I was recently going through the Japanese propaganda videos dubed in Indonesian found in the Dutch archives. One video showcasing the "power of the Japanese Air Force" features a collection of short clips. Among them there is some really short footage of a Fiat BR.20 "Cicogna" operated by an IJAAF "jubakutai" (heavy bomber unit).
Although really very short, this is the only footage of a BR.20 in Japanese service I know of. Obviously the original would have included additional material, but regrettably, I believe it's unlikely it will ever surface.
According to the Japanese Wikipedia:
In 1938, 85 units of the late-model BR.20 were exported to the Imperial Japanese Army and deployed in the Second Sino-Japanese War under the designation "I-shiki" (Type I) Heavy Bomber. The aircraft served as an interim measure pending the introduction of the Type 97 Heavy Bomber [Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally"]; by the time the Type 97 was deployed to the front lines, stocks of Italian-standard bombs and spare parts had been exhausted, leading to the aircraft's withdrawal from frontline service. Nevertheless, the Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm machine guns with which the aircraft was equipped proved invaluable to the Army's development of its own aircraft machine gun, the Ho-103.
Type I Heavy Bomber (Fiat BR.20) flown by the 1st Chutai of the 98th Sentai.
Type I Heavy Bomber (Fiat BR.20) flown by the 1st Chutai of the 12th Sentai.
(Photo Tanaka Shoichi via Jun Oizumi)
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