This is part one of a b/w NARA video, spotted in the "Showakan Digital Archive" by "Shu".
It's a long video and due to blogger video size limitations, it will be presented in small parts.
The beginning of the video features a farrago (new word I learned today) of Japanese Army aircraft getting burned in Kumagaya airfield.
The one in the background on the left with the "snake pattern" camouflage is a Mitsubishi Ki-109 Interceptor with the huge 75mm Type 88 Cannon.
It's this aircraft (photo from Wikipedia)
According to Japanese sources, it's the first prototype with dorsal turret and fuselage blisters. The video confirms the absence of any form of tail marking but frustratingly, the dorsal turret is not visible.
In the foreground on the right of the above still, is another Ki-109 and at least one of the burning aircraft is a Tachikawa Ki-54 "Hickory".
Seems like an effing waste. Why set metal aircraft afire to create junk, rather than scrapping them and re-using the metal?
ReplyDeleteThe way these aircraft were destroyed has always seemed to be very deliberately spiteful. All that metal could've been properly scrapped/melted down to help in the rebuilding process.
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