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25th Air Flotilla
The was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. History The 25th Air Flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, reported to the 11th Air Fleet. As originally organized, the flotilla's core units were the 4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, and Yokohama Air Group. The 4th flew bombers, the Tainan fighters, and the Yokohama reconnaissance aircraft. The flotilla, under the command of Rear Admiral Sadayoshi Yamada, was deployed to Rabaul, New Britain on 29 March 1942. From this location, the unit supported Japanese military operations in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands Campaigns. During these campaigns, the unit was augmented by aircraft from other flotillas (i.e., 2nd Air Group and 3rd Air Group). The operational title for this hybrid organization was the 5th Air Attack Force. The organization took heavy losses in air combat over Guadalcanal Guadalcanal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tainan Air Group
was a fighter aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The flying portion of the unit was heavily involved in many of the major campaigns and battles of the first year of the war. The exploits of the unit were widely publicized in the Japanese media at the time, at least in part because the unit spawned more aces than any other fighter unit in the IJN.Hata 1989, p. 132. Several of the unit's aces were among the IJN's top scorers, and included Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Saburō Sakai, Junichi Sasai, Watari Handa, Masaaki Shimakawa, and Toshio Ōta. History Philippines and Dutch East Indies The unit was formed at Tainan, Taiwan (then part of the Empire of Japan) on October 1, 1941 as part of the 23rd Air Flotilla. The unit's first commander was Captain Hiroshi Higuchi, who was relieved by Commander Masahisa Saito on 4 October 1941. Most of the unit's original pilots were veterans of aerial combat in the Second ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Guinea Campaign
The New Guinea campaign of the Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Australian-administered Mandated Territory of New Guinea (23 January) and the Australian Territory of Papua (21 July) and overran western New Guinea (beginning 29/30 March), which was a part of the Netherlands East Indies. During the second phase, lasting from late 1942 until the Japanese surrender, the Allies—consisting primarily of Australian forces—cleared the Japanese first from Papua, then the Mandate and finally from the Dutch colony. The campaign resulted in a crushing defeat and heavy losses for the Empire of Japan. As in most Pacific War campaigns, disease and starvation claimed more Japanese lives than enemy action. Most Japanese troops never even came into contact with Allied forces, and were instead simply cut off and subjected to an effective blockade by Allied naval forces. Garrison ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kanoya Air Group
was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Pacific campaign of World War II. The air group was redesignated as the 751st Air Group on 1 October 1942. On 1 November, the group's fighter unit was redesignated to the 253rd Air Group, while the bomber unit remained the 751st Air Group. History The Kanoya Air Group was formed on 1 April 1936 and was the oldest medium bomber (''rikko'') air group in IJNAS, along with the Kisarazu Air Group. It initially operated from Kanoya on Kyushu and was equipped with Type 96 Mitsubishi G3M medium bombers. They first saw combat during the Second Sino-Japanese War in August 1937. In July 1941, the air group temporarily moved to an airfield near Hankou in Central China to participate in Operation 102, which involved concentrated attacks against targets in Chongqing and Chengdu in West China. Following the unit's return from Hankou to Kanoya in September 1941, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Seaplane Tender Akitsushima
was a seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II from 1942 until being sunk in September 1944. Design In 1938, the IJN wanted to use their large-sized flying boats more effectively, because the Kawanishi H6K was the only aircraft able to hit Pearl Harbor directly from the Marshall Islands. However, the Marshall Islands did not have flying boat facilities at that time. Early in 1939, the IJN converted the oiler to a seaplane tender. However, she was not able to repair seaplanes. The IJN therefore planned two kinds of seaplane tenders which were included in the Maru 4 Programme. One was a 10,000-ton class flying boat carrier, the other a 2,400-ton class flying boat tender. These plans were not able to pass the assessment by the Ministry of Finance. These two basic plans were revived by the Maru 5 Programme in 1941. However, their construction did not begin. Therefore, the IJN planned a 3,500-ton class tender, which was a scaled-up model ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Air Fleet Of The Imperial Japanese Navy
During the Pacific War of 1941–1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service disposed of an increasing number of "air fleets" - airborne combat units attached to the Navy. The 1st Air Fleet was the primary carrier unit, while other Air Fleets were for defence, training or supporting naval operations in particular theatres. 1st Air Fleet The formed the primary carrier fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), a grouping of naval aircraft and aircraft carriers that at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, was the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet. As losses mounted, the carriers were removed and the 1st Air Fleet was transformed into a land based Naval aviation force forward based on islands and land masses along the perimeter of the Japanese controlled sphere. 2nd Air Fleet The was organized late in the War to defend the National Defence Zone along with 1st Air Fleet. Their area of responsibility was based in the Kyūshū-Okinawa-Formosa district. In October 1944 Vice ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guadalcanal Campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater of World War II. It was the first major land offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan. On 7 August 1942, Allied forces, predominantly United States Marines, landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands, with the objective of using Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases in supporting a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The Japanese defenders, who had occupied those islands since May 1942, were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the Allies, who captured Tulagi and Florida, as well as the airfield – later named Henderson Field – that was under construction on Guadalcanal. Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3rd Air Group
was a unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific War that was involved in the Philippines campaign, Dutch East Indies campaign, air raids on Australia, and the Guadalcanal Campaign. The air group was redesignated as the 202nd Air Group on 1 November 1942. History Southeast Asia The group was formed on 10 April 1941 and was originally a medium bomber unit. However, in September it was reformed and became a fighter unit with an initial strength of 54 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters and six Mitsubishi C5M reconnaissance aircraft. Prior to the outbreak of Pacific War, a small detachment was sent to operate over Malaya, while the majority of the group was stationed at Kaohsiung on Taiwan to participate in the invasion of Philippines. On 8 December, group's ''Hikōtaichō'' Lieutenant Yokoyama led the fighters to escort Mitsubishi G4M medium bombers from Takao Air Group and Kanoya Air Group in an attack against Iba Airfield. After the capture of Davao Cit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Air Group
was a unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific War that was involved in the Guadalcanal Campaign, Solomon Islands Campaign and New Guinea Campaign. The air group was redesignated as the 582nd Air Group on 1 November 1942. History The group was formed on 31 May 1942 in Yokosuka, Empire of Japan as a mixed fighter and dive bomber unit, where initial strength included 16 Aichi D3A dive bombers and 16 Mitsubishi A6M Zero (Model 32) fighters. The group was commanded by Lieutenant Fumito Inoue as ''Hikōtaichō'', who also led the dive bomber squadron within the group. The fighter squadron was commanded by Lieutenant Akira Kurakane as ''Buntaichō''. It was intended to serve as a garrison for New Caledonia after it would be captured in the planned Operation FS. After the disaster at Midway, the plan for Operation FS was canceled and the unit was ordered to move to Rabaul on New Britain. They embarked on the converted carrier ''Yawata Maru'' (lat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yokohama Air Group
was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Pacific campaign of World War II. History The Yokohama Air Group was formed in Yokohama, Japan on October 1, 1936 as a patrol unit equipped with six Navy Type 91 Hiro H4H flying boats. On December 1, 1941 it was re-equipped with 24 Navy Type 97 Kawanishi H6K flying boats and assigned to support Japanese IJN 4th Fleet operations in the central Pacific as part of the 24th Air Flotilla. Wake Island operations Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and start of hostilities against the United States, Japanese forces attempted to seize strategically located Wake Island. The initial Japanese landing attempts were repelled by the island’s United States Marine Corps defenders before the Japanese troops were able to land, with the loss of the Japanese destroyers and . In response the Japanese sent two Kawanishi H6K’s on a reconnaissance flight from their forward operating base ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4th Air Group
was a land-based bomber aircraft unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The air group was redesignated as the 702nd Air Group on 1 November 1942. History The unit was formed on 10 February 1942 by combining one division ( buntai) from Chitose Air Group that was previously stationed in the Central Pacific, and two divisions from Takao Air Group that participated in the conquest of the Philippines and Dutch East Indies. They operated the new Mitsubishi G4M ''Rikko'' Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber aircraft. That same month, the group was deployed to Rabaul, New Britain to support Japanese operations during the early stages of the New Guinea Campaign, at first as part of the 24th Air Flotilla and from April as part of the 25th Air Flotilla. On 20 February, a flying boat from Yokohama Air Group spotted a US carrier task force centered around ''Lexington'' 460 nautical miles from Rabaul. 4th Air Group medium bombers were ordere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast Pacific Ocean theater, the South West Pacific theater, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the Soviet–Japanese War. The Second Sino-Japanese War between the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China had been in progress since 7 July 1937, with hostilities dating back as far as 19 September 1931 with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. However, it is more widely accepted that the Pacific War itself began on 7 December (8 December Japanese time) 1941, when the Japanese simultaneously invaded Thailand, attacked the British colonies of Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong as well as the United States military and naval bases in Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam, and the Philippines. The Pacific War saw the Allies pitted against Japan, the latter ai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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