Mitsubishi C5M "Babs", 12th Kokutai 九八式陸上偵察機, 第十二海軍航空隊 - video

A small clip from the 1942 movie "Umiwashi" (Wild Sea Eagles) showcases a Mitsubishi C5M2 "Babs," the IJNAF version of the Army's Army Type 97 Command Reconnaissance aircraft Ki-15, flown by the 12th Kokutai as indicated by the number "3" on the tail, which operated a small number of this aircraft type for reconnaissance missions.

Brief unit history.

On 7 July 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident erupted, leading to military clashes between Japan and China and the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Just four days after the incident, on the 11th, the Navy decided to dispatch six aviation units to the continent. The First Combined Air Group, responsible for strategic bombing, was composed of the Kisarazu Naval Air Group and the Kagoshima Naval Air Group. Two air groups tasked with air superiority and two air groups responsible for reconnaissance were organised into the ‘Second Combined Air Group’ .

The 12th Kokutai was formed on July 11, 1937, by selecting 30 aircraft from the Saeki Naval Air Base as the attack and combat unit of the 2nd Combined Air Squadron and deployed to the Central China region. It was initially equipped with 12 Nakajima A4N fighters, 12 Aichi D1A dive bombers and 12 Kugisho B3Y torpedo bombers. In August it moved to Zhoushuizi airfield at Dalian and in September to Kunda airfield near Shanghai. Between October and November, it converted to new Mitsubishi A5M fighters. After the capture of Nanking the unit moved to Dajiaochang airfield at Nanking, where it conducted missions against Nanchang and Hankou.

In March 1938, it was designated as a fighter-only unit and assimilated fighters from the 13th Kokutai, which in turn became a medium-bomber unit. The strength of the 12th Kokutai then became 30 A5M fighters. 

After the capture of Hankou, the unit transferred to an airbase near Hankou. Nevertheless, due to the lack of range to escort the medium bombers into inland China, they did not see much action. This changed in the summer of 1940 when the first batch of new Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters arrived in the China theater. 

Until the summer of 1941, the 12th Kokutai in Central China and the 14th Kokutai in South China made a combined claim of 103 aircraft shot down and further 163 destroyed on the ground for the loss of three aircraft. Both naval units were disbanded on September 15, 1941, which left air operations in China entirely to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.

Mitsubishi ‘Babs’ Volume I by Picarella & Abe

Received the other day my complimentary copy of the latest MMP release, dedicated to the Mitsubishi Ki-15 "Babs". 

Title: Mitsubishi "Babs" vol. 1,  The world’s first high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft

Authors: Showzow Abe - Giuseppe Picarella

Illustratior: Giuseppe Picarella

Format: 30X21cm, hardback, 192 pages, all in colour

Photos: 117 B&W

Illustrations: 60 in colour, majority in 1:48 or 1:72 scales

Published by Mushroom Model Publications, 2022

The book has five chapters.

Chapter 1: Japanese land-based reconnaissance aircraft 1911-1935

Chapter 2: Made in Japan

Chapter 3: Strategic reconnaissance – uncharted territory

Chapter 4: kamikaze flight

Chapter 5: Changing the rules of the game

They detail the history of the Japanese reconnaissance aircraft types, the design development of the "Babs", short histories of the units that operated the type, the "Kamikaze" flight as well as the other, little-known civilian "Babs".

This is the only publication on the "Babs" in English, excellently illustrated, with plenty of photos and material. It will be accompanied by vol.2 which will feature more technical illustrations. 

RECOMMENDED!

Thank you very much, Joe and MMP for the copy.

NEW MODEL ART!!!

Model Art Profile #14 - Mitsubishi Ki-15 & C5M "Babs", "Kamikaze" and "Asakaze"

Published by Model Art, June. 2019, p/b Pages: 130
Size: 18X26 cm

Comments: A brand new release from Model Art on very overlooked subject. This is actually the first ever Japanese publication dedicated to the Mitsubishi Ki-15 & C5M "Babs" and the civilian "Kamikaze" and "Asakaze". It starts with 17 b/w photos of the military IJAAF and IJNAF "Babs", then two chapters on the development on the type and the engine, followed by 14 pages of the reccord "Kamikaze" flight with manga illustrations and photos. The next 10-page chapter, with 30 photos, is entitled "the Wings of Newspaper Company" and offers a nice photos combilation of newspaper aircraft. 14 pages are saved for the IJAAF units that operated the type, their camo and tail markings followed by 13 pages on the IJNAF units and operational history. The next 11 pages feature line illustrations in-scale of the various types and the maintenance manual of the "Babs". Finally 27 pages feature various "Babs" Fine Molds models including a special on the blue color of the "Kamikaze". The book ends with a presentation of various "Kamikaze" memorabilia.
 A publication that has been very nicely put together and is most helpful to modelers.

ALL PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

The publication is available from our on-line store, HERE.

Fine Molds Mitsubishi Ki-15/C5M "Babs" in 1/48!!!

One more reason to definitely visit Shizuoka next month!

 

 

The first box is curiously for the Navy C5M instead of the much much more interesting "Kamikaze-go" or the various Army Ki-15s with different camouflage colors and patterns. But hopefully we will see these released in the near future.

We know how excited you all are but BE AWARE though and get ready to dig deeeeep in your pockets as the price is to be about $US30+.

 

Also, did you notice that Fine Molds released IJAAF MG131 in 1/72 and 1/48? Most useful for Japanese Army fighters.

 

Mitsubishi Ki-15 "Babs" - Kumagaya Rikugun Hiko Gakko

Two photos from a vintage publication featuring a number of  Type 97 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft or Mitsubishi Ki-15-I "Babs" belonging to the Kumagaya Army School as indicated by the tail marking. The school was based in Kumagaya, Saitama prefecture. When you visit the Wiki page note that the tail marking of the school is based on the city marking, itself based on the kanji of the city name, which is red.

Normally aircraft belonging to schools would be painted overall trainer orange but in this case the Ki-15 is a front-line reconnaissance aircraft and therefore left the Mitsubishi factory finished in gray (hairyokushoku). Kumagaya, which was mostly equipped with Tachikawa Ki-9 "Spruce" and Ki-55 "Ida", probably had this very small number of "Babs" to familiarise the pilots with more high performance aircraft. It would have been particularly tedious and time consuming to remove the overall paint and repaint every single Ki-15 while they were serving in the school only to have the colour change again if they were assigned to more needed front line units. Therefore it is safe to assume that the Ki-15s in the photos are finished in overall gray. Note the white lines on the cowling. In the IJNAF Zero these were applied for gun synchronisation. In IJNAF and IJAAF bombers sometimes they were applied in various fashion and position to help with bomb aiming. The Ki-15 had neither forward firing guns nor any bombs so these were probably applied to help pilots stay in formation during in-flight formation training.    

Of interest is the twin engine aircraft in the foreground on the left in the bottom photo.

Small quiz: what type do you think it is?

 

Mitsubishi Ki-15 "Babs" - 8th Sentai

The 8th Sentai was organised on August 31, 1938 at Pingtung in Taiwan when the unit changed its name from Hiko 8 Rentai to Hiko 8 Sentai with the 1st Chutai  reconnaissance, 2nd Chutai fighter, 3rd Chutai bomber and 4th Chutai maintenance (as of 1936).

On September 5, 1940 the fighter chutai became independent and was re-organised as the 50th Sentai. From April 16, 1941 the 8th Sentai participated in operations against Fuzhou and returned to its base in Taiwan on May 2. Nine days later, relocated to Shanghai and participated in operations against Hangzhou. By May 28 the unit had returned to Taiwan.

On September 2 the unit was re-organised, the 1st Chutai got equipped with Type 97 Command Reconnaissance or Mitsubishi Ki-15 "Babs" while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Chutai received Type 99 Twin Engine Light Bombers or Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily".

The 1st Chutai of the 8th Sentai originated from the 1st Chutai of the 2nd Sentai based in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture with nine "Babs" and commander Captain Suzuki Masao.  

With the outbreak of the Pacific War the unit relocated to Tuguegarao in Luzon between November-December 1941 to take part in the Philippine operations. From December 22 to January 7, 1942 participated in the operations against Manila. The "Babs" of the 1st Chutai, without radio, flew at an altitude 9000m taking photos. By January 9 the unit returned to Pingtung.
From January 20 relocated to Don Mueang airport in Bangkok via Guangdong and Hainan island to participate in the Burma operations.

The unit constantly changed its base and on February 23, 1942 one 1st Chutai "Babs" took off from Moulmein (Mawlamyine) airport to reconnoitre the Mingaladon airport and the harbour of Rangoon (Yangon) with pilot 1st Lt. Nakatani Takesada in the controls and observer 1st Lt. Fujimori Akira in the rrear seat. During the mission they were intercepted by a British Hawker Hurricane but managed to return to base in Moulmein. Upon arrival the ground crew were able to count 119 bullet hits, four of which had found Nakatani's right arm.  

The main source for this is a brilliant article by Izawa Yasuho included in the April 1990 issue of Aireview featuring artwork by Watanabe Rikyu.

 

The two photos below are from a vintage publication showing the "Babs" and the damage it received while the other three are stills from a news reel offering very rare glimpse to the cockpit of the "Babs". Artwork by Devlin Chouinard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Mitsubishi Ki-15-II Domei

In September 1938 Domei Tsushin-sha (Federated News Agency) the official news agency of Japan at the time, received their first aircraft from the Army, a Type 97 Command Reconnaissance Model II or Mitsubishi Ki-15-II with a Mitsubishi Ha-26-1, 900hp engine. Although there were not enough crew members and thus maintenance was entrusted to Nippon Koku, the acquisition of this aircraft that received the registration J-BACL effectively started the aviation department of Domei.

Unfortunately, a month later, on October 30, 1938 at 16:30 in Haneda's Dai1 hangar tragedy struck. While engineer Takeda with a ground crew member performed routine maintenance, suddenly flames started coming out of the engine. The fire consumed the fuselage and most of the wings and was finally put out 50 minutes later but not before destroying this beautiful aircraft. Note the Domei marking on the fuselage side.

Mitsubishi Ki-15 / C5M "Babs"

A Mitsubishi Ki-15-I "Babs" belonging to the Rikugun Koku Seibi Gakko (Army Maintenance School) based at Tokorozawa is getting an engine inspection. According to the caption it's a new aircraft and the inscription on the cowling reads "132GO" (Number 132).

Mitsubishi Ki-15 / C5M "Babs"

In this photo of a vintage magazine released in March 1942, teenager maintenance crew members work on a "Babs" revealing excellent details of the engine.