In the two previous parts of the series, devoted to the Japanese air defense system, it was about anti-aircraft artillery, which, due to its weakness, was unable to counter the American long-range bombers B-29 Superfortress. In the next two parts, we will talk about Japanese interceptor fighters and their successes in repelling the raids of the Superfortresses. But, before we talk about the army and navy Japanese fighters, it will be appropriate to briefly talk about the bomber they were trying to fight.
Flight performance of the American long-range bomber B-29 Superfortress
For its time, the B-29 was an outstanding machine, in which the most advanced achievements of the American aviation industry were concentrated.
The first flight of the Boeing Super Fortress took place on September 21, 1942. Serial production began in December 1943, operation in May 1944. Until mass production ceased in October 1945, 3,627 bombers were assembled at four aircraft factories.
Due to the fact that the military wanted to get a heavy bomber with a maximum speed of more than 600 km / h, the aircraft had a streamlined fuselage of a circular cross-section. The long flight range was provided by the mid-wing of a large aspect ratio, in which the fuel tanks were located. Taking into account the fuel tanks in the fuselage, the aircraft could take on board 35,443 liters of gasoline. All tanks had multilayer walls, providing self-sealing in the event of a hole.
Eleven crew members (pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, navigator, radio operator, radar operator, navigator-bombardier, 4 gunners) were located in fairly comfortable pressurized cabins.
Since the bomber had to operate at a great distance from its bases, he could not count on constant accompaniment by his fighters. In this regard, the B-29 had a very powerful defensive armament, placed in mobile turret mounts, with remote guidance from an automated rifle sight, the use of which made it possible to increase the firing efficiency by 1.5 times. When firing at one air target, it was possible to aim several firing points at it. In addition, the arrows could transfer control to each other, depending on the position of the target.
In total, there were five turrets providing a circular shelling of the airspace: two above the fuselage, two under the fuselage and the tail. Each turret was armed with 12.7 mm machine guns with an ammunition capacity of 500 rounds per barrel.
Initially, the turrets contained two 12.7 mm machine guns. Since the Japanese fighters were actively practicing a frontal attack, the number of machine guns in the upper front turret was brought to four.
In the aft installation, in addition to machine guns, there could be a 20-mm cannon with an ammunition load of 100 rounds. Subsequently, on later modifications of the B-29, the 20 mm cannon was abandoned, replacing it with a 12.7 mm machine gun.
In total, the aircraft had four shooters' workplaces: one in the bow and three in the rear pressurized cabin. Sights were displayed under transparent domes. Two domes were located on the sides, one in the upper part of the fuselage. The shooter of the tail defensive installation was inside it.
The 12.7mm.50 Browning AN / M2 machine gun was a very effective weapon. Without ammunition, it weighed 29 kg, length - 1450 mm. The muzzle velocity of a bullet weighing 46.7 g was 858 m / s. Effective range at fast moving air targets - up to 500 m. Rate of fire - 800 rds / min. According to the Americans, at a distance of 700 m, a 50-caliber bullet pierced the cylinder block of a Japanese aircraft engine.
An official US report, covering the period from August 1944 to August 1945, states that the B-29 crews, having flown more than 32,000 sorties, scored 914 victories. Most likely, the data on the number of Japanese interceptors shot down by turret guns is greatly exaggerated. Still, it should be admitted that the "Superfortress" possessed very effective defensive weapons, which were several times superior to the firepower of any Japanese fighter.
Not only the weapons, but also the flight data of the "Superfortress" were also at their best. In the hostilities against Japan, bombers of modifications were used: B-29, B-29A and B-29B. Depending on the model, the maximum take-off weight was 61235–62142 kg. Maximum speed at 7020 m: 586–611 km / h. Cruising speed: 330-402 km / h. Service ceiling: 9700-10600 m. Maximum bomb load: 9072-10342 kg. Combat radius: 2575-2900 km. Ferry range: more than 8300 km.
The most advanced communication and sighting and navigation equipment was installed on the Super Fortress. For example, aircraft of the B-29B modification were equipped with AN / APQ-7 radar, which made it possible to carry out bombing with a sufficiently high accuracy at targets that were not visually observed. Aircraft of the B-29B modification were also equipped with the AN / APQ-15B radar, coupled with the sight of the aft rifle mount. This radar was used to detect enemy fighters attacking from the rear hemisphere.
B-29 bombers of the early series had a lot of "childhood sores". Each bomber was equipped with four Wright R-3350 air-cooled engines with a capacity of 2200 hp. with. And at first, these motors presented a lot of problems. In the first combat missions, the engines often failed or even ignited, which, combined with the insufficient flight experience of the pilots, led to losses. At the first stage, for every "Superfortress" shot down by Japanese air defense systems, there were 3-4 aircraft lost as a result of flight accidents caused by technical reasons or flight crew errors.
A lot of "Superfortresses" crashed during landing after completing a combat mission. Eleven B-29s based in the Mariana Islands were destroyed in bombing raids by Japanese aircraft stationed in Iwo Jima.
Subsequently, as the qualifications of the pilots grew and they gained the necessary experience, the number of incidents decreased. And the capture of Iwo Jima and the total bombing of Japanese airfields by the Americans made it possible to prevent retaliatory attacks by Japanese bombers. However, indirect losses in combat missions were still greater than those from Japanese anti-aircraft guns and fighters. On average, the Superfortresses lost less than 1.5% of the number of crews that took part in combat missions. But in the first raids, losses approached 5% of the total number of B-29s involved in the raid.
By mid-1945, the aircraft wings, equipped with B-29s, reached their peak combat effectiveness. The frequency and force of the Superfortresses' blows increased systematically. Optimal tactics were developed, the crews gained the necessary experience, and the reliability of the equipment was brought to the required level.
In July 1945, B-29s made 6,697 sorties and dropped 43,000 tons of bombs. Bombing accuracy increased, and losses from enemy countermeasures dropped sharply. More than 70% of the bombings were carried out according to airborne radars.
During the period of military activity against the Japanese islands, the "Superfortress" of the 20th Aviation Army dropped 170,000 tons of bombs and sea mines, and flew 32,600 sorties. For combat reasons, 133 aircraft and 293 crew members were lost. The total losses of the B-29s of the 20th and 21st Bomber Commands were 360 aircraft.
After the start of the Superfortresses' raids on the Japanese islands, it became clear that the Japanese air defense forces have very few fighters at their disposal, capable of confidently intercepting the B-29. The victories won by the pilots of the Japanese interceptors in repelling the first American raids are largely due to the inexperience of the American crews and the wrong tactics of using the high-speed and high-altitude bomber.
The reluctance of Japanese fighter aircraft to counter the B-29 raids is largely due to the views of the Japanese command about what army and naval fighters should be like. The concept of aerial combat by high-ranking Japanese military personnel was based on the experience of the First World War, when fighter planes converged in a "dump for dogs." The creators of fighters were primarily required to provide excellent maneuverability, and altitude performance and rate of climb were considered secondary. As a result, the high speed and powerful armament of the light nimble monoplane were sacrificed for maneuverability.
Fighter Ki-43 Hayabusa
A striking example of this approach is the most massive Japanese fighter during the Second World War - the Ki-43 Hayabusa. This aircraft, created by the Nakajima firm in 1939, was produced in the number of more than 5900 copies.
Since December 1941, this aircraft took part in the battles in Malaya, Burma. And from the end of 1942 he became the main fighter of the Imperial Army. And he actively fought until the surrender of Japan. While in serial production, Hayabusa was consistently modernized. The Ki-43-I fighter, armed with two rifle-caliber machine guns, could accelerate to 495 km / h in horizontal flight. An improved modification of the Ki-43-IIb with a maximum take-off weight of 2925 kg was armed with a pair of 12.7 mm machine guns. Maximum speed after installing the 1150 hp engine. with. increased to 530 km / h.
Ki-43 fighters of all production variants were relatively cheap, easy to operate and could be quickly mastered by intermediate pilots. A number of Ki-43s of the later series were used in units providing air defense of the Japanese islands. However, given the weakness of the weaponry and the fact that the maximum flight speed of the Hayabusa was inferior to all modifications of the B-29, this fighter in most cases had a chance of winning, attacking the bomber from the front hemisphere. To do this, it was necessary first to take an advantageous position, which in practice did not happen often. Given the high survivability of the Superfortress, two machine guns in most cases were not enough to inflict fatal damage on the bomber. And Japanese pilots often rammed.
Thus, after the start of the B-29 raids on Japan, a situation arose when large, tenacious, high-speed and well-armed four-engine aircraft capable of carrying tons of bombs were opposed by weakly armed and very vulnerable to combat damage "aerial acrobats", who even at the end of the war more than half of the Japanese fighter regiments were armed.
Fighter A6M Zero
Perhaps the most famous Japanese fighter jet during WWII is the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. At the first stage of hostilities, he was a formidable enemy for all American combat aircraft. Although the Zero had an engine that was less powerful than that of the Allied fighters, due to the maximum lightweight design, this Japanese fighter was superior to enemy vehicles in speed and maneuverability. The design of the "Zero" successfully combined small size and low specific wing loading with excellent controllability and a long range.
Operation of the Zero began in August 1940. In total, 10,938 aircraft were built by August 1945. This naval fighter was very widely used in all areas of hostilities, flying from the decks of aircraft carriers and from land airfields.
The A6M3 Mod 32 fighter, released in July 1942, had a maximum takeoff weight of 2,757 kg. And with a 1130 hp engine. with. in horizontal flight, it could reach a speed of 540 km / h. Armament: two 7, 7-mm machine guns and two 20-mm cannons.
The A6M5 Mod 52 fighter, which entered combat units in the fall of 1943, had several weapon options:
- two 7, 7-mm machine guns and two 20-mm cannons;
- one 7.7mm machine gun, one 13.2mm machine gun and two 20mm cannons;
- two 13, 2-mm machine guns and two 20-mm cannons.
Several A6M5 Model 52s in combat units were converted into night fighters. The standard machine-gun armament was dismantled, and a 20-mm cannon was installed behind the cockpit, firing forward and upward.
When repelling the B-29 raids, Japanese Navy fighters, in addition to machine gun and cannon armament, used other means of destruction. For "Zero" was developed a suspension of ten "air bombs" with a remote fuse. Thus, the Japanese tried to fight the Super Fortresses without entering the kill zone of their defensive 12.7mm turrets.
The Type 99-Shiki 3-Gou 3-Shusei-Dan phosphorus bomb weighed 32 kg when loaded. In addition to white phosphorus granules, such a bomb contained 169-198 steel balls. The tail section also contained a charge of explosives - picric acid weighing 1.5 kg.
There is a lot of evidence from American pilots about the use of such bombs by the Japanese. The phosphorus explosion was very effective, but usually completely harmless. The only benefit of using these bombs was to blind the bomber crews. The radius of destruction of the finished slaughter elements did not exceed 20 m (relatively small), and the incendiary effect of phosphorus was effective only if the target was below the break point. In addition, for the pilots of the Zero fighters, it was a great success to take a position for an attack above the B-29 marching formation, and in this case they had a chance of success using the machine guns and cannons on the plane.
When repelling the B-29 raids on Japan, it turned out that the Zero was generally ineffective as an interceptor fighter. At an altitude of 6000 m, the fighter of the fastest serial modification A6M5 Model 52 developed 565 km / h. And it was not much faster than the army "Hayabusa", significantly surpassing it only in terms of weapons. The main naval Japanese fighter could relatively successfully fight American heavy bombers attacking residential areas with "lighters" from low altitude. But it was very difficult to detect the "Superfortress" visually in the dark.
Fighter Ki-44 Shoki
The first Japanese single-engine specialized air defense fighter was the Ki-44 Shoki. This aircraft made its first flight in August 1940. And in December 1941, an experimental batch of fighters was sent to Indochina for testing in combat conditions.
Unlike previously produced Japanese fighters, when designing the Shoki, the main emphasis was on speed and rate of climb. The designers of the company "Nakajima" made an attempt to create an interceptor that develops a speed of at least 600 km / h at an altitude of 5000 m. The time to climb this height should have been less than 5 minutes. To achieve the required characteristics, an air-cooled aircraft engine with a capacity of 1250 liters was used. with. Much attention was paid to aerodynamics. The fuselage from the engine mount was rapidly narrowing towards the rear. A teardrop-shaped lantern, retractable landing gear and a three-bladed variable-pitch propeller were used. The Shoki's wing loading was significantly higher than that of other Japanese fighters.
Japanese pilots accustomed to highly maneuverable aircraft referred to the Ki-44 as a "flying log." However, this approach was highly subjective. In terms of maneuverability, the Shoki was no worse than many American fighters. The maximum horizontal flight speed of the Ki-44-Ia at an altitude of 3800 m was 585 km / h.
It was quite logical to improve the "Shoki" by increasing the speed characteristics and strengthening the armament. A 1520 hp engine was installed on the Ki-44-II modification. with. The serial Ki-44-IIa carried armament consisting of two 7.7 mm machine guns and two 12.7 mm machine guns. The Ki-44-IIb received four 12.7mm machine guns or two heavy machine guns and two 20mm cannons. The Ki-44-IIc interceptor with very powerful weapons was produced specifically to combat the B-29. Some fighters of this variant had two 12.7 mm machine guns and two 37 mm wing cannons. Some of the vehicles were equipped with 40-mm Ho-301 cannons with caseless shells, in which the propellant charge was pressed into the bottom of the projectile. Such a projectile weighing 590 g had an initial velocity of 245 m / s and an effective firing range of 150 m. When a 40-mm projectile containing 68 g of explosives hit, a hole with a diameter of up to 70-80 cm was formed in the aircraft skin. However, in order to achieve hits, it was required to get very close to the attacked aircraft.
The maximum takeoff weight of the Ki-44-IIb was 2764 kg. At an altitude of 4500 m, the fighter developed 612 km / h. Flight range - 1295 km. An interceptor with such characteristics, subject to mass use, was able to fight the B-29 during daylight hours. Sometimes the Shoki pilots managed to achieve good results. So, on November 24, 1944, Ki-44 destroyed 5 and damaged 9 "Superfortresses". At night, the pilot could only rely on his eyesight. And the Japanese had few pilots trained to intercept in the dark.
After American bombers flying during the day began to escort the P-51D Mustangs, the pilots of the Japanese daytime interceptors fell on hard times. "Shoki" in all respects lost to "Mustang". Nevertheless, the Ki-44 continued to be used until the end of the war. In August 1945, three regiments were based in Japan, fully equipped with these machines. In total, taking into account prototypes, 1,225 Ki-44 fighters were built.
Fighter Ki-84 Hayate
To replace the aging Ki-43 Hayabusa fighter, Nakajima engineers created a new Ki-84 Hayate fighter in mid-1943. This combat aircraft, which appeared at the front in August 1944, was an unpleasant surprise for the Americans and the British. At low and medium altitudes, in speed and maneuverability, it was not inferior to the most modern Allied fighters. From mid-1943 to August 1945, 3,514 Ki-84 fighters were built.
Serial Ki-84-Ia were equipped with 1970 hp air-cooled engines. with. Normal takeoff weight of the fighter was 3602 kg, maximum - 4170 kg. The maximum flight speed is 670 km / h. The service ceiling is 11,500 m. The flight range is 1255 km. Armament: two 12, 7-mm machine guns with 350 rounds of ammunition per barrel in the upper front part of the fuselage and two 20-mm cannons with 150 rounds of ammunition per barrel in the wings. The later series machine was armed with four 20 mm cannons. By Japanese standards, the Hayate had good protection for the pilot: an armored backrest with a headrest and a canopy made of bulletproof glass. However, there was no emergency discharge of the lantern and fire-fighting equipment on the plane.
The late production aircraft, known as the Ki-84 Kai and intended for use as air defense interceptors, received the Ha-45-23 engine, which developed a power of 2,000 hp. with. Built-in armament included four cannons: two - 20-mm caliber and two - 30-mm caliber.
Fortunately for the B-29 crews involved in air raids on Japanese cities, there were few Ki-84 Kai interceptors in the Japanese air defense system. The combat value of this fighter was greatly reduced by numerous manufacturing defects. The engines did not produce the declared power, which, in combination with the roughness of the skin, limited the maximum speed. In the last year of the war in Japan, there was an acute shortage of high-octane gasoline. And this also negatively affected the combat effectiveness of the interceptors.
Fighter Ki-61 Hien
At the final stage of the war, the Japanese transferred their new front-line fighter Ki-61 Hien to interceptors. This aircraft of the Kawasaki company was in serial production from the end of 1942 to July 1945. The issue was 3078 copies.
The appearance of the Ki-61 became possible after the Kawasaki company acquired a license for the German Daimler-Benz DB 601A liquid-cooled engine installed on the Messerschmitts. Japanese V-shaped, 12-cylinder engine with a capacity of 1175 hp. with. produced under the designation Ha-40.
The use of a liquid-cooled engine made it possible to improve the aerodynamic qualities of the fighter. The speed of Ki-61 of various modifications ranged from 590 to 610 km / h, ascent to an altitude of 5 km - from 6 to 5.5 minutes. The ceiling is over 11,000 m.
Unlike many other Japanese fighters, this aircraft dived well. Sufficiently high power and relatively low weight of the engine in combination with a streamlined shape made it possible to make "Hien" not only high-speed. A good thrust-to-weight ratio made it possible to increase the weight of the structure without a cardinal loss of flight data and put fireproof partitions, bulletproof glass and armored back of the pilot's seat on this fighter, as well as protect the fuel tanks. As a result, the Ki-61 became the first Japanese fighter on which measures to increase combat survivability were sufficiently implemented. In addition, in addition to good speed data, "Hien" had good maneuverability. The flight range reached 600 km, with an outboard fuel tank - 1100 km.
The first production Ki-61-Ia carried two 7.7 mm and two 12.7 mm machine guns. Subsequently, four 12.7 mm machine guns were installed on the Ki-61-Ib. Ki-61-Iс, in addition to two 12.7 mm machine guns, received two German wing 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons. On the Ki-61-Id, the fuselage was lengthened, control was simplified, many components were lightened, the tail wheel was not retractable. Armament: two synchronous 12, 7-mm machine guns in the fuselage and two 20-mm cannons in the wing.
The upgraded Ki-61-II was powered by the Ha-140 engine, which was increased to 1,500 hp. with. There were two options for armament - the standard Ki-61-IIa: two 12.7 mm machine guns and two 20 mm cannons, and the reinforced Ki-61-IIb: four 20 mm cannons.
The upgraded Hien with a new engine of increased power was the only Japanese fighter capable of effectively operating at high altitude against the Super Fortresses. But successful interception was often hampered by the low reliability of the boosted Ha-140 engine.
From the very beginning, the introduction of the Ki-61 into service led to a number of difficulties. The Japanese ground technical staff had no experience in the operation and maintenance of liquid-cooled aircraft engines. This was compounded by manufacturing defects in the engines. And "Hien" had a bad reputation in the first stage. After the technical reliability of the engines was brought to an acceptable level, the Ki-61 began to pose a serious threat to all American combat aircraft without exception. Despite the negative attitude of the technical staff, the pilots loved this fighter. The Americans noted that, due to better protection and good speed characteristics, the Ki-61 in most cases behaved more aggressively than other light Japanese fighters.
Taking into account the critical losses from the B-29 turrets, in December 1944, Ki-61 pilots began using the Shinten Seikutai (Striking Sky) ramming tactics. At the same time, in most cases, it was not about suicidal attacks - a ramming strike was supposed to inflict critical damage on an American bomber, after which the pilot of a Japanese fighter had to either land his damaged car or jump out with a parachute. This tactic was based on close interaction of "ramming" fighters with conventional ones, which made it possible to achieve success. However, in April 1945 (after the capture of Iwo Jima), the Americans were able to accompany their long-range bombers with P-51D Mustang fighters. This sharply reduced the effectiveness of the actions of the Japanese interceptors.
In June-July 1945, the activity of units armed with Ki-61 decreased significantly - in previous battles they suffered heavy losses, and the production of aircraft of this type ceased. In addition, in anticipation of the American landing on the Japanese islands, an order was issued prohibiting engaging in battle with superior enemy forces. In the conditions of the enemy's dominance in the sky, the surviving Ki-61 were saved to repel the American invasion. In early August, there were 53 combat-ready Ki-61s in Japan.
Fighter Ki-100
Production volumes of the Ki-61 were largely constrained by a shortage of liquid-cooled aircraft engines. In this regard, on the basis of the Ki-61, the Ki-100 fighter with a 14-cylinder air-cooled Ha-112 engine with a capacity of 1500 hp was developed. with.
The air-cooled engine had more drag. The maximum speed of the production Ki-100-Ia dropped in comparison with the latest Ki-61 by 15-20 km / h at all altitudes. But on the other hand, thanks to a decrease in weight and an increase in power density, maneuverability and climb rate have improved significantly. The flight range has also increased - up to 1400 (2200 km with outboard tanks). The altitude characteristics (compared to the Ki-61-II) remained practically unchanged. The later version of the Ki-100-Ib featured improved aerodynamics and a teardrop-shaped canopy.
The armament remained the same as on the bulk of the Ki-61-II: two 12.7 mm machine guns and two 20 mm cannons. Ki-100 production began in March 1945. And it ended in mid-July, after the B-29 bombed the plant where the assembly was carried out. The Ki-100 fighters managed to produce only 389 copies. And they did not have a noticeable effect on the course of air battles.
In the next part of the review, devoted to the history of the Japanese air defense system, we will focus on the heavy twin-engine Japanese interceptor fighters. The tactics of Japanese air defense fighters and their role in countering raids by American heavy bombers will be briefly reviewed.
