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98-735: The "Naval Aviation Research Committee", which was established in 1912, has laid the foundation for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service . With the start of domestic production of aircraft and training of crew members on track, the Air Corps Three Group Plan was established in 1916 in order to further improve aircraft. On 1 April 1916 the Yokosuka Naval Air Group was formed in Oppama, Yokosuka , Kanagawa Prefecture to replace

196-922: A Hellcat group and downed another one. Ultimately, the Hikōtai lost six fighters versus eight VBF-17 fighters on the other side. Another noted encounter pitted the N1K against the Vought F4U Corsair ; two Corsairs from VBF-10, accidentally separated from their main formations, were attacked by Shidens from the 343rd. Four N1K2s were shot down. The Corsairs returned to their carrier, USS  Bunker Hill . A second encounter took place when pilots flying Shidens initially mistook Corsairs from Marine Fighter Squadron 123 (VMF-123) for Hellcats and attacked. A 30-minute aerial duel ensued, in which three Corsairs were shot down, and another five were damaged. Three other F4Us returned to their carriers and were so heavily damaged that

294-405: A Navy transport ship, Wakamiya Maru was converted into a seaplane carrier capable of carrying two assembled and two disassembled seaplanes. Wakamiya also participated in the naval maneuvers off Sasebo that year. On 23 August 1914, as a result of its treaty with Great Britain , Japan declared war on Germany . The Japanese, together with a token British force, blockaded then laid siege to

392-775: A base unit and 12 to 36 aircraft, plus four to 12 aircraft in reserve. Each naval air group consisted of several Squadrons ( 飛行隊 , Hikōtai ) of nine, 12 or 16 aircraft; this was the main IJN Air Service combat unit and was equivalent to a squadron ( 中隊 , Chutai ) in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service . Each hikotai was commanded by a Lieutenant (j.g.), Warrant Officer, or experienced Chief Petty Officer, while most pilots were non-commissioned officers . There were usually four sections in each hikotai , each section ( 小隊 , shōtai ) with three or four aircraft; by mid-1944 it

490-411: A bulky, heavy float essentially crippled the N1K against contemporary American fighters. However, Kawanishi engineers had proposed in late 1941 that the N1K would also be the basis of a formidable land-based fighter, and a land-based version was produced as a private venture by the company. This version flew on 27 December 1942, powered by a Nakajima NK9A Homare 11 18-cylinder radial engine , replacing

588-487: A cadre of naval aviators and technicians, the navy also dispatched three officers to Hammondsport and two to France for training and instruction. After their return to Japan at the end of 1912, two of the newly trained naval aviators made the first flights at Oppama on Yokosuka Bay, one in a Curtiss seaplane, the other in a Maurice Farman. In 1912, the Royal Navy had also informally established its own flying branch,

686-579: A cease-fire had been declared on 3 March. Aircrews of Kaga received a special commendation from the commander of the Third Fleet, Vice Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura , for their actions. The actions of the Japanese aviators over Shanghai represented the first significant air operations over East Asia and for the IJN it also marked the first combat operations from its aircraft carriers. The attack on Zhabei

784-727: A children's playground in San Diego , suffering considerable corrosion, and had become seriously deteriorated. In 1959 it was donated to the Museum through the cooperation of the San Diego Squadron of the Air Force Association . In October 2008 the aircraft was returned to display following an extensive eight year restoration. Many parts had to be reverse engineered by the Museum's restoration staff. Four different aircraft serial numbers were found on parts throughout

882-537: A completely second place. The main object seems to be to inspire terror by the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians...» At the beginning of the Pacific war the Imperial Japanese Navy possessed the most powerful carrier force in the world, through combination of excellent ships, well-designed aircraft, and unsurpassed aviators. The Navy Air Service consisted of five naval air fleets. The Japanese had

980-416: A fleet action and had no clear vision as to the role of air power in naval warfare. But with the continued increase in the range and power of aircraft, carriers became acknowledged for their ability to strike at targets beyond the range of surface guns and torpedoes. Including gunnery staffs as well as naval aviators, the IJN became convinced that carrier aircraft should be used for a preemptive strike against

1078-804: A float plane, and the expected protracted development period led Nakajima to develop an interim float plane fighter based on the Zero, the Nakajima A6M2-N . In the end, the Kyofu only saw limited service, mostly in Southeast Asia. A number were flown out of Ambon and the Aru Islands in the Moluccas, while some were stationed at Penang Island , off the Malayan peninsula. They were also used in

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1176-407: A high-quality and long-serving pilot corps, who were very successful in the air during the early part of World War II in the Pacific. However, the long duration of the training program, combined with a shortage of gasoline for training, did not allow the IJN to rapidly provide qualified replacements in sufficient numbers. Moreover, Japan, unlike the U.S. or Britain, never altered its program to speed up

1274-477: A low position, which permitted the use of a shorter, conventional undercarriage. The fuselage was lengthened and the tail redesigned. The production of the entire aircraft was simplified: over a third of the parts used in the previous Shiden could still be used in its successor, while construction used fewer critical materials. The N1K1 redesign was approximately 250 kg (550 lb) lighter, while faster and more reliable than its predecessor. The Homare engine

1372-482: A mass aerial attack also shifted the emphasis away from the protection of the main battle fleet to attacks on targets over the horizon. Essential to the implementation of such a tactic was the locating of the enemy before the enemy found the Japanese carriers. As a consequence, it was important to the Japanese that naval aircraft be able to "outrange the enemy" in the air, just as Japanese surface forces could do by naval gunnery and torpedo attacks. Subsequently, throughout

1470-483: A naval air training unit at Kasumigaura, the air station became the principal flight training center for the navy. The Japanese navy had closely monitored the progress of aviation of the three Allied naval powers during World War I and concluded that Britain had made the greatest advances in naval aviation. They had also learned a good deal about naval aviation through their contacts within the Royal Navy. In 1920,

1568-536: A representative had also been sent to Britain to observe air operations off the decks of Furious . In 1921, the Japanese government formally requested that the British dispatch a naval air mission, in order to develop and to provide a professional edge to Japanese naval aviation. There were reservations on the part of the Admiralty , about granting the Japanese unrestricted access to British technology. Despite this

1666-691: A resolution by the Far Eastern Advisory Committee of the League of Nations . Lord Cranborne , the British Under-Secretary of State For Foreign Affairs, expressed his indignation in his own declaration. Words cannot express the feelings of profound horror with which the news of these raids had been received by the whole civilized world. They are often directed against places far from the actual area of hostilities. The military objective, where it exists, seems to take

1764-543: A result, the planes were distributed to elite naval fighter units such as 343 Kōkūtai ("343rd Naval Air Group"), constituted on 25 December 1944 and commanded by Minoru Genda . The new Kōkūtai included some of Japan's most experienced fighter pilots, such as Naoshi Kanno and Saburo Sakai . The unit received the best available naval equipment, such as the Nakajima C6N Saiun , codenamed "Myrt" long-range reconnaissance aircraft . On 18 March 1945, one of

1862-577: A total of ten aircraft carriers: six fleet carriers, three smaller carriers, and one training carrier. The 11th Air Fleet : contained most of the Navy's land based strike aircraft. One important advantage exercised by the Japanese at the start of the war was their ability to mass carrier air power. In April 1941 the First Air Fleet was created, concentrating the Navy's carriers into a single powerful striking unit. The Kido Butai (Mobile Unit/Force)

1960-477: A year later. With these two carriers much of Imperial Japanese Navy's doctrines and operating procedures were established. When Hōshō was completed, little thought was given to naval aircraft in an offensive role and moreover with only one carrier there was insufficient consideration given to carrier doctrine within the Japanese naval establishment. However, in 1928 the First Carrier Division

2058-680: Is at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida . The second N1K2-Ja (s/n 5312 ), a fighter-bomber variant equipped with wing mounts to carry bombs, is on display in the Air Power gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force , at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton , Ohio . This aircraft was displayed outside for many years in

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2156-503: Is known to be from the 343rd Kōkūtai, as the unit flew sorties in the area, but the tail code is unknown as it was partially restored from a corroded wreck recovered from the sea. After an aerial battle on July 24, 1945, its pilot ditched the aircraft in the waters of the Bungo Channel , but he was never found; by the time of the aircraft's recovery from the seabed on July 14, 1979, he could be identified only as one of six pilots from

2254-677: Is owned by the National Air and Space Museum but was restored by the Champlin Fighter Museum at Falcon Field , Mesa , Arizona , in return for the right to display the aircraft at Falcon Field for 10 years after restoration. It currently is on display at the National Air and Space Museum 's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center The fourth authentic Shiden-Kai is displayed in a local museum at Nanreku Misho Koen in Ehime Prefecture , Shikoku , Japan. This aircraft

2352-634: The "Myrts" spotted U.S. carriers en route to Japan. The following morning, Shiden aircraft flown by 343 Kōkūtai intercepted 300 American aircraft. Many of the Shiden forces were N1K2s. When the Shidens encountered Grumman F6F Hellcats from USN Fighter Bomber Squadron 17 (VBF-17), three aircraft were lost on both sides in the initial attack: one Hellcat and two Shiden s were shot down by enemy ground fire, two fighters collided in mid-air, and one Hellcat crashed while trying to land. Another Shiden dived on

2450-627: The Battle of Okinawa . Towards the end of the war, Kyofu s were also used in the homeland defense role, operating from Lake Biwa by the Sasebo Air Corps and the Ōtsu Air Corps. The N1K was powered by the Mitsubishi MK4C Kasei 13 14-cylinder radial engine. Top speed was 489 km/h (304 mph); considerably less than the unrealistic Navy 310 kn (574 km/h; 357 mph) requirement. The requirement to carry

2548-552: The Kawanishi N1K-J would not enter service until late 1944–1945, which was too late to have a meaningful impact. The beginnings of Japanese naval aviation were established in 1912, with the creation of a Commission on Naval Aeronautical Research ( Kaigun Kokūjutsu Kenkyūkai ) under the authority of the Technical Department. The commission was charged with the promotion of aviation technology and training for

2646-460: The Kido Butai could wield the aircraft of its three divisions as a single entity bringing masses of aircraft crewed by highly trained aviators onto a single target. During the first six months of the war Japanese naval air power achieved spectacular success and spearheaded offensive operations against Allied forces. On 7 December 1941, the IJN's Kido Butai attacked Pearl Harbor, crippling

2744-510: The N1K Kyōfū ( 強風 , "Strong Wind", Allied reporting name " Rex "), a floatplane designed to support forward offensive operations where no airstrips were available, and the N1K-J Shiden ( 紫電 , "Violet Lightning", reporting name " George "), a land-based version of the N1K. The N1K-J was considered by both its pilots and opponents to be one of the finest land-based fighters flown by

2842-650: The Philippines and Darwin in northern Australia . In these battles, the Japanese veterans of the Chinese war did well against inexperienced Allied pilots flying obsolete aircraft. However, their advantage did not last. In the Battle of the Coral Sea , the Battle of Midway , and again in the Guadalcanal Campaign , the Japanese lost many veteran pilots. Because the Japanese pilot training program

2940-410: The Philippines , and, later, Okinawa . Before production was switched to the improved N1K2-J, 1,007 aircraft, including prototypes, were produced. Because of production difficulties and damage done by B-29 raids on factories, only 415 of the superior N1K2-J fighters were produced. The N1K2-J Shiden-Kai proved to be one of the best dogfighting aircraft produced by either side. Along with high speed,

3038-553: The Royal Naval Air Service . The Japanese admirals, whose own Navy had been modeled on the Royal Navy and whom they admired, themselves proposed their own Naval Air Service. The Japanese Navy had also observed technical developments in other countries and saw that the airplane had potential. Within a year, the Imperial Japanese navy had begun the operational use of aircraft. In 1913, the following year,

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3136-801: The Shiden , especially the Kai version, proved to be a capable dogfighter with a potent combination of firepower, agility, and rugged structure. The premier unit flying the Shiden , 343rd Kōkūtai , remained operational until overwhelming unit losses obliged the group to stand down. The 343rd was disbanded on 14 August 1945 when the Emperor ordered surrender. All four surviving Shiden Kai aircraft are now displayed in American and Japanese museums, while all three surviving Kyofu aircraft are displayed/stored in American museums. One N1K2-J (s/n 5128, tail code A343-19)

3234-571: The "Naval Aviation Research Committee". On 1 September 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake caused great damage to facilities and equipment. On 1 June 1930 the first class of naval flight reserve trainees joined the service, and after that preparatory training was conducted in Yokosuka until 1945. Around 1932 Minoru Genda who worked as instructor at Yokosuka created an aerobatic squadron called "Genda Circus" which served to increase

3332-407: The 1930s, Japanese naval aviation emphasized range in its specifications for new aircraft. In addition to developing carrier-based aviation, the IJN maintained many land-based air groups. In the early 1930s, the Japanese created a new category of aircraft termed rikujo kogeki-ki (land based attack aircraft) or Rikko for short. This was in keeping with the strategy of providing a rapid defense of

3430-414: The 1937–41 air offensives failed in its political and psychological aims, it did reduce the flow of strategic materiel to China and for a time, improved the Japanese military situation in the central and southern parts of the country. The China War was of great importance and value to the Japanese naval aviation in demonstrating how aircraft could contribute to the projection of naval power ashore. Despite

3528-502: The 343rd squadron who disappeared that day. Photographs of the six—including Takashi Oshibuchi , commander of the 701 Hikōtai , and Kaneyoshi Muto —are displayed under the aircraft engine. In 2019, the aircraft was restored to non-flying condition. N1K1 Kyōfū (s/n 514) is in storage at the National Air and Space Museum 's Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland . N1K1 Kyōfū (s/n 562)

3626-781: The British government sent an unofficial civil aviation mission to Japan. The Sempill Mission led by Captain William Forbes-Sempill , a former officer in the Royal Air Force experienced in the design and testing of Royal Navy aircraft during the First World War. The mission consisted of 27 members, who were largely personnel with experience in naval aviation and included pilots and engineers from several British aircraft manufacturing firms. The British technical mission left for Japan in September with

3724-466: The Chinese were planning to mount a counteroffensive, the Japanese bombers carried out attacks on Chinese airfields at Hangzhou and Suzhou between 23 and 26 February, destroying a number of aircraft on the ground. On 26 February, six A1N2 fighters from Hōshō , while escorting nine bombers from Kaga on a bombing raid on an airfield at Hangzhou, engaged five Chinese aircraft and shot down three of them. The Japanese carriers returned to home waters after

3822-575: The Circle One expansion moved up to 1937 and an all-out effort was also made to complete the aircraft production of the Circle Two program by the end of the same year. By the end of 1937, the navy possessed 563 land-based aircraft, in addition to the 332 aircraft aboard its carrier fleet. The navy air service had a total of 895 aircraft and 2,711 aircrew, including pilots and navigators, in thirty-nine air groups. Although, this total 895 aircraft

3920-557: The German colony of Jiaozhou and its administrative capital Qingdao on the Shandong peninsula . During the siege, starting from September, four Farman seaplanes (two active and two reserve) on board Wakamiya conducted reconnaissance and aerial bombardments on German positions and ships. The aircraft had crude bombsights and carried six to ten bombs that had been converted from shells, and were released through metal tubes on each side of

4018-456: The IJN's first aerial combat on 5 February, when three fighters escorting two bombers were engaged by nine Chinese fighters over Zhenru; one Chinese fighter was damaged. On 22 February, while escorting three B1M3 torpedo bombers, three fighters from Kaga operating from Kunda Airfield scored the IJN's first aerial victory when they shot down a Boeing 218 fighter, flown by an American volunteer pilot Robert Short . After gaining intelligence that

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4116-616: The Japanese during World War II . An improved variant, the N1K2-J " Shiden-Kai " (紫電改) first flew on 1 January 1944. The Shiden Kai possessed heavy armament, as well as surprisingly good maneuverability, due to a mercury switch that automatically extended the flaps during turns. These "combat" flaps created more lift, thereby allowing tighter turns. Unlike the Mitsubishi A6M Zero , the Shiden Kai could compete against

4214-488: The Japanese with secret information on the latest British aviation technology. His espionage work helped Japan rapidly develop its military aircraft and its technologies before the Second World War . Japanese interest in the potential of carrier operations demonstrated by the observations on board Furious led to the inclusion of an aircraft carrier in the eight-eight fleet program of 1918. The 7,470-ton Hōshō

4312-591: The Sempill mission of 1921–22 marked the true beginning of an effective Japanese naval air force. Japanese naval aviation also, both in technology and in doctrine, continued to be dependent on the British model for most of the 1920s. The military in Japan were also aided in their quest to build up their naval forces by Sempill himself, who had become a Japanese spy. Over the next 20 years, the British Peer provided

4410-519: The Shiden-Kai offered pilots an agile aircraft with a roll rate of 82°/sec at 386 km/h (240 mph), backing four powerful 20 mm cannons in the wings. As a bomber interceptor , the N1K2-J fared less well, hampered by a poor rate of climb and a reduced engine performance at high altitude. The N1K2-J Shiden-Kai offered a formidable, if demanding, aircraft in limited quantities. As

4508-581: The U.S Pacific Fleet by destroying over 188 aircraft at the cost of 29 aircraft. On 10 December, Japanese naval land based bombers operating from bases in Indochina, were also responsible for the sinkings of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse which was the first time that capital ships were sunk by aerial attack while underway. In April 1942, the Indian Ocean raid drove the Royal Navy from South East Asia. There were also air raids carried out on

4606-610: The U.S. squadrons 63. The losses were 15 Shidens and 13 pilots, a "Myrt", its three-person crew, and nine other Japanese fighters. The U.S. also took heavy losses: 14 fighters and seven pilots, plus 11 attack aircraft. Five days later, an unofficial award was sent to 343rd Kōkūtai for the bravery shown on 19 March. On 12 April 1945, another fierce battle involved the 343rd during the mass kamikaze attack on Kikusui N.2. The Japanese recorded several kills but suffered 12 losses out of 34 aircraft. On 4 May, another 24 Shidens were sent to Kikusui N.5. In every encounter with enemy fighters,

4704-544: The air service. The various air operations and activities during peacetime, which were divided between the Navy Ministry and the Navy Technical Department, were now merged into a single Naval Aviation Department. In 1932, an independent Naval Air Arsenal was also established to streamline the testing and development of aircraft and weaponry. During their early years, these organizations were under

4802-518: The airframe, indicating reassembly from three different wrecks brought back to the U.S. for examination, or wartime assembly or repair from parts obtained from three different aircraft. Serial number 5312 was found in the most locations, and is the number now cited. This N1K2-Ja is painted as an aircraft in the Yokosuka Kōkūtai , an evaluation and test unit. This is indicated by the tail code (Yo)ヨ-105. The third example (s/n 5341, tail code A343-35)

4900-715: The beginning of the Pacific War. The IJN also maintained a shore-based system of naval air fleets called Koku Kantai and area air fleets called homen kantai containing mostly twin-engine bombers and seaplanes. The senior command was the Eleventh Naval Air Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara . Land based aircraft provided the bulk of Japan's naval aviation up to the eve of World War II. Each naval air fleet contained one or more naval air flotillas (commanded by Rear Admirals) each with two or more naval air groups. Each naval air group consisted of

4998-539: The best late-war Allied fighters, such as the F6F Hellcat , F4U Corsair , and P-51 Mustang . Kawanishi's N1K was originally built as a single pontoon floatplane fighter to support forward offensive operations where no airstrips were available, but by 1943 when the aircraft entered service, Japan was firmly on the defensive, and there was no longer a need for a fighter to fulfill this role. The Navy's requirements for this fighter were nearly impossible to achieve for

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5096-641: The building of seaborne units, both floatplanes and carrier aircraft. The Circle Two plan continued the buildup in naval aircraft and authorized the construction of two aircraft carriers. In January 1932, clashes between Chinese and Japanese forces occurred in Shanghai . On 29 January, several aircraft from the seaplane tender Notoro , anchored in the Yangtze river , carried out low-level attacks on Chinese military positions in Zhabei , on artillery positions outside

5194-563: The city and on an armored train at a railway station in the northern part of the city. There were heavy civilian casualties and property losses, partly as a result of crude bombing techniques and mechanisms at the time. The Third Fleet consisting of the First Carrier Division with the carriers Kaga and Hōshō was also dispatched to the city. Kaga arrived off the entrance of the Yangtze River on 1 February, and

5292-531: The cockpit. On 5 September, during the first successful operation, two Farman seaplanes dropped several bombs on the Bismarck battery, the main German fortifications in Tsingtao. The bombs landed harmlessly in the mud, but the aircraft were able to confirm that the light cruiser SMS  Emden was not at Tsingtao; this was intelligence of major importance to Allied naval command. On 30 September Wakamiya

5390-473: The command of able air enthusiasts, who played a major role in the rapid expansion of Japanese naval aviation during the following decade. The London Naval Treaty of 1930 had imposed new limitations on warship construction, which caused the Navy General Staff to view naval aviation as a way to make up for the shortcomings in the surface fleet. In 1931, the air service pushed for and established

5488-408: The controls. The Nakajima Homare was powerful, but had been rushed into production before it was sufficiently developed, and proved troublesome. Another problem was landing gear failure due to poor heat treatment of the wheels. Apart from engine problems and the landing gear, the flight test program showed that the aircraft was promising. Prototypes were evaluated by the Navy, and since the aircraft

5586-404: The end of 1937. They were to operate out of six new air stations at Ōminato, Saeki, Yokohama , Maizuru, Kanoya, and Kisarazu in the home islands and Chinhae on the southern coast of Korea. Under the pressure of the second Vinson plan , initiated by the United States, the Japanese increased the momentum in building up their land-based air forces. The deadline for completion date of the aviation of

5684-448: The end of World War I, when plans had been drawn up for 17 of them, however these plans were not fully implemented until 1931. They were to be located at six air stations around the Japanese home islands: Yokosuka, Sasebo, Kasumigaura, Omura, Tateyama, and Kure. These units were composed of various types of aircraft which were mostly seaplanes. In absolute numbers, land-based aircraft provided the largest growth in Japaneses naval air power in

5782-434: The enemy's carriers to achieve air superiority in the proximity of the surface battle. Around 1932–33, the IJN began to shift its aerial focus from targeting the enemy's battleships to their aircraft carriers; and by the mid-30s, with the improved performance of bombing aircraft and particularly dive-bombers, the destruction of the enemy's carrier force became the primary focus of Japan's carrier forces. The emerging concept of

5880-440: The fierce rivalry between the military branches, in the fall of 1937 General Matsui Iwane, the Army general in command of the theater, admitted the superiority of the Naval Air Services. His combat troops relied on the Navy for air support. Naval bombers such as the Mitsubishi G3M and Mitsubishi G4M were used to bomb Chinese cities. Japanese fighter planes, notably the Mitsubishi Zero , gained tactical air superiority; control of

5978-436: The formation of 17 squadrons of these aircraft, but budgetary constraints limited the units to eleven until 1931. Under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty two incomplete capital ships were allowed to be rebuilt as carriers, for the Japanese; Akagi and Amagi . However, Amagi was damaged during the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923 and Kaga became a replacement. Akagi was completed in 1927 while Kaga completed

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6076-446: The formation shot down four Hellcats with no loss to themselves. After the action, Japanese propagandists fabricated a story in which Muto was the sole airman facing 12 enemy aircraft. (A leading Japanese ace, Saburō Sakai , later asserted in his autobiography that Muto had done this feat at an earlier stage of the war – albeit at the controls of a Zero fighter. ) The N1K1-J aircraft were used very effectively over Formosa (Taiwan) ,

6174-492: The home islands against the possible westward advance of an American naval offensive across the Pacific. Land-based aircraft actually provided the bulk of Japanese naval aviation up to the eve of the Pacific War. In this regard, Japan was unique among the three major naval powers during the interwar period and the immediate prewar years with only the two air wings of the US Marine Corps being analogous to Japan's land based naval air units. The creation of these air units had begun at

6272-494: The increase in aircraft performance) as a means to attack battleships and other surface targets. Naval aviators however, had a different perspective. Believing that a major aerial engagement to clear the space over the opposing fleets would precede the final surface battle, they increasingly considered the enemy's carriers as the main targets of naval air power. Hence, in the early 1930s, the Imperial Japanese Navy adhered to no unified doctrine as to how carriers would be utilized in

6370-432: The island . Afterwards the unit was moved to Kyushu and engaged in kamikaze attacks and air defense battles in the Kantō area . Its former site is currently occupied by the Nissan Oppama car manufacturing plant. The list is based on the Japanese wiki article . Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ( 大日本帝國海軍航空隊 , Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Kōkū-tai ) ( IJNAS )

6468-492: The less powerful MK4C Kasei 13 of the N1K-1. The aircraft retained the mid-mounted wing of the floatplane; combined with the large propeller, this necessitated a long, stalky main landing gear . A unique feature was the aircraft's combat flaps that automatically adjusted in response to acceleration, freeing up the pilot's concentration and reducing the chance of stalling in combat. The N1K did have temperamental flight characteristics, however, that required an experienced touch at

6566-612: The mission also brought to Kasumigaura well over a hundred aircraft comprising twenty different models, five of which were then currently in service with the Royal Air Force, including the Sparrowhawk. These planes eventually provided the inspiration for the design of a number of Japanese naval aircraft. Technicians became familiar with the newest aerial weapons and equipment - torpedoes, bombs, machine guns, cameras, and communications gear. Naval aviators were trained in various techniques such as torpedo bombing, flight control and carrier landing and take-offs; skills that would later be employed in

6664-435: The navy. Initially was focus was in non-rigid airships but it quickly moved on to the development of winged and powered aircraft. That year, the commission decided to purchase foreign winged aircraft and to send junior officers abroad to learn how to fly and maintain them. The navy purchased two seaplanes from the Glenn Curtiss factory in Hammondsport , New York, and two Maurice Farman seaplanes from France. To establish

6762-408: The objective of helping the Imperial Japanese Navy develop and improve the proficiency of its naval air arm. The British government also hoped it would lead to a lucrative arms deal . The mission arrived at Kasumigaura Naval Air Station the following month, in November 1921, and stayed in Japan for 18 months. The Japanese were trained on several British aircraft such as the Gloster Sparrowhawk ; as

6860-478: The pilots were the carrier-based air groups ( Kōkūtai , later called koku sentai ) whose size (from a handful to 80 or 90 aircraft) was dependent on both the mission and type of aircraft carrier that they were on. Fleet carriers had three types of aircraft: fighters, level/torpedo planes, and dive bombers. Smaller carriers tended to have only two types, fighters and level/torpedo planes. The carrier-based Kōkūtai numbered over 1,500 pilots and just as many aircraft at

6958-426: The planes were scrapped. No Shidens were lost to Corsairs in that aerial battle. Losses for the Japanese N1K pilots occurred in a related action. However, two Shidens were shot down upon return for landing by Hellcats of Fighting Squadron 9 (VF-9). At the same time, many more Shidens were destroyed by American fighters over another airfield where low on fuel, their pilots tried to land. The 343rd claimed 52 kills, and

7056-835: The public appeal of the Navy Air Service. Once the Pacific War started on 8 December 1941 the unit continued its training and testing role. From February 1944 the unit was ordered to be deployed in combat. On 15 June 1944, with the launch of Operation A-Go , it formed a part of the 27th Air Flotilla and Yawata Air Attack Unit and was deployed to Iwo Jima to support the Mariana Islands operations. Due to intensive air combat and enemy air raids on Iwo Jima, all aircraft had been lost by 4 July 1944. The remaining service members returned to Yokosuka by transport plane, but some stayed on Iwo Jima and lost their lives defending

7154-465: The rare Japanese aircraft that offered pilots an even chance against late-war American designs, such as the F6F Hellcat and the F4U Corsair , and could be a formidable weapon in the hands of an ace. In February 1945, Ensign Kaneyoshi Muto , flying an N1K2-J as part of a mixed formation of at least 10 Japanese aircraft, faced seven U.S. Navy Hellcat pilots from squadron VF-82 in the sky over Japan;

7252-448: The relative precision of its bombing techniques during clear weather. From the onset of hostilities in 1937 until forces were diverted to combat for the Pacific war in 1941, naval aircraft played a key role in military operations on the Chinese mainland. The IJN had two primary responsibilities: the first was to support of amphibious operations on the Chinese coast and the second was the strategic aerial bombardment of Chinese cities. This

7350-580: The remainder of the 17 air squadrons that had been projected in the 1923 expansion plans. These were eventually combined into six air groups ( kokutai ) located at six bases around Japan. Furthermore, the Circle naval expansion programs featured an additional 12 air groups. They also included the development of specific aviation technologies and the acceleration of air crew training. The Circle One plan concentrated on developing new aircraft types, including large flying boats and land-based attack aircraft, as well as

7448-703: The rest of the war, particularly in the Battle of the Philippine Sea . In the Battle of Leyte Gulf a few months later, the First Air Fleet was used only as a decoy force to draw the main American fleet away from Leyte. The remnants of Japanese naval aviation were then limited to land-based operations, increasingly characterized by kamikaze attacks on American invasion fleets. From 16 December 1941 to 20 March 1945 IJN aviation casualties killed were 14,242 aircrew and 1,579 officers. The IJNAS had over 3,089 aircraft in 1941 and 370 trainers. The elite of

7546-461: The shallow waters of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The mission also brought the plans of the most recent British aircraft carriers, such as HMS Argus and HMS Hermes , which influenced the final stages of the development of the carrier Hōshō . By the time the last members of the mission had returned to Britain, the Japanese had acquired a reasonable grasp of the latest aviation technology and

7644-527: The skies over China belonged to the Japanese. Unlike other naval airforces, the IJNAS was responsible for strategic bombing and operated long ranged bombers. The Japanese strategic bombing was mostly done against Chinese big cities, such as Shanghai , Wuhan and Chongqing , with around 5,000 raids from February 1938 to August 1943. The bombing of Nanjing and Guangzhou , which began on 22 and 23 September 1937, called forth widespread protests culminating in

7742-533: The training process of its recruits. The resultant decrease in quantity and quality, among other factors, resulted in increasing casualties toward the end of the war. Japanese navy aviators, like their army counterparts , preferred maneuverable aircraft, leading to lightly built but extraordinarily agile types, most famously the A6M Zero , which achieved its feats by sacrificing armor and self-sealing fuel tanks. Aircraft with armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, such as

7840-418: The world's first purpose-built aircraft carrier, Hōshō , in 1922. Afterwards they embarked on a conversion program of several excess battlecruisers and battleships into aircraft carriers. The IJN Air Service had the mission of national air defence, deep strike, naval warfare, and so forth. It retained this mission to the end. The Japanese pilot training program was very selective and rigorous, producing

7938-459: The years before the Pacific War. The Circle One naval expansion program which had been formulated in 1927 and put into effect in 1931 called for the creation of 28 new air groups. Although only 14 groups were actually established by 1934, which was a response to American naval expansion under the first Vinson plan, the Circle Two program called for eight additional air groups to be created by

8036-567: Was also the most destructive aerial attack on an urban area until the Condor Legion 's attack on Guernica , five years later. Although perceived as insignificant skirmishes, the resulting aerial campaign led to several conclusions: though the A1N2 fighter proved to be inferior in performance to the Boeing 218, the campaign had demonstrated the above average flying skills of the IJN's pilots and

8134-423: Was common for a shotai to have four aircraft. There were over 90 naval air groups at the start of the Pacific War, each assigned either a name or a number. The named naval air groups were usually linked to a particular navy air command or a navy base. They were usually numbered when they left Japan. Kawanishi N1K The Kawanishi N1K is an Imperial Japanese Navy fighter aircraft , developed in two forms:

8232-407: Was considerably less than total American naval air strength for the same period, Japan's land based aviation force was substantially larger. The substantial land-based air power worked to Japan's advantage when the nation went to war in 1937 with China. By 1927 Japanese naval aviation had grown sufficiently in size and complexity that it was necessary to consolidate the administrative organization of

8330-487: Was damaged by a mine and later sent back to Japan for repairs. But the seaplanes, by transferring on to the shore, continued to be used against the German defenders until their surrender on 7 November 1914. Wakamiya conducted the world's first naval-launched aerial raids in history and was in effect the first aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. By the end of the siege the aircraft had conducted 50 sorties and dropped 200 bombs, although damage to German defenses

8428-620: Was faster than the Zero and had a much longer range than the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden , it was ordered into production as the N1K1-J , the -J indicating a land-based fighter modification of the original floatplane fighter. Only four days after the Shiden ' s first test flight, a complete redesign began. The N1K2-J addressed the N1K1-J's major defects, primarily the mid-mounted wing and long landing gear. The wings were moved to

8526-478: Was formed with three carriers and the study of the role of aircraft carriers in a naval engagement was initiated. Because of the short range of carrier aircraft at the time, many in the naval hierarchy were still very much surface oriented . They viewed carrier aircraft to be employed as support for the main battle fleet and not as offensive weapons. Aircraft were to act as scouts and spotters, layers of smoke screens for naval gunfire, fleet air defense, and later (with

8624-505: Was joined by Hōshō two days later. On board Hōshō were ten fighters and nine torpedo bombers, while Kaga had 16 fighters and 32 torpedo bombers. Altogether, the Japanese had eighty aircraft that could be deployed over Shanghai, mostly Nakajima A1N2 fighters and Mitsubishi B1M3 torpedo bombers. On 3 February, a number of the aircraft from the two carriers were deployed to Kunda Airfield, where they flew missions in support of Japanese ground forces. Aircraft from Hōshō participated in

8722-511: Was laid down in December 1919 at Yokohama. Hōshō was the second warship after the British Hermes to be designed from the keel up as an aircraft carrier and the first one to be completed as from the keel up. In the 1920s, the larger percentage of aircraft that were initially acquired and inducted into service were land based seaplanes whose main tasks were reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols. The Japanese had drawn up plans for

8820-648: Was light. In 1916, the Commission on Naval Aeronautical Research was disbanded and the funds supporting it were reallocated for the establishment of three naval air units ( hikotai ) which would fall under the authority of the Naval Affairs Bureau of the Navy Ministry . The first unit was established at Yokosuka in April 1916, however, the lack of a specific naval air policy in these early years

8918-611: Was made apparent by the fact that the Yokosuka Air Group operated with the fleet only once a year when it was transported briefly to whatever training area the IJN was then using for maneuvers. Japanese naval aviation, though, continued to make progress. In 1917, officers at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal designed and built the first Japanese seaplane, the Ro-Go Ko-gata reconnaissance seaplane, which

9016-487: Was much more useful at sea and much safer than the Maurice Farman aircraft that the navy had been using up to that point. The aircraft was eventually mass-produced and became the mainstay of the navy's air arm until the mid-1920s. Japanese factories by the end of the war, in increasing numbers, were beginning to turn out engines and fuselages based on foreign designs. A major expansion in Japanese naval air strength

9114-483: Was part of the 1918 naval expansion program which made possible a new air group and a naval air station at Sasebo. In 1918, the IJN secured land around Lake Kasumigaura in Ibaraki Prefecture , northeast of Tokyo. The following year, a naval air station for both land and sea aircraft was established, and subsequently, naval air training was transferred to Kasumigaura, from Yokosuka. After the establishment of

9212-492: Was retained, even though reliability problems persisted, as no alternative was available. A prototype of the new version flew on 1 January 1944. After completing Navy trials in April, the N1K2-J was rushed into production. This variant was named the " Shiden-Kai " (紫電改), with Kai meaning modified . The N1K1-J Shiden entered service in early 1944. The N1K1-J and the N1K2 Shiden-Kai released later that year were among

9310-567: Was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War . The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 and followed the development of air combat during World War I with great interest. They initially procured European aircraft but quickly built their own and launched themselves onto an ambitious aircraft carrier building program. They launched

9408-490: Was the First Air Fleet's operational component. At the start of the war, three carrier divisions made up the Kido Butai . Unlike in the United States Navy where carrier divisions served only in an administrative capacity, the carrier divisions of the Kido Butai were operational entities. The two carriers in a division fought together, often exchanging aircraft squadrons and commanders on strikes. The commander of

9506-714: Was unable to increase its production rate, those veterans could not be replaced. Meanwhile, the American pilot training program went from strength to strength. The American aircraft industry rapidly increased production rates of new designs that rendered their Japanese opponents obsolescent. Examination of crashed or captured Japanese aircraft revealed that they achieved their superior range and maneuverability by doing without cockpit armor and self-sealing fuel tanks . Flight tests showed that they lost maneuverability at high speeds. American pilots were trained to take advantage of these weaknesses. The outdated Japanese aircraft and poorly trained pilots suffered great losses in any air combat for

9604-612: Was unique in naval history, as it was the first time that any naval air service had ever carried out such an effort. The campaign initially began in 1937, taking place largely in the Yangtze River basin with attacks on military installations along the Chinese coast by Japanese carrier aircraft. Naval involvement reached its peak in 1938–39 with the ferocious bombardment of cities deep in the Chinese interior by land-based medium bombers and concluded during 1941 with an attempt by tactical aircraft, both carrier and land-based, to cut communication and transportation routes in southern China. Although,

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