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Asisbiz Aircraft Profile: 九七式重爆撃機Skins Compatibility: IL2 Sturmovik Forgotten Battles (FB), Ace Expansion Pack (AEP), Pacific Fighters (PF), 1946, Storm of War (SW).
Asisbiz Free Virtual High Resolution Images for Screensavers and Wallpaper: If you have any additional historical information about the person or aircraft featured in our website please email us at info@asisbiz.com so we can add more details about the historic events featured here. Also any photos would be most welcome. If you're a graphic artist and can help with il2 game skins or Microsoft CFS skins we'd be delighted to host your material. Mitsubishi Ki-21 Sally-GwenFollowing some incidents with the Russians on the Mongolian frontier at the beginning of 1936, the Japanese Air Headquarters issued the specifications for a twin-engined monoplane heavy bomber to replace the Army Type 92 Heavy Bomber Ki-20. The new bomber would feature either a Nakajima Ha-5 or a Mitsubishi Ha-6 powerplant. In anticipation to its use in the Manchukuo-Siberia area, it had to be able to operate in extreme cold weather.
In answer to this specification, Nakajima submitted its Ki-19, Kawasaki the Ki-22 and Mitsubishi the Ki-21. The Air Headquarters selected both Nakajima and Mitsubishi proposals and ordered competitive projects from both manufacturers. The Mitsubishi project was led by engineers Nakata and Ozawa who completed the first prototype in only nine months after the Headquarters specifications. In November 1937 the Army signed a contract with Mitsubishi to build the officially known as Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber Model I, although Nakajima also received a share of the production aircraft. Once the field units received the first Ki-21s, they started operations in Manchuria. It soon became evident that protection was not enough and the Sentais suffered heavy losses against Russian fighter aircraft fielded by the Chinese. Mitsubishi began to produce the Ki-21-Ib or Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber Model 1B, correcting some major drawbacks detected in early combats. Model Ib was soon followed by Ic with increased armament and fuel load.
From November 1939 Mitsubishi started the building of a new model with air-cooled fourteen-cylinder Mitsubishi Ha-101 engines that featured longer propellers. Tests began in March 1940, and the aircraft was ordered into production as Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber Model IIa. The Ki-21 (codenamed Sally by the Allies) was due to be replaced by Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu new bomber which did not meet the Army expectations and consequently further changes from field experience were made in order to keep Ki-21s updated. The lack of adequate defensive armament and its limited range of fire made Mitsubishi to eliminate the long dorsal 'greenhouse' and replace it by a conical turret housing a flexible 12.7 mm machine-gun. The new version was called Model IIb. Although small equipment changes and improved petrol protection were also introduced, the new aircraft was basically identical to previous versions. The last Ki-21-IIb was delivered in September 1944.
The Mitsubishi Ki-21 (Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber) was produced by engineers Nakata and Ozawa in response to an operational specification issued by the Air Headquarters (Daihonei) of the JAAF on 15 February 1936. The first of two prototypes flew on 18 December 1936, the first production model being the Mitsubishi Ki-21- Ia (Army Type 97 Model 1A). Because of production bottlenecks it was not until the end of 1939 that Ki-21-la bombers equipped the first JAAF unit, the 60th Hikosentai (air regiment) based in China, in totality; the next unit to be equipped was the 61st Sentai. Early lessons learned over China demonstrated lack of firepower and protection, and the Ki-21-Ib and Ki-21-Ic subvariants had extra armour, additional 7.7mm Type 89 machine-guns, more fuel and larger bomb-bays. The engines were 634kW Nakajima Ha-5 KAI radials. By the time of the outbreak of war in December 1941, the majority of the Mitsubishi Ki-21-Ia, Ki-21-Ib and Ki-21-Ic bombers had been relegated to second-line duties, or to service as operational bomber trainers.
First-line bomber sentais had by now received the more powerful Ki-21-II, with 1119kW Mitsubishi Ha-101 engines in modified Cowlings; production models in service in 1941 were the Ki-21-IIa (Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber Model 2A), and the Ki-21-IIb which had a pedal-operated dorsal turret with one 12.7mm Type 1 heavy machine gun. Three sentais remained in Japan, Korea and in Manchuria when the Japanese high command went to war in South East Asia.
For operations over the Philippines the JAAF's 5th Air Group, based in Formosa, mustered the 14th and 62nd Hikosentais; these went into action early on the morning of 8 December 1941 striking at Aparri, Tuguegarao, Vigan and other targets in Luzon. Mitsubishi Ki-21s of the 3rd Air Group, based in French Indo- China, were earmarked for bombing strikes against Siam (Thailand) and Malaya: units were the 12th, 60th and 98th Hikosentais. These smashed RAF and RAAF facilities at Alor Star, Sungei Patani and Butterworth, being escorted by Nakajima Ki-27 and Ki-43 fighters. In the flush of Japanese victory in 1941-2 the Mitsubishi Ki-21, codenamed 'Sally', performed well; only over Rangoon over December 1941 and January 1942 did the Ki-21s suffer heavy casualties. The Ki-21-IIb was the final model to enter service, which was seen on all fronts in the Pacific and Far East theatres. Some 2,064 Ki-21s were built.
Mitsubishi Ki-21 Sally
Type: Five or Seven Seat Heavy Bomber
Design: Mitsubishi Design Team
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Jukogyo KK, also built by Nakajima Kikoki KK
Powerplant: (Ki-21-I) Two 850 hp (634 kW) Nakajima Ha-5-Kai 14-cylinder two row radial engines. (Ki-21-IIb) Two 1,500 hp (1119 kW) Mitsubishi Ha-101 14-cylinder radial engines.
Performance: Maximum speed 301 mph (485 km/h) at 15,485 ft (4720 m); service ceiling 32,810 ft (10000 m); initial rate of climb 1,640 ft (500 m) per minute.
Range: 1,678 miles (2700 km) on internal fuel.
Weight: Empty 13,382 lbs (6070 kg) with a maximum take-off weight of 23,391 lbs (10610 kg).
Dimensions: Span 73 ft 9 3/4 in (22.50 m); length 52 ft 6 in (16.00 m); height 15 ft 11 in (4.85 m); wing area 749.19 sq ft (69.60 sq m).
Armament: Five 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 89 machine-guns (in nose, ventral, tail, and port and starboard beam positions) and one 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Type 1 machine-gun in dorsal turret plus up to 2,205 lbs (1000 kg) of bombs.
Variants: Ki-21-I (prototype), Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber Model 1A (Mitsubishi Ki-21-Ia), Ki-21-Ib, Ki-21-Ic, Ki-21-II, Ki-21-IIa, Ki-21-IIb, MC-20 (Ki-57) unarmed transport. (See Mitsubishi Ki-57 in transport section).
History: First flight November 1936; service delivery 1937; first flight (Ki-21-II) mid-1940; final delivery September 1944.
Operators: Japan (Imperial Japanese Army), Thailand.
The Mitsubishi Ki-21 九七式重爆撃機, Kyūnana-shiki jūbakugekiki (Allied codename: eSallyf /fGwenf) was a Japanese bomber during World War II. It began operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War participating in the Nomonhan Incident, and in the first stages of the Pacific War, including the Malayan, Burmese, Dutch East Indies and New Guinea Campaigns. It was also used to attack targets as far-flung as western China, India and northern Australia.
Design & Development: In 1936 Imperial Japanese Army Air Service issued a requirement for a new heavy bomber to replace both the Mitsubishi Ki-20 (Army Type 92 Heavy Bomber) and the Mitsubishi Ki-1 (Army Type 93 Heavy Bomber). The design called for a crew of at least four, top speed of 400 km/h (250 mph), endurance of at least five hours, and a bomb load of 750 kg (1650 lb). The design parameters were very ambitious, and few twin-engine bombers anywhere in the world could exceed such performance at that time.
Both Mitsubishi and Nakajima were asked to build prototypes. The Mitsubishi design was an all-metal cantilever mid-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear, ventral bomb bay and two radial engines. In the resulting competition Mitsubishi's Ki-21 and Nakajima's Ki-19 were found to have nearly identical performance. Although the Army liked the Ki-21 airframe, the Nakajima engines were considered superior, and after evaluation of both types, Mitsubishi was instructed to change its own 825 hp (620 kW) Mitsubishi Ha-6 radial engines for Nakajima Ha-5 engines and to modify its tail surfaces. The design was accepted into production as the eArmy Type 97 Heavy Bomber Model 1Af.
Production aircraft began to enter service in the summer 1938, replacing Fiat BR.20 bombers which had been purchased as an interim measure.
Several improved versions followed (see below) before the production of the type ended in September 1944. A total of 2,064 aircraft were built, 1,713 by Mitsubishi and 351 by Nakajima.
Operational history: The Ki-21-Ia was used in combat in the war with China in autumn 1938, initially with great success, but not in great numbers, as production delays prevented the IJAAF from re-equipping the 60th Sentai and 61st Sentai until the end of 1939. However, combat revealed that the greatest weaknesses of the design were in its lack of armament and self-sealing fuel tanks.
The Ki-21-Ib was an improved version designed to address the armament issue by increasing the number of 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns to five, and incorporating improvements to the horizontal tail surfaces and trailing edge flaps. In addition, the bomb bay was enlarged. The tail gun was a 'stinger' installation, and was remotely controlled. Also the fuel tanks were partially protected with laminated rubber sheets.
This was followed in production by the Ki-21-Ic with an auxiliary fuel tank of 110 Imperial gallons (500 liters), fitted in the rear weapons-bay and one more 7.7 mm machine gun, bringing the total to six. Four 50 kg (110 lb) bombs were carried externally. To offset the increase in weight the main wheels of the Ki-21-IC were increased in size.
However, by the attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of the Pacific War, losses due to improvements in Republic of China Air Force fighter quality and quantities caused losses to mount, and most Ki-21-1a, -1b and -1c had been relegated to training or second-line duties.
Front line units from mid-1940 were equipped with the Ki-21-IIa (eArmy Type 97 Heavy Bomber Model 2Af) with the more powerful 1,500 hp (1,120 kW) Mitsubishi Ha-101 air-cooled engines and larger horizontal tail surfaces. This became the main version operated by most IJAAF heavy bomber squadrons at the beginning of the Pacific War, and played a major role in many early campaigns. For operations over the Philippines the JAAF's 5th,14rd and 62rd Air Groups, based in Taiwan, attacked American targets at Aparri, Tuguegarao, Vigan and other targets in Luzon on 8 December 1941. The 3rd, 12th, 60th and 98th Air Groups, based in French Indochina, struck British and Australian targets in Thailand and Malaya, bombing Alor Star, Sungai Petani and Butterworth under escort by Nakajima Ki-27 and Ki-43 fighters. However, starting from operations over Burma in December 1941 and early 1942, the Ki-21 began to suffer heavy casualties from Curtiss P-40's and Hawker Hurricanes.
To partially compensate, the IJAAF introduced the Ki-21-IIb, with a pedal-operated upper turret with one 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Type 1 machine gun, redesigned cockpit canopies and increased fuel capacity. Although used in all fronts in the Pacific theater, it became clear by 1942 that the design was rapidly becoming obsolete, and was increasingly shifted away from front-line service.
In spite of its shortcomings, the Ki-21 was remained in service until the end of the war, being utilized as transport (along with the civil transport version MC-21), bomber crew and paratrooper trainer, for liaison and communications, special commando and secret missions, and suicide operations.
Nine Ki-21-Ia/b were sold by Japan to Thailand in 1940 for use by the Royal Thai Air Force against Vichy French forces in French Indochina but did not participate in the French-Thai War as its crews had not completed training.
Towards the end of the war, remaining Ki-21s were used by Giretsu Special Forces in strikes against American forces in Okinawa and the Ry?ky? Islands. One of the noted operations was an attack on the Allied-held Yontan airfield on the night of 24 May 1945. Nine Ki-12-IIb's of 3rd Dokuritsu Chutai were dispatched for a strike, each with 14 commandos. Four were shot down, but five managed to crash-land on the airfield. The raiders, armed with submachine guns and phosphorous grenades then wrought havoc on the supplies and nearby aircraft, destroyed 70,000 gallons of fuel and nine aircraft, and damaging 26 more.
A number of Ki-21-la were modified to serve as military transports for use by Greater Japan Airways, which was under contract by the Japanese Army in China for transportation. Designated eMC-20f, these aircraft had all armament and military equipment removed. Used primarily as cargo transports, each could also seat nine paratroopers. Aircraft built from the start as transports were given the separate designation of Mitsubishi Ki-57.
Code Names: The Ki-21 had more then one Allied codename. Initially called 'Jane', , the name was quickly changed to 'Sally' when General Douglas MacArthur objected that the name was the same as that of his wife. When the Ki-21-IIb entered service, the absence of the long dorsal egreenhousef led Allied observers to mistake it for a completely new type, which was designated 'Gwen'. However, when it was realized that 'Gwen' was a new version of the Ki-21, it was renamed 'Sally 3', with 'Sally 1' referring to the earlier Ha-5 powered models, and 'Sally 2' referring to the Ha-101 powered Ki-21-IIa.
Versions: Ki-21 Operators: * Japan: * Imperial Japanese Army Air Force * Thailand: * Royal Thai Air Force operated nine Ki-21-I Nagoya Specifications (Ki-21-IIb) Data from The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. General characteristics * Crew: 5-7 Performance * Maximum speed: 485 km/h (301 mph) at 4,700 m (15,400 ft) Armament * 5 ~ 7.7 mm flexible Type 89 machine guns in nose, tail, beam and tail positions Bibliography * Donald, David (editor). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X. Web References: Imperial Japanese Army Air Force The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (often called the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (帝国陸軍航空隊, Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūtai) (IJAAF), was the land-based aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army. As with the IJA itself, the IJAAF was developed along the lines of Imperial German Army Aviation so its primary mission was to provide tactical close air support, for ground troops while maintaining a limited air interdiction capability. The JAAF also provided important reconnaissance support for the Army. However, the Army Air Service usually did not control the light aircraft or balloons deployed and operated by the Imperial Japanese Army artillery battalions as spotters or observers. Although the Army Air Service engaged in limited strategic bombing of major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Chongqing in the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War, this was not its primary mission, and it lacked the heavy strategic bombers as were later deployed by the United States Army Air Force. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was responsible for long-range strikes and strategic air defense and it was not until the later stages of the Pacific War that both services attempted anything like integrated air defense. History The Imperial Japanese Army made use of hot air balloons for observation purposes in the Russo-Japanese War on 1904-1905 and purchased its first aircraft, a Farman biplane, in 1910. However, serious interest in military aviation did not develop until after World War I. Japanese military observers in Europe were quick to spot the advantages of the new technology, and after the end of the war, Japan purchased large numbers of surplus military aircraft, including Sopwith 1½ Strutters, Nieuport Bebes, and Spads. Japanese army aviation was organized into a separate chain of command within the Ministry of War of Japan in 1919, and aircraft were being used in combat roles by the 1920 Siberian Intervention against the Bolshevik Red Army near Vladivostock. The first aircraft factory in Japan, Nakajima Aircraft Company, was founded in 1916, and later obtained a license to produce the Nieuport 24 and Nieuport 29C1, as well as the Hispano-Suiza engine. Nakajima later license-produced the Gloster Gannet and Bristol Jupiter. Similarly, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries started producing aircraft under license from Sopwith in 1921, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries started producing the Salmson bomber from France, and hired German engineers, such as Dr. Richard Vogt to produce original designs, such as the Type 88 bomber. Kawasaki also licensed production of aircraft engines from BMW. By the end of the 1920s, Japan was producing its own designs to meet all of the needs of its Army, and by 1935 had an inventory that was large and technically sophisticated. During the Second sino-japanese war in 1940, the IJAAF bombed the city of Ningbo with ceramic bombs full of fleas carrying the bubonic plague. According to Daniel Barenblatt, Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda received, with Prince Mikasa, a special screening by Shiro Ishii of a film showing imperial planes loading germ bombs for bubonic dessemination over Ningbo in 1940. By 1941 the Japanese Army Air Force had about 1,500 combat capable aircraft. During the first years of the war, Japan continued technical development and deployment of increasing advanced types of aircraft and enjoyed air superiority over most battlefields due to superior equipment and the combat experience of its crews. However, as the war continued, Japan was unable to maintain volume production of aircraft due to material shortages and the damage to Japan's industrial infrastructure due to Allied bombing of the Japanese home islands. Experienced crews were lost to attrition in combat, and towards the end of its existence, the JAAF was resorted to kamikaze attacks against overwhelmingly superior Allied forces. World War II Aircraft Important aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II were: Fighters: Bombers: Forward air control aircrafts: Transports: Reconnaissance Planes: Trainers: Other planes: Organization Army Aeronautical Department Sections * Commander-in-Chief of Army Air Service Office Operational Organization Before World War I, the basic unit of the Army Air Service was the Air Battalion (航空大隊, Kōkū Daitai), each consisting of two squadrons (中隊, Chutai) with nine aircraft each, plus three reserve aircraft and three earmarked for use by the headquarters, for a total of 27 aircraft per battalion. The officer commanding the chutai was the Chutaicho, whose rank was usually that of captain. The commander's aircraft often hand distinctive markings, often a partly or totally scarlet, red, orange or yellow tail. In a reorganization of 1927-05-05, the Air Regiment (飛行連隊, Hikō Rentai) was created, each consisting of two battalions, with each battalion consisting of up to four squadrons. Each Air Regiment was a mixed purpose unit, consisting of a mixture of fighter and reconnaissance squadrons. With the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, operational conditions favored the use of many small units, resulting in the creation of many independent Air Battalions (独立飛行大隊, Dokuritsu Hikō Daitai) or even independent squadrons (独立飛行中隊, Dokuritsu Hikō Chutai), each with its own distinctive markings. In August 1938, a complete re-organization of the Army Air Service resulted in the creation of the Air Combat Group (飛行戦隊, Hikō Sentai), which replaced all of the former Air Battalions and Air Regiments. Each Air Combat Group was a single-purpose unit consisting typically of three Squadrons, divided into three flights-小隊-shōtai of three aircraft each. Together with reserve aircraft and the headquarters flight, an Air Combat Group typically had 45 aircraft (fighter) or up to 30 aircraft (bomber or reconnaissance). Two or more Air Combat Groups formed an Air Division (飛行団, Hikōdan), which, together with base and support units and a number of Independent Squadrons, formed an Air Corps (飛行集団, Hikō Shudan). In 1942, the Air Corps were renamed Air Divisions (飛行師団, Hikō Shidan), to mirror the terminology for infantry divisions, but the structure remained the same. Two Air Divisions, together with some independent units made an Air Army (航空軍, Kōkū gun). Throughout most of the Pacific War, the Japanese Army Air Service was organized into four Air Armies, with two more added in the final stages of the war: * 1st Air Army – HQ Tokyo, basing in the Kanto Plain covering the Japanese home islands, Taiwan, Korea and Karafuto. In April 1944, a reorganization of the Japanese Army Air Service occurred. Maintenance and ground service units, formerly a separate command, were merged into the Air Combat Group (Hiko Sentai). The flying squadrons of the Air Combat Group were re-designated as Attack Units (攻撃隊, Kogekitai), and the ground units were designated Maintenance Units (整備隊, Seibutai). Other changes in the final stages of the war was the formation of “Special Attack Units” and "Air-shaking Units", which were short-lived units with their own names (often taken from Japanese mythology or history) and markings, but located within existing squadrons. These units were specially designated and trained with the mission of air-to-air ramming of Allied bomber aircraft. They usually had their armaments removed and their airframes reinforced. In the final phase of the war, the Special Attack Units evolved into dedicated suicide units for kamikaze missions. Around 170 of these units were formed, 57 by the Instructor Air Division alone. Notionally equipped with 12 aircraft each, it eventually comprised around 2000 aircraft. The final reorganisation of the took place during preparation for Opertation Ketsu-Go, the defence of the home islands in 1945 when all the Air Armies were combined under a centralised command of General Masakau Kawabe . Special Operations Forces Teishin Shudan ("Raiding Group") was the IJA's special forces/airborne unit during World War II. The word teishin may be literally translated as "dash forward", and is usually translated as "raiding". It may also be regarded as similar to the "commando" designation in the terminology of other armies. The unit was a division-level force, and was part of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS). The Teishin units were therefore distinct from the marine parachute units of the Special Naval Landing Forces. 'Giretsu' (義烈空挺隊, Giretsu Kūteitai) was an airborne special forces unit of the Imperial Japanese Army formed from Army paratroopers, in late 1944 as a last-ditch attempt to reduce and delay Allied bombing raids on the Japanese home islands. The Giretsu Special Forces unit was commanded by Lieutenant General Kyoji Tominaga. Strength In 1940 the Japanese Army Air Service consisted of the following: o 33,000 personnel Army Air Arsenal The Japanese Air Army Force had one technical section: the First Tachikawa Air Army Arsenal, which was in charge of aviation research and development. The Arsenal included a testing section for captured Allied aircraft. The Army Air Arsenal was also connected with Tachikawa Hikoki K.K. and Rikugun Kokukosho K.K. the Army-owned and operationed aircraft manufacturing companies. Army Escort-Aircraft Carriers Due to the poor relations between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy, the Army found it necessary to procure and operate their own aircraft carriers for the purposes of providing escort and protection for Army transport shipping convoys. These escort/transport carriers, were converted from small passenger liners or merchant ships. These escort carriers possessed the capacity to operate from eight to 38 aircraft, depending on type and size, and were also used to transport personnel and tanks. These vessels included the Taiyō Maru, Unyo Maru, Chuyo Maru, Kaiyō Maru, Shinyo Maru, Kamakura Maru, Akitsu Maru, Nigitsu Maru, Kumano Maru, Yamashiro Maru, Chigusa Maru, Shimane Maru, and Otakisan Maru and were operated by civilian crews with Army personnel manning the light and medium anti-aircraft guns. Uniforms and equipment As an integral part of the IJA, the Army Air Service wore the standard army uniforms. Only flying personnel and ground crews wore sky blue trim and stripes, while officers wore their ranks on sky blue patches. Sources Web References:
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