IJNAF Paratroopers - Menado - video

An epic video from the NHK collection featuring the 1942 IJNAF paratroop attack against the Dutch held Menado (present-day Manado) in the Celebes Island (present-day Sulawesi Island).

For more info check the Wiki entry, here.

Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia" - 27 Sentai & Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" - 12 Sentai - video

Another video today from the NHK Collection, dated December 2, 1941, featuring Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonias" from the 27th Sentai and Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sallys" from the 12th Sentai.

According to the narrator, the "Kitajima butai" (12th Sentai, Col Kitajima Kumao was the unit commander) and the "Sakurai butai" (27 Sentai, Col Sakurai Hajime) attacked Fengchuan (present-day Fengkai County) and Nanxiong on November 28.

It's a rather obscure operation, I couldn't find anything about it in the unit histories. But Monograph #76 mentions:

"With the successful conclusion of the Chungyuan Operation, the Fifth Air Operation (also known as Operation No. 102) was launched at the beginning of August. During this operation the 1st Air Brigade attacked Chungking, Tzeliutsing as well as important areas in north China using Ani airfield while the 3rd Air Brigade attacked ships on the Yangtze River from Kingmen airfield and strategic areas in central China from bases at Hankou and Wuchang...

Although the results obtained during this operation were regarded as satisfactory, on 12 September it was necessary to halt the operation in order to prepare for the Pacific Area Operations."

While the 12 Sentai was under the 1st Air Brigade, the 27 Sentai is not mentioned under any of the two brigades.

The "Sonias" are getting ready for take-off. Note the blotches camouflage.

 

A 27 Sentai "Sonia", showing the tail marking of the 1st Chutai, indicated by the slanted white band on the tail.

In this "Sonia" the slanted line is not clearly visible suggesting that it's probably in red. An indication that this particular aircraft belonged to the 2nd Chutai.

  

The nose machine gunner of this "Sally" is climbing in his position.

A 12 Sentai Ki-21 Model II Koh "Sally" belonging to the 2nd Chutai. Note the complete absence of camouflage and no fuselage hinomaru. The aircraft is finished in overall hairyokushoku. 

Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily" - 16 Sentai - video

A short clip today from the NHK collection, dated May 25, 1944, featuring a bunch of Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily" bombers of the 16 Sentai.

The commentator is talking about the bombing of the city of Luoyang, Henan Province and this, combined with the date of the video, lead us to conclude that this clip was taken during the massive Operation Ichi-Go.

There are not that many clips and photos of the biggest operation of the Japanese Army during the Sino-Japanese war and very few of "Lily" bombers. 

The 16 Sentai was equipped with 19 Ki-48s during the operation and according to Monograph #76:

"The 16th and 90th Bomber Units, using Anyang and Tungshan as their main bases of operation and Wuchang and Hankou as their staging bases, when the necessity arose carried out night bombings on enemy air bases. It was not possible to carry out daylight raids with the outmoded Type 99 light bombers with which these units were equipped. However, the highly trained pilots compensated to some degree for the inferiority of their planes and their night dive-bombing attacks achieved excellent results. These attacks were made on moonlight nights against enemy air bases which were thought to be the most threatening. Those bases most often attacked were Suichuan, Kanhsieng, Hengyang, Kweilin, Liuchowhsien, Chihkiang, Enshih, Liangshan and Laohokou. Although considerable damage was inflicted upon the enemy, continuous loss of planes and the tremendous build-up in enemy air strength, made it impossible to defeat them."

Kawanishi H8K "Emily" & H6K "Mavis" - video

A short clip today from the NHK Collection, dated May 1944, featuring Kawanishi H8K "Emily" and Kawanishi H6K "Mavis" flying boats.

According to the narrator:

"The sun has risen over our base in the South Seas. In the darkness of the dawn, the Navy's new flying boats reveal a giant body. An order is given. They escort our fleet to the southern front line in a hurry to replenish munitions. The commanding officer is explaining the meeting point with the fleet and various precautions for this escort mission. The enemy submarines that haunt our supply route should not be allowed any chance to attack the fleet. Escorting the fleet is a not a particularly The fleet escort, though lacking in splendor, has a very important mission, and the flying boat leaves the water dramatically.

At X hours X minutes, the fleet can be seen below. Immediately move in position to escort. Weapons and ammunition packed in the fleet are what our front-line soldiers have been waiting for..."

Although the video is of very low quality and the full tail markings are unfortunately not visible, these two stills... 

...reveal that it's "??2-020". The only unit equipped with "Emily" flying boats with the number 2 at the end of its tail marking is the 802 Kokutai.

The unit was organized when it changed name from 14Ku on November 1, 1942, with flying boats and seaplane fighters. At that time the "Mavis" flying boats of the unit were at Jaluit, Marshal Islands. The Nakajima A6M2-N seplane fighters, at Bougainville and Shortland.

The flying boats also used Makin as their base from where they flew patrol and reconnaissance missions. They also bombed Espiritu Santo and Kanton Island in night missions.

From January 1943 the first "Emily" flying boats started to arrive and by the summer of the same year they were the main aircraft the unit was equipped with.

On October 15, 1943, the seplane fighter unit was assigned to the 902Ku and flying boats used Jaluit as their main base. On January 29, 1944, most of the unit relocated to Saipan where they continued patrol and reconnaissance missions as well as bombing Roi-Namur Island. The unit was disbanded on April 1, 1944, and the remnants were assigned to the 801Ku. But the 801Ku was also assigned to the Takuma Ku by the end of April.

From November 1942 until February 1943 used the letter "W-" as its tail marking. The unit used "Y4-" from March 1943 until the end of the year. After that it used "802-".

We can see the cockpit of an "Emily" in the still below.

The crew member in the foreground is holding a Type2 bubble sextant.

Below is a photo of the instrument from here.

Another still shows a sign from the Awa Shrine.

And also a very short part featuring the cockpit of a "Mavis".

In the video we can also see the cruiser Yubari.

From here, we learn that Yubari on

 

22 March 1944:

Reassigned as flagship of ComDesRon 3, Rear Admiral Nakagawa Ko (42).

Tokyo Bay. Departs Kisarazu, escorting the Marianas troop reinforcement convoy Higashi Matsu No. 3, consisting of 11 transports, supply ship HAYASAKI, DesDiv 5's HATAKAZE, DesDiv 6's IKAZUCHI and DesDiv 32's TAMANAMI, torpedo boat OTORI, kaibokans HIRADO and NOMI, and subchasers CH-48, CH-51 and CH-54.

25 March 1944:

The convoy is attacked by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Bafford E. Lewellen's (USNA '31) old USS POLLACK (SS-180). Lewellen sinks subchaser CH-54 and claims damage to several transports.

30 March 1944:

Arrives at Saipan.

23 April 1944:

Embarks Army troops and supplies. Departs Saipan with light cruiser KINU and DesDiv 9's SAMIDARE and DesDiv 29's YUZUKI.

25 April 1944:

Arrives at Palau. Embarks 365 troops and supplies.

Another ship that appears in the video somewhere behind Yubari, is the destroyer Tamanami

This would confirm the date and events above, and therefore the most possible location of the clip is Saipan and the date some day after March 30, 1944.

Drop tank production - video

Thought I had posted this many years ago, but Tommy Vicard from France reminded us we haven't so...here you go.

The narrator in this October 1944 clip from the NHK collection, explains:

"This is a school factory in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, which builds wooden auxiliary tanks, indispensable for modern air combat. 

First, cut the wood to make it thinner.

Then paste it on the crate.

Next, attach the cloth.

And finally, if you apply paint, you have a good auxiliary tank. 

With the effort of the female students, the number of auxiliary tanks built here is now higher than expected, and they are being sent out one after another aiming for the upcoming aviation decisive battle."

The school was the Girl's High School in Takayama which still exists today but, ofcourse, with a different name.

Merci Tommy.

Many years ago the late Owaki Katsushi gave me a piece of an IJAAF drop tank. An authentic relic showing the weaving patern of the wood with the paper on top and showcasing the IJAAF hairyokushoku. 

Kasai Tomokazu

Another loss this year. Former IJNAF Ace Kasai Tomokazu passed away last weekend at the age of 94. 

Here's what Hata & Izawa say:

Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1926, Kasai joined the Tsuchiura Air Group in 1942 as a student of the Ko 10th Flight Reserve Enlisted Trainee Class. In November 1943 he finished the 32nd Flight Training Course, was promoted to PO2c, and ordered to Air Group 263. Halfway through his training, in March 1944 he was ordered to advance to the Marianas; however, en route he had to make an emergency landing on Pagan Island because of poor weather. Arriving late in Saipan, he joined CPO Sho-ichi Sugita as one of his wingmen. In May, he advanced to Kau base on Halmahera Island. With the landing of American forces in the Marianas, Kasai returned to Palau and participated in attacks on enemy vessels off Saipan, using Yap and Guam as advanced bases. Kasai lost his own aircraft, but escaped from Guam in a land attack plane and went to Palau, and then on to Davao.

With the disbanding of Air Group 263 on 10 July, Kasai was next transferred to Fighter Hikotai 306, Air Group 201. Under the leadership of Lt Kanno, the unit advanced to Yap. For one week starting on the 16th, the unit was engaged in intercepting incoming B-24s. PO1c Kasai's aircraft received hits and he had to ditch, but was rescued. Next, Kasai withdrew to Cebu and concentrated on training activities in ship-bombing tactics. After the American invasion of Leyte in October, Kasai served as wingman for Kanno and for Sugita; he participated in attacks and intercept operations and provided direct support to special attack force units. After that, in December, Kasai returned to the homeland and was transferred to Fighter Hikotai 301, Air Group 343. He was with the latter unit until the war ended. Number of aircraft personally shot down, ten.

Arawasi had the privilege to meet Kasai-san a number of times. In the photo above he is standing on the right next to fellow Zero and seaplane pilot Saeki Masaaki. 

Always full of life, a very cheerful and friendly gentleman who freely shared his memories. We plan to feature a special on Kasai-san in the next issue of our magazine.    

Nakajima "Kikka", ATAIU by Dizzyfugu

 

1:72 Nakajima J9N1 “Kitsuka” (橘花, a.k.a. “Kikka”), aircraft “FE 269”, operated by the Royal Air Force, Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit - Southeast Asia (ATAIU-SEA); RAF Seletar (Singapore), January 1946

The kit and its assembly:

This was/is a submission for the “Captured!” group build at whatifmodellers.com in late 2020. Loot from WWII certainly makes a good theme, and I remembered a real world J2M3 that I had built some time ago – in RAF markings and tested by the ATAIU-SEA in Singapore in late the 1945. For a more whiffy touch I delved through The Stash™ for options and found an AZ Models Nakajima “Kikka” single seater – as Japan’s first jet fighter, a suitable contender, even more so because no aircraft of this type made it in time to frontline units.

The AZ Models kit is a simple affair, but that's also its problem. In the box things looked quite good, detail level is on par with a classic Matchbox kit. But unlike a typical Matchbox kit, the AZ Models offering did not go together so well... I had to fight everywhere with poor fit, lack of locator pins, ejection marks - anything a short run kit can throw at you! PSR was necessary almost everywhere, especially around the wing/engine pod intersection and the area where the wings are inserted into the lower fuselage. What worked surprisingly well is the IP canopy, though.Personal additions are lowered flaps (easy to realize) and some additional struts for the landing gear.

Painting and markings:

The captured aircraft theme was settled from the start, but I wanted to offer more than just a “rebadge” with RAF roundels on an IJN green/grey airframe. In order to add some visual spice, my idea became to present an irregular "one-aircraft-made-from-wrecks-and-spares" finish, with parts in differing tones and even some primed or bare metal areas.

I initially gave the model an overall coat of aluminum and added cloudy shades of IJN Green (ModelMaster and Tamiya) and sections with RAF Dark Green to the upper surfaces, and light grey underneath, with the aluminum underneath shining through here and there. One engine was painted in a shaggy Japanese primer red brown. I furthermore added overpainted IJN markings with U.S. olive drab for some more contrast, even though these would later be partly hidden under decals.

The cockpit was painted in a greenish yellow primer, trying to simulate a typical “bamboo” shade that was used in some late-war IJN cockpits, while the landing gear and the flaps’ interior was painted in dull aluminum. A black ink washing was applied for more weathering and contrast. the yellow leading-edge markings were created with decal material. RAF roundels came from the scrap box, the “FE 269” code was created with single white 3mm letters. This is rather a code for captured aircraft in the European theatre, but it’s a fictional model, after all.  The “ATAIU-SEA” titles were painted free-handedly with a thin brush and white acrylic paint, and later wet-sanded down a bit for a weathered look.

Finally, the kit received a mixed coat of semi-gloss and matt acrylic varnish.

- Dizzyfugu - 

Japanese aerial phosphorous bombs

In a couple recent posts we encountered the Type 99 Number 3 Mk3 30kg aerial bomb. Here's a short clip, from here, presenting that 30kg and another 250kg bomb designated Type 2 Number 25 Mk 3 aerial bomb model 1-kai (gotta love the tattoos).

Peter Starkings

 Peter Starkings is no longer with us. Our good old friend passed away yesterday at the age of 95.

Peter will be missed a lot.

This year did not start well...

Kawanishi H8K "Emily" and more - video

A very short clip today, from this documentary, featuring a number of Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boats as well as some other types hidden from the camera.

From the white "Mavis" with the green crosses barely seen in the background, I'm confident the location is Yokohama; check the old post here.