not such a line....
This plane looks like this one in that picture:
https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/japanese-fighters-training-aircrafts.29832/page-2#lg=post-809856&slide=4
And I think it could be a protype of later version. Maybe N1K4 or even K5J but this is less probable...
Thank you George, a very interesting series of articles.
ReplyDeleteI've got a few comments:
1) Looking through my copy of Broken Wings of Samurai, on page 117 it has 2 entries for the George totalling 6 aircraft:
N1K1-J George - 2 - 7287,7317.
N1K2-J George - 4 - 71,533,5218,5341.
I believe, so far, four aircraft have been identified in the photos, no's 4,6,8 & 19.
2) Looking in the foreground of photos 20 & 22 there is a starboard wing of a twin engined aircraft that hasn't been identified. Looking at the wing/cockpit features and ship's inventory I believe it must be the other J5N Tenrai.
The Nick, Lily, Frances, Lorna, Irving, Ki-102 & Dinah have all been identified elsewhere on the deck.
3) I'm guessing that other missing aircraft from the inventory would have been stored below deck, assuming they fitted on the elevator platforms.
Richard
Thank you very much Richard. My bad. Too tired from spending hours looking at the photos trying to identify the planes.
ReplyDeleteThank you also zegeye for the input. Yes, indeed, it is a confusing plane!
And thank you Brendan for identifying the location. So, chronologically Alameda should be placed before Panama. I can't reverse the posts but I will change their number.
Thank you all! Very glad you liked this series.