Artist - Vladimir Martinicky (12)

Vladimir Martinicky from Slovakia, sent over artwork he created for a Tsukuba Kokutai Kawanishi N1K1- Ja "Shiden" (George).

Moc ďakujem.

"Tsukuba Kokutai Fighter Squadron"

About this time last year, Dai Nippon Kaiga released a new book dedicated to the fighter squadron of the Tsukuba Kokutai, written and illustrated by Yoshino Yasutaka. It's a well researched book with plenty of photos and material. Especially interesting to modellers and historians focusing on aerial warfare in Japan during the war's final year.

Contents:

Paint Schemes and Markings of Aircraft Belonging to the Tsukuba Kokutai 

Prologue: What is the Tsukuba Kokutai? 

Part 1 – Naval Pilot Training Courses and Training Kokutai 

Part 2 – Training Aircraft of the Tsukuba Kokutai: Zero Carrier-Based Fighter Kawanishi ‘Shiden’  

Chapter 1: The Pursuit of the B-29. The first enemy the Tsukuba Kokutai engaged: the ‘B-29’

 Chapter 2: Fierce Battles with Enemy Carrier-Based Aircraft. The formidable foe that ran rampant over the Kanto region: the ‘F6F’. Verification of the serial numbers and variants of the Zero fighters from the Tsukuba Kokutai’s Fighter Squadron that participated in the interception missions.

Chapter 3: The Okinawa Air Campaign. Easier to handle than its menacing appearance suggests? The ‘F4U’. Casualties from the Tsukuba Kokutai’s Fighter Squadron.

Title: "Imperial Japanese Navy Tsukuba Fring [sic] Group, Fighter Squadron"

Authors: Yoshino Yasutaka

Published by: Dainippon Kaiga, March 2025

Pages: 176

Photos: 116

Profiles: 40

Size: 21X26cm

The book is available.

Price: $US 39.00 (Postage NOT included)

Send over an email if interested with your name and delivery address (to calculate postage): arawasiorder@gmail.com

Nakajima Ki-43-I "Hayabusa" (Oscar) by Kenneth Henderson

Nichimo 1/48 Nakajima Ki-43-I "Oscar". I really had fun building this 51-year-old kit, which is definitely a better option than the Hasegawa early "Oscar". The only real drawback of this kit is the shallow wheel wells. Some will not like all of the rivets, but they are really well done, and after a coat of paint, they look pretty good! 

I was told years ago not to use all the interior parts for the engine mounts, etc., as they will never be seen once the model is completed. I totally forgot about this and ended up removing all of mine from the firewall and drilling a hole to mount a tube to which the engine could be attached. 

I painted the model with Gunze and MRP lacquer and weathered it with oils. I started out with Aeromaster decals, but ended up painting all of the stripes and using National Markings from Rising, as the Aeromaster decals are not quite accurate when looking at the photos of this machine in FAOW #13. 

The color scheme represents a 1st Hiko-Sentai Ki-43-I flown by Major Takeda Kinshiro from Hanoi, Indochina, in October 1942.

- Kenneth Henderson - 

Aichi D3A1 "Val", "Shokaku", Battle of Eastern Solomons - video

A quite well-known short film today features Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive bombers of the aircraft carrier "Shokaku" during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.

Sidnei Maneta has a nice entry on his site, here, and I couldn't find anything to disprove or add to what he writes.

"EI-235 was flown by a wingman. EI-232 is in the foreground. By that time the planes had received a coat of green on the upper surface. The motion picture was taken by Lt. Keiichi Arima, observer of the 21st Shotai of Shokaku’s Type 99 Carrier Bomber Squadron in the 1st Strike Group at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August, 1942. After striking the Enterprise for direct hits with 250-kg ordinary bombs, PO1c Tamotsu Akimoto, wingman of Arima in the 21st Shotai Type 99 carrier bomber EI-232, looks at the camera. The aircraft commander PO1c Hiroshi Koitabashi is in the rear cockpit. The crew of EI-235 might be PO2c Ryoroku Tsuchiya in the 22nd Shotai because only three out of nine second chutai of IJN Shokaku’s carrier bombers flew by Arima, Koitabashi and Tsuchiya survived in the fierce antiaircraft and interceptions by combat air patrol F4F."

Share your thoughts if you have a different opinion on the above or if there's anything you'd like to add.

Seaplane Ground Crews in the South Pacific

A collection of photos from vintage magazines of the '40s showcases the life of seaplane maintenance crews in the islands of the South Pacific. It is rather uncommon to see seaplane dioramas; perhaps these will provide some inspiration to modellers.

Two things before you start commenting:

1. all tail markings have been removed by the wartime censor

2. the most common underwear for men at the time was the "fundoshi".

Enjoy!

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Nakajima E8N "Dave"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Note the guy waving the flag indicating to the Mitsubishi F1M "Pete" where to dock. The flag says "P3", probably indicating the unit. If that's the case then the "Pete" would belong to the 958 Kokutai which was based in Rabaul in 1943 and changed its marking to "58-" later the same year.

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete". Note the ground crew guy painting the tail marking. Green top camo but gray main float.

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete"

Mitsubishi F1M "Pete" and Aichi E13A "Jake". Very interesting is what looks like a control tower for the seaplanes in the background.

Last but not least a Nakajima A6M2-N "Rufe". Note the tarp covering the front of the plane and the tree branches "camouflaging" the starboard wing hinomaru.