Kawasaki Ki-45 "Toryu" (Nick) by Péter Lőrincz

Our friend Péter Lőrincz from Hungary sent over photos of his exquisite Kawasaki Ki-45 "Toryu" (Nick), by Hasegawa, in 1/48.

Enjoy!

Kawanishi N1K-J "Shiden/Shiden-kai" (George), Yokosuka Kokutai, LTJG Muto Kaneyoshi

Biography of the Ace from the Japanese Wikipedia that approaches the subject in a completely different way than the English version:

Muto Kaneyoshi (August 18, 1916 – July 24, 1945) was a Japanese naval officer. He was a flying ace during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War; he was posthumously promoted two ranks, ultimately attaining the rank of Navy Lieutenant (Junior Grade).

**Biography**

He was born on August 18, 1916, in Oharu Village (present-day Oharu Town), Ama District, Aichi Prefecture, as the third son in a family of seven siblings (sisters and brothers)...His father had served in the Russo-Japanese War and was awarded the Order of the Golden Kite. At Kaneyoshi's strong urging, his younger brother Mitsuharu took the entrance exam for the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy; he passed as a member of the 73rd class and also became a fighter pilot. Mitsuharu recalled, "While my older brother had a bold and spirited personality, I believe he was extremely affectionate toward his parents and siblings. He was particularly considerate of our parents and showed exceptional filial piety. He was especially fond of me among the siblings; I still vividly remember the joy I felt when, during his leave from the Navy, he bought me things like an air gun and a camera—items my father would never have bought for me."...

On June 1, 1935, he enlisted in the Kure Naval Barracks and was assigned to the destroyer "Uranami". On December 23, 1935, he was selected as a trainee in the 32nd class of the pilot training program. He graduated from the course in July 1936 and underwent advanced training at the Omura Kokutai.

The Second Sino-Japanese War

In October 1937, he was assigned to the 13th Kokutai. He deployed to Shanghai and participated in the "China Incident". On December 4, 1937, he shot down an I-16 fighter piloted by Yue Yiqin of the Republic of China Armed Forces over Nanjing; this marked Muto's first aerial victory. On December 12, he was transferred to the 12th Kokutai. He distinguished himself in attacks on Nanjing, Nanchang, and Hankou, ultimately shooting down a total of five Republic of China aircraft and becoming an ace pilot of the China Incident. He returned to Japan in October 1938 and served as an instructor at kokutai including Oita, Suzuka, and Genzan. During his time at the Oita Kokutai, he also served as an instructor to Nishizawa Hiroyoshi.

The Pacific War

In September 1941, he was assigned to the 3rd Kokutai. On December 8, at the outbreak of the Pacific War, he participated in the attack on Clark Field in the Philippines, flying as the wingman (number two) to Lieutenant Yokoyama Tamotsu.

In April 1942, he was assigned to the Genzan Kokutai (renamed the 252nd Kokutai in November of that year). According to Lieutenant Mimori Kazumasa, even when other wingmen drifted away, Muto would stay right by his side; Mimori recalled that Muto's mere presence was reassuring, as he would say, "Rest assured, I will not leave your side no matter what happens."

Miyazaki Isamu described Muto as a small-statured yet cheerful and lively man who was liked by everyone, recalling: "Muto-san often cracked jokes and made those around him laugh. The tougher things got for him personally, the more he strove to act cheerfully and boost everyone's morale. Because of this, everyone affectionately called him 'Kin-san' or 'Kin-chan'" [or "Kane-san, Kane-chan"]. He participated in operations such as the Solomon Islands air campaign. On October 21, 1943, he married his wife, Kiyoko; because Muto was so busy, their wedding photograph was created by splicing together two separate individual portraits. According to Kiyoko, he was overjoyed when their only daughter was born, feeling relieved that his lineage would continue.

In November 1944, he served as an instructor at the Yokosuka Kokutai. In June 1944, he joined the Yawata Air Raid Defense Unit as part of a detachment from the Yokosuka Kokutai and deployed to Iwo Jima. On June 24, he engaged in intercepting U.S. Navy Task Force 58 aircraft—including Grumman F6F fighters—and later that day provided escort for an attack squadron, flying as the wingman to Lieutenant Sadao Yamaguchi. He participated in intercepting U.S. carrier-based aircraft units on July 3 and 4. After losing their aircraft to air raid damage, the detachment returned to the Japanese mainland. On February 17, 1945, flying a single orange-painted "Shiden-kai" fighter, he challenged a formation of twelve Grumman aircraft that had appeared over Atsugi Air Base and reported shooting down two of them. His tactic of luring enemy planes away from the group one by one to shoot them down was reminiscent of the duel at Ichijoji-sagarimatsu fought by the legendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto; from that time on, he became known within the Navy by the nickname "Musashi Miyamoto of the Skies". When his colleague Yamazaki Taku parachuted into the Sugita area of ​​Isogo Ward, Yokohama, and was killed by locals with bamboo spears after being mistaken for an American soldier, Muto was enraged and contemplated strafing the area in retaliation.

In June 1945, he was transferred to the Fighter Squadron 301 (nicknamed "Shinsengumi") of the 343rd Kokutai. Captain Genda Minoru, the group's commander, had specifically requested him, seeking someone capable of serving as a wingman to protect the squadron leader, Lieutenant Kanno Naoshi, following the death in action of CPO Sugita Shoichi on April 15. Negotiations regarding the transfer—originally proposed as an exchange involving ENS Saburo Sakai—faced difficulties but were ultimately finalized after consultation with personnel bureau officials. The Yokosuka Kokutai opposed the exchange, with Lieutenant Tsukamoto Yuzo voicing particularly strong objections. Consequently, the terms were adjusted so that the 343Ku would release two pilots—ENS Sakai Saburo and ENS Noguchi Kijiro—in the exchange. Upon assuming his post, Muto promised Commander Genda, "Now that I am here, I will not let the squadron leader die".

Death in Action

On July 24, 1945, Muto took off from Omura as part of a 21-plane formation to intercept carrier-based aircraft from a U.S. task force that outnumbered them more than tenfold. During the ensuing engagement over the Bungo Channel, Muto attacked enemy formations and engaged aircraft that were targeting Squadron Leader Kanno. Amidst the fierce combat, Muto honored his promise to Commander Genda, but he failed to return from the mission. While the specific details of his fate remained unknown, the 343Ku lost six pilots that day, including Muto and Squadron Leader Oshibuchi Takashi. The unit was subsequently commended and received a formal message of praise from the Emperor for their actions in this battle. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (Junior Grade). His confirmed aerial victory count during the Pacific War was 30 aircraft.

Model Art #439 "HEROES OF THE IJNAF IN 1937-1945," written by Osuo Kazuhiko, featured artwork by Nohara Shigeru that attributed Kawanishi "Shiden" Model 21 with tail marking "ヨ-104" to LTJG Muto. It was not the first time. Earlier Japanese publications also did so. Unfortunately, I have not located any photos of "Shiden" "ヨ-104" or other evidence that supports this claim, so I suppose this was based on veterans' recollections.

Kawanishi N1K-J "Shiden/Shiden-kai" (George), Yokosuka Kokutai

A collection of photos and artwork of Kawanishi N1K-J "Shiden/Shiden-kai" (George) belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai from various sources.

This one, a N1K1-Ja "Shiden" (George) Type 11 Ko suffered heavy damage during an emergency landing.

Hasegawa has released a kit in 1/48, Nr.09870, of the aircraft

Unfortunately the entire tail number cannot be seen, but note the small yellow star above the horizontal stripe on the tail, signifying a kill.

"ヨ-107" (YO-107) was a N1K1-Ja "Shiden" (George) found by US forces after the end of the war. There is an inscription on the fuselage. We could not read the first part but the second part says: "and do not use this aircraft for spares" (don't remove parts of this aircraft to be used on other aircraft).

Another photo of the "ヨ-107" (YO-107) N1K1-Ja "Shiden" (George) seen in the previous photo.

Kawanishi N1K-J "Shiden/Shiden-kai" (George), Yokosuka Kokutai, WO Ohara Ryoji

Photos and artwork featuring a Kawanishi N1K2-J "Shiden-kai" (George) belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai with tail marking "ヨ-105" (YO-105).

There is a possibility that it belonged to Ace pilot WO Ohara Ryoji, seen in the photo below.

The pilot on the left is WO Ohara Ryoji; the other two are unfortunately unnamed. (Photo credit: Ohara Ryoji)

A set of photos and other material was recently on sale on Japanese eBay. I believe they belonged to Ohara. Among them, there was a photo, again of the Kawanishi N1K2-J "Shiden-kai" (George) with tail marking "ヨ-105" (YO-105). Unfortunately, the face of the pilot standing in front of it is not visible in the low-resolution image. It could be Ohara or a different pilot.

Here's the history of the pilot from the Japanese Wikipedia and extra information from Hata&Izawa:

Ryōji Ōhara (February 25, 1921 – November 2, 2018) was a military officer and fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He held the final rank of Flight Warrant Officer.

**Career**

He was born into a farming family in Miyagi Prefecture on February 25, 1921. In June 1940, he enlisted in the Yokosuka Naval Barracks as a general aviation rating. After serving at the barracks and the Chitose Kokutai, he became a trainee in the 4th Class C Flight Preparatory Course in May 1941 and joined the Tsuchiura Kokutai. He graduated from flight training in July 1942 and was assigned to the Oita Kokutai as a fighter pilot; there, he completed training on the Type 90 Two-Seat Trainer Fighter [Nakajima A2N] and the Type 95 Carrier-Based Fighter [Nakajima A4N]. In October of that year, he arrived at the Buin Airbase as a replacement pilot for the 6th Kokutai.

He experienced his first aerial combat on October 19, 1942, and on October 23, he engaged ten F4F Wildcats of VMF-121 over Guadalcanal, recording his first aerial victory. 

According to Hata&Izawa:

After achieving his first victory during the attack on Guadalcanal on 23 October [1942], ...Ohara participated in ferocious air battles in the Solomons, Rabaul, and New Guinea and managed to stay alive. In particular, on 13 May 1943 he sortied as number two (wingman) for LT Miyano during air combat over the Russell Islands and shot down one Corsair fighter. Immediately after, his own aircraft received thirty-eight hits and its horizontal stabilizer was damaged. He managed to extricate himself; on the way back, he valiantly counterattacked two Corsairs that were following him and shot down one of them. He then made an emergency landing on the island of Kolombangara. With respect to this particular air battle, Ohara was later given a good conduct commendation by the commander of Air Group 204.

Wiki continues:

Ōhara fought valiantly with the 204th Kokutai (renamed from the 6th Kokutai) until his assignment to the Yokosuka Kokutai in November 1943, at which point he returned to the Japanese mainland.

Subsequently, he engaged in the defense of the Japanese mainland. However, on April 9, 1945—while flying an interception mission against B-29s despite suffering from an unexplained high fever—his aircraft was hit by fire from a P-51 Mustang approaching from the rear. He managed to make a belly landing at the Army's Sagamihara Airfield; he was subsequently diagnosed with typhoid fever and required hospitalization for approximately 80 days. On August 17, 1945—after being discharged from the hospital—he flew a Zero fighter to intercept B-32s that had arrived to conduct reconnaissance over the Japanese mainland; this marked his final combat sortie of the war.

After the war, he joined the Maritime Safety Force (the predecessor to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) in 1953 and retired in 1971 with the rank of Commander (equivalent to Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy). Subsequently, he engaged in training pilots for civil aviation.

He was incensed to find himself described as the "Killer of Rabaul" in a book on wartime history written by Henry Sakaida, which had been published without interviewing him; in later editions, the description was changed to "Ace of Rabaul."

He passed away on November 2, 2018, at the age of 97.

Artwork by Thierry Dekker

Hasegawa has released a kit with markings of the aircraft in 1/48, Nr. 09484

Nakajima B5N "Kate", Yokosuka Kokutai

Three photos of Nakajima B5N "Kate" Carrier Bomber photos belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai.

Nakajima B5N1 "Kate" Carrier Bomber belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai in standard pre-Pacific War IJNAF scheme; "silver," i.e., unpainted overall, red tail (vertical and horizontal surfaces), black anti-glare nose, hinomaru without white border.

Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" Carrier Bomber belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai in early Pacific War scheme. Upper surfaces in green camouflage, lacking IFF stripes at this stage, meaning pre-October 1942, and fuselage hinomaru featuring a square border while wing hinomaru displays a round border. Note the white line on the cowling to help with formation during flight.

Nakajima B5N1 "Kate" Carrier Bomber belonging to the Yokosuka Kokutai found by U.S. forces after the end of the war. Overall green camouflage with heavily weathered surfaces around the cockpit but note that the fabric covered control surfaces and the cowling are completely unweathered. Hinomaru with round borders.

Kawanishi H8K "Emily" & G-Minus-0 - video

From the official trailer

Kawanishi H8K "Emily" "Shikishima"

Somebody, somewhere posted this classic photo, taken in the summer of 1944, of the famous Kawanishi H8K "Emily" named "敷島" (Shikishima*), prompting me to collect details about the particular flying boat from different Japanese sources.

"Shikishima" was a transport aircraft for high-ranking officials. It was the third supplementary prototype of the H8K1 Experimental Type 13 Large-sized Flying Boat of which one prototype and four supplementary prototypes were built. The first prototype was powered by Mitsubishi Mk4A Kasei 11 engines while the supplementary prototypes were equipped with Mitsubishi MK4B Kasei 12 engines. These supplementary prototypes were redesignated Type 2 Flying Boat Model 11 on 5 February 1942. 

"Shikishima" belonged to the air unit attached to the Yokosuka Naval District, which operated out of the Yokohama Seaplane Base in Kanagawa Prefecture, as indicated by its tail marking (not visible in the photo) "横鎮74" (Yokochin74, without a hyphen). 

While its exterior was nearly identical to the standard model, the interior was modified to accommodate 27 passengers. In the passenger cabin on the second deck, there were wooden-framed single seats—nine on the right and eleven on the left—facing inward, while the second cabin featured inward-facing benches accommodating four people on the right and three on the left. The specifications for the "Shikishima" listed an empty weight of 16,084 kg and a fully equipped weight of 24,500 kg.

On the nose we can see the antennae of the Type 3 "Ku-6" Wireless Telegraph Set (三式空六号無線電信機) which was an aircraft-mounted radar system that the Imperial Japanese Navy put into use during World War II. The name "wireless telegraph set" was used to conceal its true nature. It is also known as the H-6 Radar or the Ku-6 Radar.

*"Shikishima" is another name for Japan, derived from the ancient site of Shiki, where the emperor's palace was located.

Nakajima Ki-84 "Hayate" (Frank) last flight - video

The "Hayate" (Aircraft No. 1446): Its final flight at Camp Kita-Utsunomiya, November 18, 1973.

It is is currently preserved and on display at the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots.

Video source, here.

Vintage magazine cover

"Asahi Graph", March 28, 1945

Vintage magazine cover

"Asahi Graph", January 22, 1945

Vintage magazine cover

"Asahi Graph" January 3, 1945

Vintage magazine cover

"Umi to Sora" (Sea and Sky), December 1942

Vintage magazine cover

"Umi to Sora" (Sea and Sky), April 1942

Nakajima J1N "Gekko" (Irving), 141 Kokutai - video

The short video today features a Nakajima J1N "Gekko" (Irving) found in Kanoya by US forces at the end of the war. The tail marking "141-59" indicates that it belonged to the little-known 141 Kokutai. It is most probably a J1N1-Sa late Model 11; unfortunately the presence or absence of downward firing cannons under the fuselage cannot be confirmed. 

Unit history from the Japanese Wiki:

The 141st Kokutai was the main reconnaissance unit for the defense of the Philippines and engaged in patrol and enemy search operations during the final stages of the Pacific War.

History

From February to March 1944, the Navy successively formed several aviation units with the aim of strengthening its base aviation forces and incorporated them into the 62nd Sentai of the First Air Fleet. On May 5, these aviation units were transferred to the Combined Fleet in order to train them as powerful attack units. On June 15th, they were incorporated into the newly formed Second Air Fleet and underwent training without being deployed in Operation A. [Operation A (1944) - A plan devised by the Navy in 1944 to intercept the American fleet in the Mariana Islands area.]

Following the failure of Operation A, they were reorganized for deployment to the Philippine theater, and the 322nd Kokutai was absorbed into the 141st Kokutai.

The 141Ku was established on March 15, 1944, based at Oita Airfield as part of the Mie Kokutai. It was designated as a reconnaissance squadron with a strength of 24 aircraft and bore the code name “Akatsuki Butai” (Dawn Unit). 

The main aircraft type was the reconnaissance variant of the "Suisei" [Yokosuka D4Y (Judy)] but many records also mention the bomber variant of the "Suisei" so it is unclear whether both variants were actually used interchangeably. It was soon reorganized into the Kogeki 3rd Hikotai (Attack Flight) and the Teisatsu 4th Hikotai (Reconnaissance Flight). The authorized strength for both squadrons was set at 24 aircraft, effectively doubling the total authorized strength; however, each squadron maintained only 11 aircraft, falling short of even the original authorized strength. 

On July 10, 1944, as part of a reorganization, the 322nd Kokutai was disbanded, and the Sento 804 Hikotai (Fighter Squadron)—a night fighter unit that had belonged to that group—was incorporated into the 141Ku. The "Gekko", which served as the main aircraft, had been designed as a land-based reconnaissance aircraft, so it continued to be used without issue even after the transfer. Positioned as the main reconnaissance unit of the 6th Kichi Koku Butai (Base Air Force?), which had jurisdiction over the Taiwan area, the unit gradually advanced into the Kyushu region. As of September 1, eight aircraft from the 804th Hikotai had reached Hsinchu, while the remainder were deployed at Kanoya Airfield and Kushira Airfield. Eight aircraft from Reconnaissance Squadron No. 3 advanced to Kanoya. Reconnaissance Squadron No. 4, which was the slowest to advance, also dispatched three aircraft to the Army’s Miyakonojo Airfield. 

1944

October 11: Enemy task forces approached the Ryukyu Islands. All aircraft from the dispatched units, including 804 Hikotai, conducted search-and-destroy operations.

October 13: One aircraft was dispatched to Okinawa’s Oroku Airfield. The situation escalated into the Offshore Taiwan Air Battle, and the unit engaged in search-and-destroy operations.

October 22: "Operation Sho-1"* was launched. Six aircraft were dispatched to Luzon Island’s Nichols Airfield.

October 24: The general air offensive began; the unit engaged in search-and-destroy operations but did not encounter the enemy. Search operations continued on the following day, the 25th, but again no enemy was encountered.

After this, the unit operated from Nichols Airfield as its base in various locations. Many sources document that the 141Ku conducted reconnaissance missions to assess enemy conditions in the Mariana Islands and Ulithi Atoll. Furthermore, reinforcements continued to be dispatched. The "Gekko" Unit did not engage in night combat but was tasked with surprise attacks and bombing raids against enemy forces. By November 28, the operational aircraft of the 141Ku had been reduced to two carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft ["Suisei"?] and twelve "Gekko" aircraft. 

1945

January 8: Transferred to the 1st Koku Kantai (Air Fleet) to evacuate the personnel. Began the withdrawal to Taiwan the following day.

February 5: Reorganization of the 1st Koku Kantai. Personnel not selected for the newly formed 132nd Kokutai underwent training with the 26th Sentai.

May 8: Detached from the 1st Koku Kantai; while remaining stationed in Taiwan, the unit was transferred to the Southwest Area Fleet and engaged in ground combat training.

Of the 10 months from its formation to its disbandment, the unit was able to engage in operations for only the first three months. It was disbanded upon the end of the war. Ground personnel did not withdraw to Taiwan but remained in the Philippines and became ground combat personnel and devoted themselves exclusively to defending the Army’s Clark Airfield under the command of the Army’s 2nd Tank Division Commander Nakamura Nenosuke, who remained in the area rather than withdrawing. Pilots who withdrew to Taiwan, lacking both a command headquarters and aircraft, spent their time solely on ground combat training.

Based on the above, the presence of the "Gekko" in Kanoya at the end of the war is a small mystery.

*"Operation Sho-Go" was a plan devised by the Japanese Army and Navy during World War II to intercept enemy forces using base air units in the Philippines, Taiwan, and mainland Japan. The operations were numbered from No. 1 to No. 4 depending on the area of ​​the main battle, and Operation Sho-Go No. 1 was launched on October 18, 1944, in response to the American invasion of Leyte Island.

VIPs updated

Not long after the capitulation of Allied forces in the Dutch East Indies on March 5, 1942, a military delegation from countries allied to Japan visited the areas where the fiercest battles took place for a close inspection. Although vintage publications mention that there were the military attachés of Germany, Italy, Rumania and Finland, only two names are actually included; Germany's Generalleutnant Alfred F. Kretschmer and Italy's Colonel Guido Bertoni. An internet research revealed that at that time military attaché of Romania was Major-General Gheorghe Bagulescu and of Finland Col Auno Kaila (rather interesting link here with photo but poor English translation).

On March 9, 1942 the group left Tokyo and arrived in Hong Kong via Taiwan. On March 13 they visited sights in Kowloon and Hong Kong especially the British fortifications.

After brief stops in Saigon and Bangkok, on the 19th the group flew from Don Muang airport to Alor Setar in Malaysia. Lt Col Saeki, commander of the 1st Tank Regiment, drove for three days to meet them and explain what happened during the Battle of Jitra.

In the photos above, Lt Col Saeki is showing the military attachés British fortifications encountered during the Battle of Jitra.

The next day they were driven from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur through a difficult road crossing wild jungle. On the 21st the group arrived in Singapore and left immediately for Johor Bahru.

In Johor Bahru

Their next visit was to the military harbour of Seletar back in Singapore. On the 23rd they were able to observe the locations where battles took place from a hill in Kallang and saw first-hand one of the 38cm cannons that protected Singapore.

On the 24th the group flew to Palembang in Sumatra to inspect the areas where the Japanese parachutists fought and also saw the destroyed British, US and Dutch airplanes. 

On the 25 flew to Bandung in Jawa. Then to Lembang and finally to Batavia where they were treated to a lavish feast with more than 20 waiters serving them local dishes. With this last stop the part of their trip to Malaysia and East Indies was concluded and the second part, which included a visit to the Philippines, started by them returning first to Singapore.

Arriving in Bandung on a Mitsubishi Ki-57 "Topsy", possibly Model 1 with two 850hp engines.

Two more photos above of their visit in Bandung. (Bottom photo) Finland's Col Kaila is second from the left, Italy's Col Bertoni is possibly standing next to him with his right hand raised. Right next to him fiddling with his spectacles is Germany's Generalleutnant Kretschmer and third from the right is probably Romania's Major-General Bagulescu.  

In Singapore

On April 1st the group arrived in Manila and visited the military harbor in Cavite.

Inspecting in Cavite the wrecked submarine is USS Sealion (SS-195) damaged on 10 December 1941 by Japanese bombers and blown up with demolition charges on the 25th by US troops. (Thank you Luca Ruffato)

On the 3rd they drove 300km to Lingayen Gulf and spend the night in the Governor General's residence in Baguio.

On the 4th the group visited Clark Field air base and inspected the captured and destroyed US aircraft.

Clark Field

On the 5th flew to Luzon island and then to Vigan, one of the initial landing spots during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.

On April 7 the group returned to Haneda airport in Tokyo after covering no less than 20,000km by plane. 

In the Dutch archive of Japanese news in Indonesian, I recently discovered an un-edited, short and rough video featuring the group.

In this still the military attaché from Germany Generalleutnant Alfred F. Kretschmer is seen getting out of a Japanese transport aircraft, perhaps the Mitsubishi Ki-57 "Topsy" we saw in the photo above.

I believe the transport seen in the background on the right with the funky camouflage is a Nakajima Ki-34 "Thora".

Saipan - video

Japanese aircraft found by US forces at Saipan's Aslito airfield (present-day Saipan International Airport).

Some are utterly destroyed, like the Zero at the beginning; some seem undamaged, like the Zeros beneath the camouflage nets, and some appear to be positioned as decoys, like the two "Betty" bombers.

Nakajima Army Type Ko Model 4 Fighter / Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 - video

An extremely rare but short video today features Nakajima Army Type Ko Model 4 Fighters.

Here's what the English Wiki has to say about the type:

"The Japanese company Nakajima bought a pattern aircraft and built 608 for the Imperial Japanese Army as the Ko-4."

And here's what the Japanese Wiki has on the type:

In Japan, after importing 110 completed “NiD 29 C.1” aircraft, Nakajima Aircraft acquired the license to produce the aircraft. The first domestically produced aircraft made its maiden flight in December 1923, and 608 units were produced for the Imperial Japanese Army as the Type Ko Model 4 Fighter. In addition, the Army Artillery Arsenal produced 46 aircraft. Japan was the country that adopted the “NiD 29” (referred to in Japan at the time as the “Type ニ Model 29 Fighter”; “ニ” is the katakana initial of 「ニューポール」 (Nieuport)) in the greatest numbers worldwide.

The “Ko” type was manufactured by Nieuport, the “Otsu” type by Salmson, the “Hei” type by Spad, the “Tei” type by Farman, the “Bo” type by Cordonnier, and the “Ki” type by Henriot. The designation “Model 4” indicates that three other Nieuport models had already been adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army. "Model 3" was the Nieuport 24C.1 Trainer/Fighter, "Model 2" was the Nieuport 83 E.2 Trainer and, "Model 1" was the Nieuport 81 E.2 Trainer.

The engine installed in this aircraft was the “Mitsubishi Hispano-Suiza 300-horsepower engine,” a domestic version of the “Hispano-Suiza HS-8Fb water-cooled V-8 gasoline engine, 300 hp” produced at the “Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Co., Ltd., Nagoya Works.” (The abbreviation for “Hispano-Suiza-type” was “I-type” in the Army and “Hi-type” in the Navy.) 

It employed a Lamblin radiator, which offered low air resistance, and was mounted at the base of the main landing gear.

This aircraft was the first fighter to be mass-produced by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was the first Imperial Japanese Army aircraft to be equipped with two 7.7 mm machine guns (the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Mitsubishi 1MF Fighter was the first to adopt them), which were mounted above the engine and in front of the pilot’s windscreen.

Although it served as the Imperial Japanese Army’s main fighter during the Manchurian Incident, it saw almost no actual combat and was later sold off to the civilian sector for use as training aircraft and other purposes. Its successor was the Type 91 Fighter.

Messerschmitt Me 210 in Japan

According to Akimoto:

The Messerschmitt Me 210A twin-engine, two-seat fighter-bomber (serial number 2350), imported by the Army along with the Fw 190, began assembly at Kawasaki's Akashi factory in January 1943, and its maiden flight was conducted in May of the same year by pilot "シューテア" (the name is given in katakana. Google reads this as "Schuteer" or "Schulter". Leave a comment if you know the correct spelling of the German test pilot). During military testing, it made an emergency landing, damaging the landing gear struts, engine mount, and propeller, and was subsequently sold to Kawasaki for use as research equipment.

A key feature of this aircraft was its remotely controlled turrets, each equipped with a 13mm autocannon on one side of the fuselage, in addition to the fixed armament in the nose. Its bomb load could reach a maximum of 1,000 kg. While the innovative remote control mechanism for the turrets and the dive brakes attracted attention, the former was not highly regarded for its practicality, and the latter was deemed too precise to be domestically produced. Furthermore, its performance did not meet expectations.

The Japanese Wiki says it was a "Me 210 A-1", the English Wiki disagrees and says it was a "Me 210A-2" and adds:

"received one aircraft bought in Germany for tests and delivered by blockade runner. It was operated by the Testing unit of the First Tachikawa Air Army Arsenal."

An on-line source also mentions:

"The Japanese army and the Kawasaki plant in 1942 were interested in a new German heavy fighter/bomber due to the fact that the Japanese did not have any similar design. The Japanese commission, which was sent to Germany to bring the Me 210 A-1 aircraft, was impressed by this aircraft. Therefore, this aircraft was purchased and in January 1943 it was sent to Japan, probably on board the U-180 submarine.... Due to the lack of spare parts and the inability to deliver the appropriate parts from Germany, the aircraft was scrapped. However, Japanese designers used the technologies used in the Me 210 to develop the Ki-93 aircraft, and it was planned to use similar automatic cannons in the planned modernization of the Ki-74."

I could not find any reference to the Japanese using Me210 technologies on the development of the Ki-93 and the Ki-74. Furthermore, the Ki-74 was a bomber and there was no planned version equipped with "automatic cannons". The Ki-93 did have a big cannon, so, perhaps the author mixed the aircraft types.

Marcus Z left the following comment:

Hello George, according to Edwin M. Dyers' "Japanese Secret Projects" it was a Messerschmitt Me 210 A2, Werksnummer 2350 which was modified to the standard of the Me 410 (with the exception that it retained the original Daimler-Benz DB601F engines). It was sent to Japan in 1942 for evaluation. Cheers Marcus Z

Thank you Marcus.

Photos Tanaka Shoichi via Jun Oizumi

Fiat BR.20 "Cicogna" in Japanese service

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)

In case you didn't know, the best and immediately available (not ancient, out-of-print or inaccurate) reference for the "Sally" and the Fiat BR.20 in Japanese service, is the 3rd release in our Eagle Eye series.

Available from our online store: HERE