An amazing but undated video today, spotted in NARA by our friend Patrice Fresnel, featuring the seaplanes operated, under heavy seas, by the Heavy Cruiser "Nachi".
We were able to identify the ship by the tail marking of the "Alf"; "WI-1", visible in this still.
According to Akimoto, the seaplanes of the ship adopted the "WI-" tail marking in July 1942 when she was assigned to the 5th Fleet.
Wiki mentions: "After a refit at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal from 14–30 July, Nachi was reassigned to the IJN 5th Fleet with Kiso and Tama."
Combinedfleet is more specific:
"14 July 1942: Arrives at Yokosuka. Refit. That day, NACHI is reassigned to the Fifth Fleet's CruDiv 21 with KISO and TAMA.
24-30 July 1942: Drydocked at Yokosuka Navy Yard."
Akimoto mentions that "Nachi" changed her Nakajima E8N "Dave" and Kawanishi E7K2 "Alf" floatplanes to Mitsubishi F1M "Pete" and Aichi E13A "Jake" in 1943, no specific date given.
Wiki says: "She continued patrols of the Kurile Islands though March 1943"
But combinedfleet is more detailed regarding the ship's movent during that period and mentions that "Nachi" was traveling between Ominato in Honshu, Paramushir and Otaru in Hokkaido, from August 2, 1942, until January 29, 1943.
Between February 5 and 27, 1943, the ship is undergoing refit in Sasebo. I believe this is when she changed her seaplanes.
So, taking into concideration the above information, we can conclude that the video was shot some time between August 2, 1942, and January 29, 1943, while the ship was in the seas north of Japan, patroling the Chishima (Kurile) Islands.
Did you notice that the "Alf" has no yellow IFF stripes?
Merci beacoup Patrice for the fantastic video!
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