B-29 Hunter - Ki-44-II Otsu
47th
Sentai
History:
Nakajima Type 2 heavy fighter, the Ki-44 Shoki, was developed from the1939 Air
Headquarters (Koko Hombu) requirement for a different type of fighter. In all
previous requirements; responsiveness, classic dog-fighting as in WWI, and
agility were utmost, however, this requirement was for rate-of-climb, speed, and
ability to withstand battle damage. Initial trials against the Zero saw it
totally fail, and only equaled the performance of the Ki-27 and Ki-43.
Many changes were made,
including a set of Ki-43 like "butterfly" combat flaps
fitted for improved maneuverability, aerodynamic changes especially to
the engine housing, the aircraft was finally production ready, with only 40
Ki-44-I’s built before the -II Otsu commenced production. The Otsu was the
best of the series with top speed of 376 mph at 17,060 feet with ascent to
16,000 feet in 4 minutes 17 seconds, armed with 4 machine guns. The -III Hei
only had a few built before suspension in late 1944 in order to build the Ki-84.
With high wing loading, this
created fast speeds for landing and tricky handling, it was thought fighter
pilots with over 1,000 hours of flight time in their log books should only fly
it. This caution was found to be un-needed and by late war it was decided
relatively inexperienced pilots could handle it.
Pilot opinion was subjective,
those that flew the nimble Ki-27 and Ki-43 disliked it intensely, as it lacked
maneuverability and for its highspeed landing. However, it was respected for its
outstanding dive characteristics, rapid roll rate and an excellent gun platform,
consisting of a pair of 7.7 mm (.303 in) and a pair of 12.7 mm
(.50 in) machine guns. Later, the "IIc" had a single 20 mm
cannon replacing the wing mounted machine gun, limited numbers of aircraft had
devastating 40 mm mounts. Those willing to accept the planes characteristics and
to exploit them were far and few between.
Limited success was partly due to
only 1227 variants of this type being produced, which was 9% of the single
engine JAAF aircraft produced during the war. It was deployed mostly in China,
also in Burma, East Indies, and the Philippines. The Ki-44 (Ki for "kitai"
which is airframe type number) Shokai ("The Demon Queller", a Taoist
temple deity traditionally regarded as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings),
or named by the allies as "Tojo", is mostly known for its Homeland
Defense deployment against the B-29.
Click on
images below to see larger images
|
|
The 47th
Chutai:
Nine aircraft were received by an experimental unit, 47th
Chutai "Kawasemi Buntai" ("Kingfisher Flight,
47th Squadron"), commanded by Major Toshio Sakagawa at Saigon
Indochina in early September 1941. As a result of the "Doolittle
Raid", having laid bare the lack of a Home Defense lead by the 244th with
obsolete Ki-27’s, the wake-up call ordered the 47th Chutai to return to Japan,
on April 25th 1942 they did. The 47th was assigned to the 10th Air Division and
rated as the "best" with many skilled pilots, even though the 244th
gained most of the limelight.
In October 1943, the 47th worked
its way into "Sentai" status at Choufu Air base. Its tail emblem was a
stylized version of the number 47 with each Chutai (squadron) displaying in its
own colors, for this model, yellow for the 3rd Chutai. 47th Sentai. It disbanded
at the end of the war at Ozuki, Yamaguchi Prefecture then operating the Ki-84.
November 1, 1944 the 47th saw its
first B-29 homeland action when a F-13 photo-recon, variant of the B-29, from
the 3rd Photographic group came in at 32,000 ft to map the Kanto plain. At 1300
hours the 47th scrambled available Tojo’s and began there long climb toward
the bombers. Leading was Capt. Jun Shimizu, the 1st Chutai commander, as the
formation reached 27,000 ft the planes began wallowing and started stalling,
some pilots dropped their nose to climb at a shallower angle. Shimizu and his
wingman Lt. Matsuzaki got within 3000 ft of the plane, struggling to keep their
planes controlled, fired short bursts with no hits.
The IIc version were armed with
heavy cannon, using caseless ammunition with a low muzzle velocity was affective
in close attacks against B-29s Using the IIc, there was a special kamikaze
unit, (a company of four aircraft minimum) of the 47th Sentai, which specialized
in bomber collision tactics, the Shinten unit ("Shinten
Seiku Tai"(Sky Shadow) 47th Sentai (Air Regiment)
based at Narimasu airfield), during the defense of Tokyo.
On Feb 10th 1945, a mission to
Ota, the 47th Sentai intercepted. 1st L.t Heikichi Yoshizawa flew inverted
straight at the formation, then rolled upright then flashing barely 30ft above
the Superforts, he slammed into one of them and was instantly killed. That
morning he had pinned a small doll to his flying suit for good luck, telling his
wing man 2nd Lt. Ryozo Ban, "Follow me today!" Ban replied "Yes
sir, Yes sir I will, I will follow you to heaven or hell!" Ban was hit by
defensive fire and had to make an emergency landing at Shimodate airfield.
Yoshizawa is recorded as the leading B-29 ace of the 47th with 4 B-29’s
destroyed. Not all his kills were in the Ki-44.
By March of 1945, P-51
"Sundowner" units were escorting the B-29’s, JAAF units were ordered
not to engage U.S. escorts, to go after the bombers and to save themselves for
the final defense, this also saw the 47th transitioning to the Ki-84.
Ki-44 was used on the eve of WWII
in Indochina, a heavily armed fighter suited for attacking the heavy bombers,
something the Luftwaffe resurrected near in the end of their "Defense of
the Reich". The "Tojo" was never destined to become a great
fighter, or the mount of great aces, those who did make their mark in this
aircraft did so by ramming B-29’s at high altitudes or stalking them at low
altitudes with the deadly 40mm cannon. Not what was envisioned in the original
"Koko Hombu" requirement.
Model:
Kit: Hasegawa 1/48 Ki44-II (JT37)
Decals:
AeroMaster 48-170 "Tojo Collection PT. II".
Aircraft: This
depicts aircraft #60, a Ki 44 Shoki II "Otsu" of the 47th Sentai,
3rd Chutai in Oct 1944, based
at Chobu airbase. Pilot; Capt. Hatano 3rd Chutai leader.
Only draw-back on
the kit, it came with the scope sight which protruded through the front
windshield. Later built planes came with the optic sight, which this particular
plane has. Used "Formula 560" canopy glue to fill in the hole, would
have been nice if optional site and windshield were available in kit.
Paint:
-
A) Tamiya TS-17 Aluminum spray
-
B) Testers Flat white spray for the Hinomaru’s areas.
-
C) Tamiya TS-29 Semi-gloss black for glare panel.
-
D) Tamiya TS-47 Chrome Yellow spray for the leading wing edges.
-
E) Tamiya AS-29 Grey Green (IJN) for the fabric areas.
-
F) Propeller is Model Color 70486 Mahogany Brown